Although the nonprofit hospitals provide free care and write off millions in charges, they have sued more than 400 people in Missouri and Kansas so far this year.
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
Unpaid medical bills land hundreds of patients around KC in court each year. It’s only getting worse
On Tuesdays at 9 a.m., Jackson County Circuit Judge R. Travis Willingham’s downtown courtroom fills up with defendants who are often guilty. They are guilty of missing credit card payments, falling behind on small loans or failing to pay down something bought on credit. Occasionally, though, the people who end up on Willingham’s high-volume collections […]
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Missouri train ride led to KC-area measles case that’s exposed 250 people so far
It was the call Ray Dlugolecki had been dreading. And one he and other public health officials have been expecting. The assistant director at Jackson County Public Health learned on Sunday afternoon about a confirmed case of measles, not just in his agency’s jurisdiction, but in one of its own buildings. The previous week, an […]
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Wyandotte County seeks voter approval for a new sales tax to fund a permanent emergency shelter
County voters will be asked in November if they want to add the special tax for health, which could also support other services for unhoused residents. A second sales tax for parks and roads is going on the ballot in Kansas City, Kansas.
Posted inHealth
KC hospitals see more patients without insurance — and expect many more
The end of enhanced subsidies for ACA plans is adding to the tally of uninsured patients. New Medicaid requirements coming in January could be a multiplier.
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Not accepting health insurance is a selling point for some Kansas City doctors
As health insurance costs climb, more patients turn to direct primary care for basic care. Patients get quick access for a monthly fee.
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Kansas City Health Commission proposes compromise to resolve health levy dispute
The commission’s resolution, now heading to the City Council, recommends that the same safety-net providers continue getting health levy funds, while opening a path for new ones.
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Childhood vaccine rates could get worse as demand for shots dips in Kansas City
Despite a new presidential order, health officials urge parents to stick with longstanding guidance about routine shots.
Posted inHealth
KCK neighborhood pushed for money to clean up lead-tainted soil. They got it
A $3.7 million grant from the EPA, one of the largest awarded nationwide this year, will be used to remediate 54 vacant lots in the Douglass-Sumner neighborhood.
Posted inHealth
‘We are living in reverse.’ Fragile HIV funding puts another strain on Kansas City’s safety net
HIV health providers have already absorbed some cuts and fear more. They worry that gains made toward eliminating the virus are in jeopardy.