Medicaid Insurers’ Contracts on the Line in Tight Governor’s Race
The Democratic candidate for governor says he would make Iowa the second state to drop private Medicaid management companies, which he calls “a disaster.”
Midwest Bureau
51Ƶ Health News covers health care in the Midwest, with a bureau headquartered in St. Louis and staff reporters based in Iowa, Michigan, and South Dakota.
21-40 of 958 results
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Cyclospora Boosts Fears That Worse Foodborne Outbreaks Are Ahead
The recent outbreak of a foodborne parasite sickened thousands and hospitalized hundreds across the U.S. before federal investigators identified the suspected source. Food safety experts say cuts to the public health system hobbled the response — and that the next outbreak could be much worse.
By Kate Wells and Stephanie Armour -
Trump Administration Demands Hospitals Share Emergency Room Records
The tiny federal agency that tracks consumer product safety is pressuring hospitals to turn over patient records from emergency room visits, including about injuries that have nothing to do with consumer products.
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Tracking State Rural Health Transformation Plans
51Ƶ Health News is working to collect and post approved plans as more states respond to emails and public records requests for their documents.
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A Deloitte-Run System Denied Medicaid Benefits for Michigan’s Disabled. Now Trump’s Law Piles On.
Complex computer systems that decide whether people, including the disabled, get Medicaid benefits have a history of errors. Now changes to comply with Trump’s signature tax and domestic policy law are inundating those systems.
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Violence Repeatedly Erupts at Dementia Care Facilities Despite Warnings, Inspections Show
Nursing homes and assisted living facilities can be fertile ground for violence between residents with dementia, including fatal assaults. A 51Ƶ Health News examination of health reports and court records shows how warning signs are missed and safeguards fall short.
By Jordan Rau -
Insurers Hedge on Trump-Backed Pledge To Improve Denials Process
Last year, the Trump administration announced a voluntary pledge by dozens of insurers to improve prior authorization, which often requires patients to seek approval before treatments. But prior authorization remains commonplace, and there's no evidence the government is trying to hold insurers to account.
By Lauren Sausser and Renuka Rayasam -
A Sales Tax on Doctor Visits and Medicine? In Missouri, Some Worry
A ballot measure to eliminate Missouri’s income tax would give the state legislature broad authority to levy new sales taxes to replace the lost revenue. Critics say that could mean adding a sales tax on medical services or prescription medicines. Those types of taxes are unusual, but not unheard of, in the U.S.
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Lawmakers Look To Make Abortion Shield Laws Less Dependent on Who’s Governor
California’s laws still leave extradition decisions related to reproductive rights and gender-affirming care to its governor. But as states with abortion bans target California physicians who prescribe abortion pills across state lines, Democrats want to lock in protections for doctors, no matter who the next governor is.
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PERSPECTIVE
My Search for a Psychiatric Bed in an Overburdened Health System
Over the past 70 years, the number of inpatient psychiatric beds has dropped dramatically, leaving many without critical care when they experience mental health crises. I was one of the lucky ones to get a bed — after 21 hours of waiting.
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Copay Assistance Is Meant To Defray Patient Drug Costs. Some Insurers Keep It Instead.
Drugmakers provide financial assistance to help patients afford increasingly expensive medications. But some insurers do not count those payments toward a plan’s deductible or out-of-pocket maximum and make patients pay instead.
By Daniel Chang -
Thousands of Medicare Beneficiaries Thought Their Drug Plan Was Free. Then They Lost It.
Thousands of people who had a Medicare drug plan with zero-dollar premiums last year got small premium increases this year — and didn’t know it. They were dropped from their coverage for failing to pay amounts as little as $8, and most can’t get it again until 2027.
By Susan Jaffe -
A Mom Said Infant Formula Killed Her Baby. The Manufacturer Closed the File.
When makers of infant 51Ƶ hear that babies got sick or died while using their products, what happens next is left largely to the manufacturers. They decide whether to inform the FDA about possible harm, which could trigger steps to protect the public.
By David Hilzenrath and Holly K. Hacker -
HealthQ Special: Caregiving in the Sandwich Generation
Join the conversation as the HealthQ team explores the messiness, humor, and satisfaction that comes with caregiving when you’re sandwiched between aging parents and growing kids.
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She Struggled To Get a Lifesaving Drug Even After Insurers Vowed To Help
Margaret Hvatum ended up in the hospital after her insurer denied coverage of a medicine she relies on to boost her immune system. Hvatum got entangled in the preapproval process, which the insurance industry has vowed to improve.
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Worried About Your Aging Parents? Welcome to the Caregiving Club
Being a caregiver can start long before you go to a doctor appointment with a loved one or move your parents into your house. The HealthQ team explores how embracing the role matters — and how the recognition and support that come next can ease a difficult season of life.
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Medicare’s AI Push Snarls Patients and Doctors in Errors and Delays
Medicare is testing the use of artificial intelligence to preapprove several healthcare services. Federal health officials say prior authorization can help reduce fraud and contain costs. But doctors and patients describe the trial as “horrendous” and full of red tape so far.
By Darius Tahir -
Indiana Takes On Powerful Hospitals by Capping Prices They Charge Employers
“Government has to intervene, because healthcare is run like an unregulated utility,” Indiana’s GOP governor says of the state’s effort to regulate hospital prices.
By Phil Galewitz and Samantha Liss -
More Americans Are Surviving Cancer. But the Mental Health Challenges Can Persist.
Amid advancements in treatment and screening, more Americans are surviving the disease. But many are left with psychological scars, such as lingering anxiety and depression.
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Long-Awaited Rule Aims To Boost ACA Choices While Embracing Higher Deductibles
The Trump administration finalized a rule that embraces new types of Obamacare coverage, including 30% higher out-of-pocket costs for some plans, and a more novel approach that allows insurers to offer coverage without set networks of doctors and hospitals.