Health
Former nuclear workers not receiving compensation
Keith Rogers of the Las Vegas Review-Journal used federal data to show that compared to nuclear workers at other sites around the country, Nevada Test Site employees have not received compensation for illnesses at the same rate. “Only 6 percent of test site workers have been approved for claims that typically pay $150,000 in tax-free…
Read MoreWater supplies threatened by gasoline contaminates
Ron Hurtibise of the Daytona Beach News-Journal reports on Florida’s efforts to clean up gasoline leaks in Volusia and Flagler counties, finding that “In 20 years, the state has spent $2.3 billion on cleanup strategies that often haven’t worked. Old, steel gas station tanks, easily corroded in porous sandy soils, faithfully serviced generations of Florida…
Read MoreMedicare often pays hospitals to practice bad medicine
Gilbert M. Gaul of The Washington Post reports in a three-part series that Medicare policies often pay hospitals to practice medicine poorly. “In a four-year period, 106 heart patients at Palm Beach Gardens developed infections after surgery, according to lawsuits and government records.” In part-two of the series, the Post looks at the nonprofit that…
Read MoreFailed oversight helps surge in air ambulance crashes
Alan Levin and Robert Davis of USA Today reviewed hundreds of documents on air ambulance crashes and analyzed a database they created from the documents. They found that since “2000, 60 people have died in 84 crashes — more than double the number of crashes during the previous five years.” Despite this surge, air ambulance…
Read MoreMedicaid fraud plagued by lack of oversight
Clifford J. Levy and Michael Luo of The New York Times used state Medicaid data to find that “the program has been misspending billions of dollars annually because of fraud, waste and profiteering. A computer analysis of several million records obtained under the state Freedom of Information Law revealed numerous indications of fraud and abuse…
Read MoreInspection data shows problems often found with pools
Michelle Keller and Kevin Spear of The Orlando Sentinel used county pool inspection data to show that “at least one in eight failed tests for chlorine, meaning they could pose a health risk for swimmers who use them.” The findings roughly mirror an early federal study and the paper’s previous surveys of inspection reports. “This…
Read MoreHospital faces deep problems
Julie Bell of The (Baltimore) Sun reviewed documents on the performance of Maryland General Hospital, finding that “from at least the mid-1990s until spring 2004, the hospital’s board and a changing cast of top executives failed to act quickly as oversight systems designed to protect patients failed.” Breakdowns at the hospital’s laboratory in early 2004…
Read MoreKentucky residents’ health plagued by bad habits, poverty
Laura Ungar of The (Louisville) Courier-Journal spent a year assessing the health of Kentucky’s residents, finding that “Kentucky is one of the sickest states in America, a place where too many people die too soon, and many who live endure decades of illness and pain.” Bad health habits ingrained in the state’s culture, including high…
Read MoreHigh benefit payouts hurt Oregon schools
Betsy Hammond of The (Portland) Oregonian analyzed state education data to find that “for each teacher, secretary, principal, janitor and other worker, Oregon schools paid an average of $18,300 for health insurance and retirement pay in 2002-03. That was 55 percent more than schools across the nation.” Matching the national rate of benefits would save…
Read MoreContamination levels still high years after discovery
Wade Rawlins of The (Raleigh/Durham) News & Observer reports on toxic chemicals that have been contaminating local water sources for the last 15 years. “Ward Transformer spilled thousands of gallons of toxic chemicals on its 11 acres at the edge of Raleigh-Durham International Airport.” Investigators knew in 1978 and 1979 of the high levels of…
Read More