Starting this summer, the federal government will cap the amount students can borrow through federal loan programs. For many would-be doctors it won’t be enough to cover the cost of school.
Suzanne King
Suzanne King is The Beacon’s health care reporter and has covered the beat since November of 2023. Previously she covered the telecommunications and technology industries for The Kansas City Star and the Kansas City Business Journal. She also covered local government, crime and education at newspapers in western Massachusetts and upstate New York. She grew up in Missouri and has lived in Kansas City for almost 30 years. Suzanne holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Boston University and a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia.
Posted inHealth
Thousands could lose their Medicaid in Kansas City, health leaders are calling for action
They fear people will be kicked off coverage next year when a federal law requiring work requirements and more frequent eligibility checks kicks in.
Posted inHealth
In Missouri and Kansas, NIH research grants slipped in 2025
Despite delays and cancellations, National Institutes of Health grants poured more than $1 billion into the two states last year. But the total number of grants funded declined by more than 8%.
Posted inHealth
Missouri and Kansas legislation looks to expand the reach of the alternative medicine doctors
Legislation introduced in Missouri and Kansas this year would expand the reach of the alternative medicine doctors, making them more like primary care providers. Traditional medical groups are opposed.
Posted inHealth
Sports betting protections in Missouri and Kansas get failing grades
A new report finds that states with legalized sports betting aren’t doing enough to protect people from gambling trouble.
Posted inHealth
For disillusioned health care workers in Kansas City, Canada beckons
Facing a similar labor shortage, Canada is recruiting health care workers from the United States. Could this pull workers from Kansas City?
Posted inHealth
‘I’d be shocked if we didn’t find a few’: Kansas City’s hunt for lead pipes is on
The water department is preparing for in-person inspections of water lines, starting in two northeast neighborhoods this spring. Lead pipes and some galvanized pipes have to be removed.
Posted inHealth
‘Everyone is worried’: Battle brews over how Kansas City spends health levy dollars
The property tax that generates about $70 million annually is meant to benefit the city’s poorest patients. It’s about to come under closer scrutiny.
Posted inHealth
‘It’s constant whiplash’: Kansas City organizations see mental health grants canceled one day and restored the next
Behavioral health organizations that stood to lose critical funding still worry about future cuts they say could devastate patients and wipeout programs.
Posted inHealth
Why 30 hospitals in Kansas and 12 in Missouri are at risk of closure
A new study of rural hospitals finds that Kansas has more on the brink of shutting down than any other state. Revenue isn’t keeping up with costs.