All Coverage

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: The Midterm Shake-Up

Election night went better than expected for Democrats. Although they could still lose control of one or both houses of Congress, the predicted “red wave” for Republicans failed to materialize. Meanwhile, voters in both red and blue states approved ballot measures to protect abortion rights. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Rachel Cohrs of Stat, and Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these topics and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Carolee Lee, the former jewelry magnate, about her efforts to boost gender equity in medical research.

Nov. 10, 2022

A photo shows a poster warning of the dangers of fentanyl use in a high school hallway.

Fentanyl in High School: A Texas Community Grapples With the Reach of the Deadly Opioid

The first fentanyl-related deaths of students in an area south of Austin, Texas, were reported over the summer. The school district, parents, and students are trying to deal with the aftermath.

By Colleen DeGuzman

Nov. 10, 2022

A man stands next to a car where a dog leans out the window.

Homelessness Among Older People Is on the Rise, Driven by Inflation and the Housing Crunch

In Montana and across the nation, homeless shelters are reporting that people older than 60 are a growing proportion of their populations.

By Aaron Bolton, MTPR

Nov. 10, 2022

A photo shows a doctor's stethoscope over a calculator.

Stopping the Churn: Why Some States Want to Guarantee Medicaid Coverage From Birth to Age 6

Oregon has become the first state to allow kids to stay in the government health care program from birth to age 6, no matter if their household income changes. California, Washington, and New Mexico are pursuing similar policies.

By Phil Galewitz

Nov. 10, 2022

South Dakota Voters Approved Medicaid Expansion, but Implementation May Not Be Easy

South Dakotans voted to expand the state’s Medicaid program to cover thousands of additional low-income residents. But as other conservative states have shown, voter approval doesn’t always mean politicians and administrators will rush to implement the change.

By Arielle Zionts

Nov. 10, 2022

A photo shows a woman at a polling booth, filling out a ballot. A blurred American flag is seen in the photo's foreground.

Abortion Issue Helps Limit Democrats’ Losses in Midterms

Although control of Congress was still undecided Wednesday, Republicans seemed poised to take power in the House, while the fate of the Senate remained too close to call. Economic issues were at the top of voters’ minds, but abortion access also played a large role in their decisions.

By Julie Rovner

Nov. 9, 2022

An illustration shows a woman sitting exhaustedly with a diagram of a virus looming over her head.

People With Long Covid Face Barriers to Government Disability Benefits

Some people with long covid have fallen through the cracks of the government’s disability system, which was time-consuming and difficult to navigate even before the pandemic.

By Betsy Ladyzhets

Nov. 9, 2022

KHN & PolitiFact HealthCheck

Ad Goes Too Far With Claim That Joe Biden Promotes Surgery for Trans Teens

Even some medical experts who are skeptical of gender-affirming care say the White House is not promoting breast removal and genital surgery for teens. But that’s not what an ad, funded by a group led by a former adviser to President Donald Trump, would have you believe.

By Blake Farmer, Nashville Public Radio

Nov. 9, 2022

A photograph of an orange prescription bottle from above. There is only one pill left in the bottle.

Defense Department Health Plan Cuts Its Pharmacy Network by Nearly 15,000 Outlets

Many of the pharmacies were small, independent operations that had decided not to participate next year because of the lowered reimbursement being offered. But they were surprised by an early dismissal, and some patients with specialized drug needs could face difficulties in the transition.

By Patricia Kime

Nov. 8, 2022

A photo shows the outside of Pfizer's New York headquarters.

Pfizer’s Covid Cash Powers a ‘Marketing Machine’ on the Hunt for New Supernovas

While sales of its covid vaccines are falling, Pfizer plans to triple the price of the shots and use its bonanza from government contracts to buy and develop new blockbusters.

By Arthur Allen

Nov. 8, 2022

Two photos are shown side by side. The left is of a woman's hands holding a sign telling voters to vote "no" on Proposition 3, with text under that reads, "Pure Michigan or Pure Evil." The right is of a stack of door knob signs that read, "Vote yes on Prop 3 to restore Roe v. Wade & stop the 1931 abortion ban."

Listen: With Abortion Rights on the Ballot in Michigan, Women Tell Their Stories

Women who need abortion care come to Michigan from surrounding states that already have banned the procedure. A clinic in suburban Detroit allowed a reporter to interview patients, doctors, and nurses to understand what is at stake as voters decide whether to guarantee abortion access in the Michigan Constitution.

By Kate Wells, Michigan Public

Nov. 8, 2022

An illustration shows a blister pack of birth control pills torn in half. A red X mark is drawn over the last pill in the pack.

Post-‘Roe,’ Contraceptive Failures Carry Bigger Stakes

Science Friday and KHN ran the numbers on birth control failure. Depending on the contraception method, typical-use error rates can add up to hundreds of thousands of unplanned pregnancies each year.

By Sarah Varney

Nov. 7, 2022

A photo shows Susie Talevski standing next to the sign outside the Valparaiso Care and Rehabilitation Center, the nursing home where her father resided.

Supreme Court to Hear Nursing Home Case That Could Affect Millions

An Indiana man’s family sued a state-owned nursing home for alleged mistreatment. A U.S. Supreme Court decision in the case could determine the right of many Americans to sue government agencies.

By Farah Yousry, Side Effects Public Media

Nov. 7, 2022

A photo shows Jonathan Flores and Robert Blackmon looking at a tablet.

Postcard From California

Election Canvassers Want Latinos to Know Voting Is Good for Their Health

One of the nation’s largest community clinic chains is running a get-out-the-vote campaign in Los Angeles and Orange counties this election, targeting primarily Latino communities, where turnout tends to be low.

By Bernard J. Wolfson

Nov. 7, 2022

KHN On Air

Journalists Cut Through the Noise, From Open Enrollment to Magic Mushrooms

KHN and California Healthline staff made the rounds on national and local media this week to discuss their stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances.

Nov. 5, 2022

A photo shows Jennifer Smithfield standing on her porch outside her home.

Hospital Giant HCA Fends Off Accusations of Questionable Inpatient Admissions

The nation’s largest private health system, HCA Healthcare, has faced years of scrutiny over its share of emergency room patients who are admitted to the hospital. And now U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, a Democrat from New Jersey, is calling for a federal investigation, prompting an escalating defense by the hospital system, based in Nashville, Tennessee.

By Blake Farmer, Nashville Public Radio

Nov. 4, 2022

Two photos are shown side-by-side. The left is of Sen. Chuck Grassley. The right is of Sen. Marco Rubio.

For Republican Candidates, Talk About Moms and Babies Is a Thorny Issue

The abortion issue looms large over the midterm elections, and some in the Republican Party, long associated with efforts to restrict access, are looking to reassure voters they have women’s health in mind.

By Emmarie Huetteman

Nov. 4, 2022

Centene Showers Politicians With Millions as It Courts Contracts and Settles Overbilling Allegations

Centene, the largest Medicaid managed-care company in the U.S., has thrown more than $26.9 million at political campaigns across the country since 2015, especially focused on states where it is wooing Medicaid contracts and settling accusations that it overbilled taxpayers. Among its tactics: Centene is skirting contribution limits by giving to candidates through its many subsidiaries.

By Samantha Young, Andy Miller, and Rebecca Grapevine

Nov. 4, 2022

Podcast

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: ACA Open Enrollment Without the Drama

The Affordable Care Act’s 10th annual open-enrollment period began Nov. 1 and runs through Jan. 15, 2023, in most states. But for the first time, the health law seems to be enrolling Americans with far less controversy than in previous years. Meanwhile, as Election Day approaches, Democrats are focusing on GOP efforts to cut Social Security and Medicare. Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico, Tami Luhby of CNN, and Julie Appleby of KHN join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these topics and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews KHN’s Arthur Allen, who wrote the latest KNH-NPR Bill of the Month, about an old but still very expensive cancer drug.

Nov. 3, 2022

A woman checking in at a doctor’s office reception desk

Haven’t Seen Your Doctor in a Few Years? You May Need to Find a New One

Some primary care physicians will drop seldom-seen patients. That’s a particular problem for those who postponed doctor visits during the pandemic.

By Michelle Andrews

Nov. 3, 2022

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Audio Reports

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KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: The Midterm Shake-Up

Fentanyl in High School: A Texas Community Grapples With the Reach of the Deadly Opioid

Homelessness Among Older People Is on the Rise, Driven by Inflation and the Housing Crunch

Stopping the Churn: Why Some States Want to Guarantee Medicaid Coverage From Birth to Age 6

South Dakota Voters Approved Medicaid Expansion, but Implementation May Not Be Easy

Abortion Issue Helps Limit Democrats’ Losses in Midterms

People With Long Covid Face Barriers to Government Disability Benefits

Ad Goes Too Far With Claim That Joe Biden Promotes Surgery for Trans Teens

Defense Department Health Plan Cuts Its Pharmacy Network by Nearly 15,000 Outlets

Pfizer’s Covid Cash Powers a ‘Marketing Machine’ on the Hunt for New Supernovas

Listen: With Abortion Rights on the Ballot in Michigan, Women Tell Their Stories

Post-‘Roe,’ Contraceptive Failures Carry Bigger Stakes

Supreme Court to Hear Nursing Home Case That Could Affect Millions

Election Canvassers Want Latinos to Know Voting Is Good for Their Health

Journalists Cut Through the Noise, From Open Enrollment to Magic Mushrooms

Hospital Giant HCA Fends Off Accusations of Questionable Inpatient Admissions

For Republican Candidates, Talk About Moms and Babies Is a Thorny Issue

Centene Showers Politicians With Millions as It Courts Contracts and Settles Overbilling Allegations

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: ACA Open Enrollment Without the Drama

Haven’t Seen Your Doctor in a Few Years? You May Need to Find a New One

Morning Briefing

Flu Is Already Circulating In Western States; Vaccinate Now, Health Officials Urge

No Plague Detected Among Lab Worker's Close Contacts So Far, Russia And WHO Say

Troops Hurt In Iranian Blast Say They're Waiting Months For Treatment, Injuries Are Being Downplayed

All Coverage

Morning Briefing

Flu Is Already Circulating In Western States; Vaccinate Now, Health Officials Urge

No Plague Detected Among Lab Worker's Close Contacts So Far, Russia And WHO Say

Troops Hurt In Iranian Blast Say They're Waiting Months For Treatment, Injuries Are Being Downplayed

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