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KFF Health News’ ‘What the Health?’: Newly Minted Doctors Are Avoiding Abortion Ban States

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Thu, 09 May 2024 19:30:00 +0000

The Host

Julie Rovner
KFF Health News


@jrovner


Read Julie’s stories.

Julie Rovner is chief Washington correspondent and host of KFF Health News’ weekly health policy news podcast, “What the Health?” A noted expert on health policy issues, Julie is the author of the critically praised reference book “Health Care Politics and Policy A to Z,” now in its third edition.

A new analysis finds that graduating medical students were less likely to apply this year for residency training in states that ban or restrict abortion. That was true not only for aspiring OB-GYNs and others who regularly treat pregnant patients, but for all specialties.

Meanwhile, another study has found that more than 4 million children have been terminated from Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program since the federal government ended a covid-related provision barring such disenrollments. The study estimates about three-quarters of those children were still eligible and were kicked off for procedural reasons.

This week’s panelists are Julie Rovner of KFF Health News, Lauren Weber of The Washington Post, Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins University schools of nursing and public health and Politico Magazine, and Anna Edney of Bloomberg News.

Panelists

Anna Edney
Bloomberg


@annaedney


Read Anna’s stories.

Joanne Kenen
Johns Hopkins University and Politico


@JoanneKenen


Read Joanne’s articles.

Lauren Weber
The Washington Post


@LaurenWeberHP


Read Lauren’s stories.

Among the takeaways from this week’s episode:

  • More medical students are avoiding applying to residency programs in states with abortion restrictions. That could worsen access problems in areas that already don’t have enough doctors and other health providers in their communities.
  • New threats to abortion care in the United States include not only state laws penalizing abortion pill possession and abortion travel, but also online misinformation campaigns — which are trying to discourage people from supporting abortion ballot measures by telling them lies about how their information might be used.
  • The latest news is out on the fate of Medicare, and a pretty robust economy appears to have bought the program’s trust fund another five years. Still, its overall health depends on a long-term solution — and a long-term solution depends on Congress.
  • In Medicaid expansion news, Mississippi lawmakers’ latest attempt to expand the program was unsuccessful, and a report shows two other nonexpansion states — Texas and Florida — account for about 40% of the 4 million kids who were dropped from Medicaid and CHIP last year. By not expanding Medicaid, holdout states say no to billions of federal dollars that could be used to cover health care for low-income residents.
  • Finally, the bankruptcy of the hospital chain Steward Health Care tells a striking story of what happens when private equity invests in health care.

Also this week, Rovner interviews KFF Health News’ Katheryn Houghton, who reported and wrote the latest KFF Health News-NPR “Bill of the Month” feature, about a patient who went outside his insurance network for a surgery and thought he had covered all his bases. It turned out he hadn’t. If you have an outrageous or incomprehensible medical bill you’d like to share with us, you can do that here.

Plus, for “extra credit,” the panelists suggest health policy stories they read this week that they think you should read, too:

Julie Rovner: The Nation’s “The Abortion Pill Underground,” by Amy Littlefield.

Joanne Kenen: The New York Times’ “In Medicine, the Morally Unthinkable Too Easily Comes to Seem Normal,” by Carl Elliott.

Anna Edney: ProPublica’s “Facing Unchecked Syphilis Outbreak, Great Plains Tribes Sought Federal Help. Months Later, No One Has Responded,” by Anna Maria Barry-Jester.

Lauren Weber: Stat’s “NYU Professors Who Defended Vaping Didn’t Disclose Ties to Juul, Documents Show,” by Nicholas Florko.

Also mentioned on this week’s podcast:

Credits

Francis Ying
Audio producer

Emmarie Huetteman
Editor

To hear all our podcasts, click here.

And subscribe to KFF Health News’ “What the Health?” on SpotifyApple PodcastsPocket Casts, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

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Title: KFF Health News’ ‘What the Health?’: Newly Minted Doctors Are Avoiding Abortion Ban States
Sourced From: kffhealthnews.org/news/podcast/what-the-health-346-abortion-ban-residency-decline-may-9-2024/
Published Date: Thu, 09 May 2024 19:30:00 +0000

Kaiser Health News

In Settling Fraud Case, New York Medicare Advantage Insurer, CEO Will Pay up to $100M

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kffhealthnews.org – Fred Schulte, KFF Health News – 2024-12-20 16:31:00

SUMMARY: Independent Health Association of Buffalo and Betsy Gaffney, CEO of medical analytics firm DxID, have agreed to a settlement of up to $100 million to resolve Justice Department allegations of fraudulent Medicare billing for exaggerated or non-existent health conditions. Independent Health will pay up to $98 million, while Gaffney will contribute $2 million. Neither party admitted wrongdoing. The case was triggered by whistleblower Teresa Ross, highlighting issues of “upcoding” in Medicare Advantage plans. Ross, having faced repercussions for her allegations, will receive at least $8.2 million from the settlement. This case underscores the challenges of regulating billing practices in the Medicare system.

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Kaiser Health News

Employers Press Congress To Cement Health Price Transparency Before Trump’s Return

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kffhealthnews.org – Julie Appleby, KFF Health News – 2024-12-20 04:00:00

SUMMARY: Despite regulations requiring hospitals and insurers to disclose negotiated prices for healthcare services, the impact on consumer costs remains unclear nearly four years later. While the Trump administration’s initial rules and Biden’s enhancements aimed to streamline this data, compliance is inconsistent; a 2022 audit found only 63 out of 100 hospitals met requirements. Some lawmakers proposed legislation to protect these regulations amid uncertainty about Trump’s potential return to office, but efforts fell short. Experts note the complexity of the data often leaves consumers struggling to understand their actual costs, emphasizing the need for improved transparency and enforcement to facilitate informed healthcare choices.

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Kaiser Health News

He Went in for a Colonoscopy. The Hospital Charged $19,000 for Two.

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kffhealthnews.org – Harris Meyer – 2024-12-19 04:00:00

SUMMARY: Tom Contos, a 45-year-old runner, sought a colonoscopy due to ongoing rectal bleeding. His insurance covered part of the procedure, but he was shocked by the final bill of $19,206, which included charges for two colonoscopies. Despite an initial estimate of $7,203, the charges were much higher due to multiple procedures and biopsies. Contos appealed the charges, but Northwestern Medicine maintained that the billing was correct. Health experts suggest patients consider alternatives like ambulatory surgery centers for lower costs. Transparency and clear pricing are key to avoiding unexpected medical expenses.

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