Daily News Roundup
March 27, 2024
Some Medicaid Providers Borrow or Go Into Debt Amid ‘Unwinding’ Payment Disruptions
By Katheryn Houghton for KFF Health News Jason George began noticing in September that Medicaid payments had stalled for some of his assisted living facility residents, people who need help with daily living. Guardian Group Montana, which owns three small facilities in rural Montana, relies on the government health insurance to cover its care of low-income residents. George, who manages the facilities, said residents’ Medicaid delays have lasted from a few weeks to more than six months and that at one point the total amounted to roughly $150,000.
Montana Infrastructure Spending Revisited
By Denise Rivette Last November I wrote and published the following article called Infrastructure Spending In Montana: Is It Enough? As America’s aging infrastructure once again takes center stage in public discourse, I revisited the article and thought it might interest you as well. Before writing that article, and since, I have tried to gain an understanding of the state of our state’s infrastructure. As you will see in the update included in the middle of the article, I am still searching for data and answers.
Walmart, Amazon and Kroger Accused of Crisis Profiteering
By Marty Schladen for States Newsroom Looking for someone to blame for increased costs in the grocery aisle? You might not need to look any further than three retail giants, the Federal Trade Commission said in a report last week. The agency looked at supply chain disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic and determined that the three largest food retailers — Kroger, Walmart and Amazon — “accelerated and distorted the negative effects associated with supply chain disruption,” the agency said in a statement. It added that “consumers felt the negative effects of supply chain disruptions in the form of skyrocketing prices for groceries and product shortages for essentials, like toilet paper.”
Navigating Aging: The Burden of Getting Medical Care Can Exhaust Older Patients
By Judith Graham for KFF Health News Susanne Gilliam, 67, was walking down her driveway to get the mail in January when she slipped and fell on a patch of black ice. Pain shot through her left knee and ankle. After summoning her husband on her phone, with difficulty she made it back to the house.
As AI Eye Exams Prove Their Worth, Lessons for Future Tech Emerge
Montana Independent News note: As The Economist predicts AI will make health care safer, cheaper and more accurate, and that telehealth chatbots may even be able to provide an empathetic patient experience, KFF Health reports AI is already making one aspect of healthcare more accessible.