Listen: How the New ‘No Surprises’ Law Tackles Unexpected Medical Bills
Years in the making, a new federal law against surprise medical bills took effect Jan. 1.
Legislation
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Oncology Doctors Say the Build Back Better Act Will Slash Cancer Care Funding 鈥 A Skewed Argument
The Community Oncology Alliance is targeting the prescription drug provisions of the Build Back Better Act, saying they will trigger deep cuts in oncologists鈥 pay, causing clinics to close and health care costs to rise. But it leaves out some important details.
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A Tale of Two Medicaid Expansions: Oklahoma Jumps In, While Missouri Lags
Voters in Missouri and Oklahoma approved Medicaid expansion to begin in 2021. But while Oklahoma has enrolled over 200,000 people so far, Missouri has enrolled fewer than 20,000. Why are two such similar states handling the public insurance rollout so differently?
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New California Law Eases Aid-in-Dying Process
Nearly 2,000 terminally ill Californians have used a 2015 law to end their lives with a doctor鈥檚 assistance. A revision of the law will make it easier to do so.
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鈥業 Can Go Anywhere鈥: How Service Dogs Help Veterans With PTSD
The PAWS for Veterans Therapy Act means more veterans with symptoms of traumatic stress can get specially trained service dogs.
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KHN鈥檚 鈥榃hat the Health?鈥: The Big Biden Budget Bill Passes the House
President Joe Biden鈥檚 social spending budget is on its way to the U.S. Senate, where Democratic leaders are (optimistically) hoping to complete work by the end of the year. Meanwhile, covid is surging again in parts of the country, along with the political divides it continues to cause. Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times, Joanne Kenen of Politico and the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, and Mary Agnes Carey of KHN join KHN鈥檚 Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner previews next week鈥檚 Supreme Court abortion oral arguments with Florida State University law professor Mary Ziegler.
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Q&A: How Will California鈥檚 New 988 Mental Health Line Actually Work?
California Assembly member Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, who authored legislation to create and fund the state鈥檚 new 988 phone line for mental health emergencies, spoke with KHN about the effort and what more will be needed to create a full-fledged response network for people experiencing mental health crises.
By Jenny Gold -
Health Industry Wields Power in California鈥檚 High-Stakes Battle to Lower Health Care Costs
Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to regulate out-of-control health care spending in California. The effort is being shaped by the very health industry players that would be regulated.
By Angela Hart and Samantha Young -
New California Law Bans Harassment at Vaccination Sites, but Free Speech Concerns Persist
Effective immediately, it will be a misdemeanor in California to harass people on their way to get a covid, or any other, vaccine. But First Amendment experts say the new law violates free speech protections and could face a constitutional battle.
By Rachel Bluth -
鈥楢n Arm and a Leg鈥: How One State Protects Patients From Hospital Lawsuits
In Maryland, it's now illegal for a hospital to sue a patient who qualifies for charity care. But in many other states, that's still a thing.
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Needle Exchanges Are Targeted by Eco-Rooted Lawsuits. A New California Law Will Stop That.
Opponents of free needle programs in California are using environmental regulations to shut them down. On Monday, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill that will end that strategy.
By Rachel Bluth -
From the FDA’s Empty Seat to Chock-Full ICUs, Journalists Recap the Week’s Stories
KHN and California Healthline staff made the rounds on national and local media this week to discuss their stories. Here鈥檚 a collection of their appearances.
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Veterans Push for Medical Marijuana in Conservative South
North Carolina claims to be the 鈥淣ation鈥檚 Most Military Friendly State.鈥 Now veterans are trying to capitalize on this dedication to the troops to persuade lawmakers to pass medical marijuana legislation. It鈥檚 an advocacy model that has led to success for pro-cannabis efforts elsewhere.
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Farmworkers Recall Mistreatment as Colorado Aims to Guarantee Medical Access
Agricultural workers living in employer-owned housing can have trouble getting health care. It鈥檚 symptomatic of bigger gaps in worker protections that the pandemic spotlighted, say proponents of a newly passed Colorado bill for farmworker rights.
By Esther Honig and Rae Ellen Bichell -
What a Difference a Year Makes in Colorado鈥檚 Case for a Public Option Plan
Before the pandemic, Colorado was building momentum to pass what鈥檚 known as a 鈥減ublic option鈥 health plan that would lower insurance premiums and force hospitals to accept lower payments. But now with hospitals and health care providers enjoying support as front-line heroes in the pandemic, state legislators have stripped the option from their bill.
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KHN鈥檚 鈥榃hat the Health?鈥: Planning for Round Two
The ink is barely dry on the recent covid relief bill, but Democrats in Congress and President Joe Biden are wasting no time gearing up for their next big legislative package. Meanwhile, predictions of more states expanding Medicaid have proved premature. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Rachel Cohrs of Stat and Kimberly Leonard of Business Insider join KHN鈥檚 Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Plus, Rovner interviews KHN鈥檚 Lauren Weber, who reported the latest KHN-NPR 鈥淏ill of the Month鈥 episode.
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Pandemic Aid Package Includes Relief From High Premiums
Experts say the two-year expansion of subsidies for most people who buy insurance through the government exchanges would be among the most significant changes to the affordability of private insurance since the passage of the Affordable Care Act.
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States Aim to Chip Away at Abortion Rights With Supreme Court in Mind
Legislatures in conservative-leaning states across the country are pushing bills that would restrict abortion and, with a conservative Supreme Court in place, could erode abortion protections under Roe v. Wade.
By Justin Franz -
New California Law Makes It Easier to Get Care for Mental Health and Substance Abuse
The measure, which took effect Jan. 1, removes loopholes that made it easy for insurers to use arcane company guidelines to avoid paying for care. Patients now have an easier way to challenge those denials.
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New Single-Payer Bill Intensifies Newsom鈥檚 Political Peril
With the introduction of a single-payer bill Friday, a group of California Democratic lawmakers set the terms of the health care debate in the Capitol this year. The move puts Gov. Gavin Newsom in a delicate political position, threatening to alienate voters as he faces a likely recall election.
By Angela Hart and Rachel Bluth