This story was originally published by ProPublica.

By ROBIN FIELDS
A new study challenged the accuracy of public health data on deaths related to pregnancy and childbirth — and the narrative of high and rising U.S. maternal mortality rates. An unusual public dispute has ensued.

Series: Lost Mothers: Maternal Care and Preventable Deaths

The U.S. has the highest rate of deaths related to pregnancy and childbirth in the developed world. Half of the deaths are preventable, victimizing women from a variety of races, backgrounds, educations and income levels.

An unusual public dispute has erupted among leading maternal health experts over whether the striking rise of U.S. maternal mortality rates over the past two decades was the [Read More]

By CHRISTINE SPOLAR

Gun violence has exploded across the U.S. in recent years — from mass shootings at concerts and supermarkets to school fights settled with a bullet after the last bell.

Nearly every day of 2024 so far has brought more violence. On Feb. 14, gunfire broke out at the Super Bowl parade in Kansas City, killing one woman and injuring 22 others. Most events draw little attention — while the injuries and toll pile up.

Gun violence is among America’s most deadly and costly public health crises. But unlike other big killers — diseases like cancer and HIV or dangers like automobile crashes and cigarettes — sparse federal money goes to [Read More]

By SUSAN ADELMAN, MD
When I was a surgery resident at Henry Ford Hospital, we greeted each patient on morning rounds in the same way. Good morning, Mr. Jones. Good morning, Mrs. Smith. How are you today? Or something like that. At least it was courteous and respectful. It did not matter if Mr. Jones was black or white, poor or rich. On our rounds, and in discussion of patients, staff doctors modeled color-blind treatment of their patients when they trained the residents. They even would call a child Mr. Jones, out of habit, then laugh, realizing it sounded silly. And Diversity, Equity, Inclusion training (DEI) had not been invented yet.

We [Read More]

By DANIEL AYYASH & SHEA MACE
Wachler & Associates, P.C.

Overview

In response to the enormous economic challenges faced by healthcare providers during the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE), the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act established the Provider Relief Fund (PRF) in an effort to provide financial support to providers across the nation. Congress allocated $178 billion to the PRF program, which was then disbursed to providers in multiple phases through general and targeted distributions. The Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA), a subagency of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), was tasked with administering PRF disbursements and overseeing compliance with the program’s terms and conditions.

The primary [Read More]

By BILLEE LIGHTVOET WARD, ESQ.
Dickinson Wright

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates foods and beverages, drugs and medical devices, biologics, dietary supplements, tobacco products, veterinary products, and cosmetics. Although these various product categories may appear to be clearly cut, the fact of the matter is that a product can very easily cross over from one product category to a different one as a result of issues such as in intended use, composition, labeling content or other claims, or other such issues that may seem to be inconsequential. At the earliest possible stage of product development, it is important to evaluate the identity of the product based on these and [Read More]

Lansing Lines is presented in cooperation with MIRS, a Lansing-based news and information service.

DHHS Budget Asks: From Detroit Project To Chromotherapy Glasses

During the only House committee hearing over the two weeks of legislative spring break, Rep. Christine Morse (D-Kalamazoo)’s Appropriations subcommittee on Health and Human Services heard funding requests for everything from a new Detroit affordable housing and childcare campus to chromotherapy glasses.

Morse held the hearing to take public comment, which she said would be used to influence the budget-crafting process.

Among the requests heard was a $2.498 million ask to break ground on a combined housing and childcare project in downtown Detroit through MiSide, a Detroit-based nonprofit providing families [Read More]

This story was originally published by ProPublica.

By ROBIN FIELDS & MAYA MILLER
Spurred by a ProPublica story about an insurer that denied coverage of the only therapy that could have saved the life of a 50-year-old father of two, a Michigan lawmaker a bill early this month requiring health plans in the state to cover cutting-edge cancer treatments.

In February 2020, Forrest VanPatten died fighting Priority Health, one of Michigan’s largest health insurers, over its refusal to pay for CAR-T cell therapy, his last-chance treatment. The therapy works by genetically reengineering patients’ own cells, then infusing them back into the body to beat back their disease.

Michigan has long required insurers to [Read More]

By SUSAN ADELMAN, MD
On Oct. 19, 2023, the Free Press announced that Henry Ford Health and Ascension Michigan would form a joint venture. This will join Ascension’s Southeast Michigan hospitals with the Ascension Genesys Hospital in Grand Blanc and the Henry Ford hospitals, creating a system with more than 550 sites of care.  Among the eight Ascension hospitals are two Providence Hospitals, St. John Hospital, two Macomb Oakland Hospitals, River District Hospital, and the Brighton Center for Recovery. Joining them will be five Henry Ford hospitals and Health Alliance Plan. This all must pass antitrust review, but I cannot recall any of the mergers in Michigan failing to get approval.

Remember, [Read More]

By EWA MATUSZEWSKI
I believe we witnessed a breakthrough in getting the role of the community health worker (CHW) into the vernacular of common healthcare terms. That’s because I saw a news story about CHWs on local television – not a healthcare special or a “news hour” but standard local news programming. Thank you, Henry Ford Cancer Institute, for sharing with WDIV (the local NBC affiliate in Detroit,) how your mobilization of healthcare workers in the hospital setting is putting patients and their families at ease by helping navigate some of the non-clinical aspects of illness, hospital stays and care coordination.

The timing of the local news piece couldn’t have been better [Read More]

By JENNIFER COLAGIOVANNI
Wachler & Associates, P.C.

Nearly four years after the COVID-19 pandemic began, healthcare providers continue to see payor audits and demands for repayment of services provided during the pandemic, primarily related to COVID-19 testing and lab services, as well as for evaluation and management (E/M) office and telehealth visits. Despite the fact that these services served a critical public health function during the pandemic, constantly changing and often unclear guidelines governing coverage and documentation of these services have created fertile ground for payors to allege after-the-fact that providers were not entitled to payment.

The audit issues asserted by payors tend to relate to the process used by the provider rather [Read More]