Trump Says He’ll Stop Health Care Fraudsters. Last Time, He Let Them Walk.
Five years ago, the CEO of one of the largest pain clinic companies in the Southeast was sentenced to more than three years in prison after being convicted in a…
‘They Won’t Help Me’: Sickest Patients Face Insurance Denials Despite Policy Fixes
HENRICO, Va. — Sheldon Ekirch spends a lot of time on hold with her health insurance company. Sometimes, as the minutes tick by and her frustration mounts, Ekirch, 30, opens…
He Had Short-Term Health Insurance. His Colonoscopy Bill: $7,000.
Tim Winard knew he needed to buy health insurance when he left his management job in manufacturing to launch his own business. It was the first time he had shopped…
Their Physical Therapy Coverage Ran Out Before They Could Walk Again
Mari Villar was slammed by a car that jumped the curb, breaking her legs and collapsing a lung. Amy Paulo was in pain from a femur surgery that wasn’t healing…
With Few Dentists and Fluoride Under Siege, Rural America Risks New Surge of Tooth Decay
In the wooded highlands of northern Arkansas, where small towns have few dentists, water officials who serve more than 20,000 people have for more than a decade openly defied state…
Montana Examines Ways To Ease Health Care Workforce Shortages
HELENA, Mont. — Mark Nay’s first client had lost the van she was living in and was struggling with substance use and medical conditions that had led to multiple emergency…
‘I Am Going Through Hell’: Job Loss, Mental Health, and the Fate of Federal Workers
The National Institutes of Health employee said she knew things would be difficult for federal workers after Donald Trump was elected. But she never imagined it would be like this.…
Many People With Disabilities Risk Losing Their Medicaid if They Work Too Much
PLEASANTVILLE, Iowa — Zach Mecham has heard politicians demand that Medicaid recipients work or lose their benefits. He also has run into a jumble of Medicaid rules that effectively prevent…
Bill That Congressman Says Protects Medicaid Doesn’t — And Would Likely Require Cutting It
“On Feb. 25, I voted yes on a budget resolution that protects Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid while cutting some spending elsewhere.” Rep. Nick LaLota (R-N.Y.), in a YouTube video…
Medicaid Cuts Would Kneecap Health Services, Tribal Leaders Warn
While Congress considers potentially massive cuts to federal Medicaid funding, tribal health leaders are bracing for a crisis. Indian Country has a unique relationship to Medicaid, because the program helps…