Arielle Zionts

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Baker County in eastern Oregon. | IAN POELLET/CC BY-SA 3.0/WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Rural hospitals question whether they can afford Medicare Advantage contracts

Some rural hospitals have canceled — or are considering ending — contracts with insurance companies that offer Medicare Advantage plans, saying the private policies jeopardize their finances and impede patient care.

Apr 8

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Dr. Win Kyin worked in primary care in Myanmar before fleeing the country, but she ran into roadblocks when she tried to get licensed to practice medicine in the U.S. Kyin pictured here on March 3 at the IRCO Pacific Islander and Asian Family Center. | JAKE THOMAS/THE LUND REPORT

States facing doctor shortages ease licensing rules for foreign-trained physicians

Amid doctor shortages, several states have stopped requiring foreign-trained providers to repeat residencies before they’re fully licensed. Critics say patients could be harmed because of the loosened training requirements.

Mar 4

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Some state lawmakers have suggested restricting access to the intrauterine device known as IUD; many reproductive health advocates fear the overturning of Roe v. Wade would embolden those efforts. | REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH SUPPLIES COALITION/UNSPLASH

More mobile clinics are bringing long-acting birth control to rural areas

A small but growing number of mobile programs are aimed at increasing rural access to women’s health services, including long-acting reversible contraception. Mobile clinics help shrink that gap in rural care, but they can be challenging to operate.

Oct 17, 2024

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Katherine Goodlow holds Coco the puppy outside her grandmother's home in Hisle on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. | ARIELLE ZIONTS/KFF HEALTH NEWS

Native Americans have shorter life spans. Better health care isn’t the only answer.

The median age at death of Native Americans was 14 years younger than for White Americans, according to an analysis from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Apr 18, 2024

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Emily Gebel was diagnosed with breast cancer in early 2022. She opted to have surgery and start chemotherapy in Seattle. When the travel became too draining, Gebel moved her treatment to the public hospital in Juneau and discovered it was priced much higher. | ASH ADAMS/KFF HEALTH NEWS

She received chemo in two states. Why did it cost so much more in Alaska?

In the United States, the price for the same medical service can vary based on where it is received

Oct 3, 2023

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SHUTTERSTOCK

ADHD patients face uneven urine screens and, sometimes, stigma

Patients face dramatically different requirements, depending on their clinics’ and health insurers’ policies

Mar 30, 2023

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Nurse Lindee Miller stands in front of the mobile cart used for telehealth appointments for sexual assault exams at Avera St. Mary’s Hospital in Pierre, South Dakota. The camera allows Miller and her patient to communicate with a remote nurse trained in such exams. | ARIELLE ZIONTS/KHN

Telehealth brings expert sexual assault exams to rural patients

Remote telehealth services for sexual assault victims are expanding across the country in rural, sparsely populated areas

Jan 5, 2023

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SHUTTERSTOCK

Tribes Show Little Interest In Offering Abortions On Reservations Despite Speculation They Could

People are looking for ways to ensure abortion access if Roe v. Wade falls, but the idea of setting up clinics on tribal lands raises a host of issues.

Jun 23, 2022