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Patients who contract measles, a highly contagious disease, develop a skin rash. | WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Oregon’s measles outbreak, biggest in five years, expands to six people

The outbreak comes amid others also involving a preventable disease – pertussis or whooping cough – which has infected more than 350 people in just over a dozen counties this year.
Jul 19, 2024
Caitlyn Mai underwent cochlear implant surgery with her insurer’s approval, expecting it would be covered in full. Then she started getting bills for $139,000. Health providers often send bills for covered care as they haggle with insurers over reimbursement. It’s stressful and annoying — but legal. | NICK OXFORD/KFF HEALTH NEWS

Her hearing implant was preapproved. Nonetheless, she got $139,000 bills for months.

Providers and insurers often have disagreements over how a bill is submitted or coded, and until they are resolved the patient is left holding the bag, sometimes facing huge bills
Jul 18, 2024
Insurers have joined with HealthSherpa, the largest private sector enrollment site used by brokers signing people up for Affordable Care Act coverage through the federal marketplace, in an effort to thwart an ongoing problem of unauthorized ACA sign-ups. | ERIC HARKLEROAD/KFF HEALTH NEWS

HealthSherpa and insurers team up to curb unauthorized ACA enrollment schemes

With consumers complaining of spam calls, rogue brokers and bogus enrollments, a web broker has announced a plan to look for illegalities. Critics say the algorithms used could lead to false accusations.
Jul 18, 2024
Dr. Naomi Adeline-Biggs has been named to lead the state public health division at the Oregon Health Authority.

Naomi Adeline-Biggs to lead Oregon public health efforts

Adeline-Biggs to take over as state public health director after two years at Polk County, time with World Health Organization
Jul 16, 2024
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Lori DiBiasio (right) found her mother, Mary, who had a hip fracture, sitting on the toilet unattended at her nursing home, hanging onto the grab bar. Mary’s granddaughter Keri Rossi-D’entremont (left) was her health care power of attorney. | JOSEPHINE SITTENFELD FOR KFF HEALTH NEWS

States set minimum staffing levels for nursing homes. Residents suffer when rules are ignored or waived.

The Biden administration set stringent new federal staffing rules. But for years, nursing homes have failed to meet the toughest standards set by states.
Jul 16, 2024

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