Julie Appleby

BMI: The Mismeasure of Weight and the Mistreatment of Obesity

KFF Health News Original

The human body mass index — a simple mathematical equation — is tied to a measure of obesity invented almost 200 years ago. On the downside, it can stand between patients and treatment for weight issues. It particularly mismeasures Black women and Asians.

The Case of the $489,000 Air Ambulance Ride

KFF Health News Original

Diagnosed with aggressive leukemia on a Western trip, a young man thought his insurance would cover an air ambulance ride home to North Carolina. Instead, questions about medical necessity left him with an astronomical bill.