
Samantha Horton
Health Reporter, Kansas News ServiceSamantha Horton is the health reporter for the Kansas News Service.
She most recently worked as a fellow with the NPR Midwest Newsroom and the Missouri Independent. Previously, she covered business and economy in Indiana with Indiana Public Broadcasting for four years, and was a reporter with Side Effects Public Media and WNIN. Her work has won awards including a Regional Edward R. Murrow and has been featured on NPR.
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Even when doctors prescribe Kansas Medicaid patients things like wheelchairs, walkers or bath chairs, families can face denials or long waits for medical equipment.
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The bill would have prevented schools and employers from challenging a claim of religious objection for all vaccines.
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The University of Kansas Health System is rolling out AI technology to help reduce clerical work and help patients better understand medical diagnosis. But AI can have racial disparities when it comes to who it can understand.
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The Kansas legislature is considering a bill that would strip powers from local public health officials to contain disease outbreaks.
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The bills would prohibit doctors from providing gender-affirming care to children, ban transgender girls from girls' sports and legally define sex as the sex a person is assigned at birth.
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A report from an advocacy group reviewed 2,000 hospitals across the county and found only a quarter were fully complying with the federal hospital price transparency rules. In Kansas it's even less.
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Post-COVID care centers have been popping up across the country as millions of Americans struggle with the aftereffects of the virus. The centers are typically in larger cities and can have months-long wait times.
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The race featured a Democratic political newcomer against a Republican who lost the general election race for governor in 2018.
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Enrollment is open for the Affordable Care Act Marketplace and some rules have been changed to help more workers get coverage for their families.
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Midwestern states — including Kansas, Missouri, Iowa and Nebraska — exceed the national average of detectable levels of lead in the blood of children. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released a new plan to reduce lead exposure.