Judge Signals He Could Rule to Halt Sales of Common Abortion Pill

During a four-hour hearing last week that could eliminate nationwide access to a common and widely used abortion pill, federal Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, of the Northern District of Texas, signaled his conservative Christian beliefs early and often. Speaking from the bench in a courtroom in Amarillo, Texas, Kacsmaryk repeatedly used language that mimicked the vocabulary […]

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California Picks Generic Drug Company Civica to Produce Low-Cost Insulin

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Gov. Gavin Newsom on Saturday announced the selection of Utah-based generic drug manufacturer Civica to produce low-cost insulin for California, an unprecedented move that makes good on his promise to put state government in direct competition with the brand-name drug companies that dominate the market. “People should not be forced to go […]

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Journalists Discuss Medicaid Unwinding and Clawbacks

KHN correspondent Rachana Pradhan untangled Medicaid unwinding on PBS’ “PBS News Weekend” on March 11. Click here to watch Pradhan on “PBS News Weekend” Read Pradhan’s “Why Millions on Medicaid Are at Risk of Losing Coverage in the Months Ahead“ KHN senior editor Andy Miller discussed virtual visits on WUGA’s “The Georgia Health Report” on […]

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California’s Covid Misinformation Law Is Entangled in Lawsuits, Conflicting Rulings

Gov. Gavin Newsom may have been prescient when he acknowledged free speech concerns as he signed California’s covid misinformation bill last fall. In a message to lawmakers, the governor warned of “the chilling effect other potential laws may have” on the ability of doctors to speak frankly with patients but expressed confidence that the one […]

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Temp Nurses Cost Hospitals Big During Pandemic. Lawmakers Are Now Mulling Limits.

To crack down on price gouging, proposed legislation in Missouri calls for allowing felony charges against health care staffing agencies that substantially raise their prices during a declared emergency. A New York bill includes a cap on the amount staffing agencies can charge health care facilities. And a Texas measure would allow civil penalties against […]

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The US Remains a Grim Leader in Preterm Births. Why? And Can We Fix It?

Tamara Etienne’s second pregnancy was freighted with risk and worry from its earliest days — exacerbated by a first pregnancy that had ended in miscarriage. A third-grade teacher at an overcrowded Miami-Dade County public school, she spent harried days on her feet. Financial worries weighed heavy, even with health insurance and some paid time off […]

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Listen to ‘Tradeoffs’: Medical Debt Delivers ‘A Shocking Amount of Misery’

By Noam N. Levey March 16, 2023 Noam N. Levey The numbers that tell the story of medical debt in the U.S. are staggering: Around 100 million Americans have health care debt, and together they owe at least $140 billion. And research suggests this debt can have striking consequences on people’s financial, physical, and mental […]

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FDA Looks Into Dental Device After KHN-CBS News Investigation of Patient Harm

In the wake of a joint investigation by KHN and CBS News into a dental appliance that multiple lawsuits allege caused grievous harm to patients, the FDA has begun looking into the product, the Anterior Growth Guidance Appliance, or AGGA, according to a former agency official. Additionally, KHN and CBS News have learned that the […]

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Two Counties Square Off With California Over Mental Health Duties

Angela Hart SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Sacramento and Solano counties are in a standoff with the state over mental health coverage for a portion of Medicaid patients in those counties — a dispute that threatens to disrupt care for nearly 50,000 low-income residents receiving treatment for severe mental illness. The Department of Health Care Services, which […]

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