hospitals

Missouri's House Speaker declined to sign a letter calling for passage of the "Big Beautiful Bill," citing its potential impact on the state's Medicaid program. Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley said the latest proposal "needs work."

Health plans often limit physical therapy to 20 or 30 sessions, even for people who may need months of treatment, multiple times a week, after severe accidents or health conditions. They're stuck paying out of pocket for the rest of the sessions they need to return to work or caring for kids.

The Department of Mental Health said the number of people waiting in jail to be transferred to psychiatric hospitals will continue to rise because inpatient beds are at capacity. A new hospital is planned in Kansas City, but it could be years before construction is complete.

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.

Problems caused by the attack included delayed or lost lab results, medication errors, and an absence of routine safety checks to prevent potentially fatal mistakes, doctors and nurses told reporters.

Around 14% of all staff positions at Missouri hospitals were vacant in 2023. That rate is lower than it was at the height of the pandemic, but still higher than in 2019.

The Blackwell Club, at the University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita, brings female surgery residents and attending physicians together for community and education.

Ascension operates hospitals, clinics and nursing homes in Kansas and Missouri. But it's released little information on the cyberattack, including whether private medical information was compromised.

The Douglas County Sheriff's Office is working with local mental health providers to cut down the state’s notoriously long wait times to provide services to inmates declared incompetent to stand trial.

A new report suggests just 22% of hospitals in Missouri are fully complying with regulations intended to help consumers know the true costs of medical services. Statewide organizations and Kansas City hospitals disagree.

Many hospitals are shuttering their labor and delivery units because insurance companies and Medicaid aren't reimbursing hospitals enough to cover the cost of births.

Patients and medical professionals complain that prior authorization interferes with treatment, causes medical provider burnout, and increases administrative costs. A new Missouri bill would establish a "gold carding" program for medical treatment and prescriptions.