Kaiser Health News

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STEVE BUISSINNE/PIXABAY

While Inflation Takes A Toll On Seniors, Billions Of Dollars In Benefits Go Unused

Tens of billions of dollars of benefits, including from Medicare, are going unused every year because seniors don’t know about them, find applications too difficult to complete, or feel conflicted about asking for help.

Sep 13, 2022

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HATICE EROL/PIXABAY

Did The US Jump The Gun With The New Omicron-Targeted Vaccines?

Op-ed calls for more information about cost versus benefit as vaccine-makers prepare to hike prices.

Sep 13, 2022

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SHUTTERSTOCK

Patient Satisfaction Surveys Earn A Zero On Tracking Whether Hospitals Deliver Culturally Competent Care

Researchers say surveys commonly used by hospitals could be far more useful by addressing cultural competence.

Sep 8, 2022

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A reproductive rights protest in Washington D.C. on Oct. 2, 2021. | SHUTTERSTOCK

When Does Life Begin? Science, Politics And Religion Clash

State legislators look to codify definitions of life that carry profound repercussions for abortion rights and much more.

Sep 6, 2022

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SHUTTERSTOCK

Cognitive Rehab May Help Older Adults Clear COVID-Related Brain Fog

Some medical centers are now offering cognitive rehabilitation to patients with long COVID.

Sep 1, 2022

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PROVIDENCE, A HEALTH SYSTEM WITH HOSPITALS AND CLINICS ACROSS THE WEST, INCLUDING PROVIDENCE ST. PATRICK HOSPITAL IN MISSOULA, MONTANA, REPORTED A NET OPERATING LOSS OF $510 MILLION FOR THE FIRST THREE MONTHS OF 2022./KATHERYN HOUGHTON/KHN

Hospitals Cut Jobs And Services As Rising Costs Strain Budgets

Hospitals in Oregon, Montana, California, New York and elsewhere laid off workers and scaled back services this summer.

Aug 30, 2022

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OONATEMPEST/KHN

‘An Arm And A Leg’: How To Negotiate For Lower Medical Bills

Dollar For has launched a “negotiation lab” for gaming out the best way to negotiate with hospitals and debt collectors.

Aug 25, 2022

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The Knight Cancer Research Building at Oregon Health & Science University. | COURTESY OHSU

Rural Americans Have Difficulty Accessing Promising Cancer Treatment

CAR T-cell therapy is available at only about 150 transplant centers, creating an accessibility issue for roughly half of Americans.

Aug 25, 2022

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SHUTTERSTOCK

For Kids With Kidney Disease, Pediatric Expertise Is Key — But Not Always Close By

A recent study found significant differences in outcomes for pediatric kidney disease based on whether patient care was provided by a nonprofit or a for-profit.

Aug 23, 2022

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DR. LAUREL DESNICK, PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICER FOR THE PARK CITY-COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT IN MONTANA, PREPARES TO DELIVER BOXES OF NARCAN TO LOCAL HOTELS. THE FREE DISTRIBUTION OF NARCAN, THE BRAND NAME OF THE DRUG NALOXONE, WHICH CAN REVERSE OPIOID OVERDOSES, IS ONE PUBLIC HEALTH STRATEGY BORNE OUT OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC./KATHERYN HOUGHTON/KHN

Public Health Agencies Adapt COVID Lessons To Curb Overdoses, STDs And Gun Violence

Health workers have started adapting lessons they learned from their COVID-19 response to other aspects of their work.

Aug 18, 2022