Lawsuits Claim South Carolina Kids Underwent Unnecessary Genital Exams During Abuse Investigations Lauren Sausser  Warning: Some readers may find graphic details in this article to be offensive or disturbing. CAMDEN, S.C. — Three ongoing federal lawsuits filed in South Carolina accuse the state of forcing boys and girls to undergo traumatic genital exams during child […]

‘Fourth Wave’ of Opioid Epidemic Crashes Ashore, Propelled by Fentanyl and Meth Colleen DeGuzman The United States is knee-deep in what some experts call the opioid epidemic’s “fourth wave,” which is not only placing drug users at greater risk but is also complicating efforts to address the nation’s drug problem. These waves, according to a […]

  Death and Redemption in an American Prison Markian Hawryluk Steven Garner doesn’t like to talk about the day that changed his life. A New Orleans barroom altercation in 1990 escalated to the point where Garner, then 18, and his younger brother Glenn shot and killed another man. The Garners claimed self-defense, but a jury […]

  The Powerful Constraints on Medical Care in Catholic Hospitals Across America Rachana Pradhan and Hannah Recht Nurse midwife Beverly Maldonado recalls a pregnant woman arriving at Ascension Saint Agnes Hospital in Maryland after her water broke. It was weeks before the baby would have any chance of survival, and the patient’s wishes were clear, […]

  In California, Faceoff Between Major Insurer and Health System Shows Hazards of Consolidation Annie Sciacca For weeks, more than half a million Anthem Blue Cross enrollees who receive health care from the University of California were held in suspense. It wasn’t clear whether they would have to find new doctors or switch plans as […]

  Southern Lawmakers Rethink Long-Standing Opposition to Medicaid Expansion Daniel Chang and Andy Miller As a part-time customer service representative, Jolene Dybas earns less than $15,000 a year, which is below the federal poverty level and too low for her to be eligible for subsidized health insurance on the Obamacare marketplace. Dybas, 53, also does […]

  Early Detection May Help Kentucky Tamp Down Its Lung Cancer Crisis Charlotte Huff Anthony Stumbo’s heart sank after the doctor shared his mother’s chest X-ray. “I remember that drive home, bringing her back home, and we basically cried,” said the internal medicine physician, who had started practicing in eastern Kentucky near his childhood home […]

  California Prison Drug Overdoses Surge Again After Early Treatment Success Don Thompson SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Drug overdose deaths in California state prisons rebounded to near record levels last year even as corrections officials touted the state’s intervention methods as a model for prisons and jails across the United States. At least 59 prisoners died […]

  In Fight Over Medicare Payments, the Hospital Lobby Shows Its Strength Phil Galewitz, KFF Health News and Colleen DeGuzman In the battle to control health care costs, hospitals are deploying their political power to protect their bottom lines. The point of contention: For decades, Medicare has paid hospitals — including hospital-owned physician practices that […]