Suzanne King
Health Reporter, Kansas City BeaconSuzanne King Raney is The Kansas City Beacon's health reporter. During her newspaper career, she has covered education, local government and business. At The Kansas City Star and the Kansas City Business Journal she wrote about the telecommunications industry. Suzanne is also the proud mom of three daughters.
Email her at suzanne@thebeacon.media.
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Question 1 on Jackson County's Nov. 5 ballot would increase the average homeowner’s tax bill about $20 a year and bring in $8 million for senior services like free meals and transportation.
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As the Kansas City Council considers an ordinance to ban all flavored tobacco products from store shelves, health experts say it could save lives. Business owners worry about what it would mean to their sales.
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Pharmacists often say their businesses can’t survive under the reimbursement rates set by pharmacy benefit managers, the middlemen. Sometimes, they pay more for drugs than they’re allowed to charge customers.
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Yes, pharmacies fill prescriptions, administer tests and give vaccines. But they also fill a vital role in the health care ecosystem, offering medical advice and care when doctors aren’t available. When pharmacies shut down, that care disappears.
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Kansas City pharmacists walked off the job last September to protest working conditions and brought widespread attention to the troubled retail pharmacy business. The industry is battling economic pressures, changed buying habits and labor shortages.
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A summer COVID surge is starting to recede in Kansas and Missouri, but the next wave of infections is likely only weeks away. People covered by Medicare, Medicaid and most private insurance can get the updated vaccine for free or for a small fee.
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Many patients stay away from the dentist out of concern about the costs. Health experts say that MO HealthNet covering dental exams is a significant step in Missouri's effort to improve dental access — and to boost overall health, beyond cavities, molars and gums.
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The University of Kansas Health System now owns its smaller Missouri neighbor. The deal, which sparked political opposition in both states, reflects a growing trend of hospitals merging.
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Kansas City plasma donors help the United States fuel a pharmaceutical industry worth $35 billion. Many donors have lower incomes and rely on on selling their plasma to make ends meet.
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The new summer EBT program will give an extra $120 to eligible school-age kids. Families in Missouri and Kansas probably won’t get the money until late summer or fall. But even if the money comes late, anti-hunger advocates say the extra dollars are an important step toward reducing growing food insecurity.