Across North Carolina, Medical Debt Exacts a Heavy Toll
By Ames Alexander, Charlotte Observer Noam N. Levey
September 23, 2024
KFF Health News Original
The state has among the highest levels of medical debt in the country, data shows.
Mientras Colorado se recupera de otro tiroteo en una escuela, estudio muestra que uno de cada 4 adolescentes puede acceder a un arma fácilmente
By Markian Hawryluk
March 28, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Los datos de la investigación provienen del estudio Healthy Kids Colorado, una encuesta realizada cada dos años con una muestra aleatoria de 41,000 estudiantes de escuela media y secundaria.
Republicans Are Downplaying Abortion, but It Keeps Coming Up
By Julie Rovner
June 28, 2024
KFF Health News Original
Torn between a base that wants more restrictions on reproductive health care and a moderate majority that does not, it seems many Republicans would rather take an off-ramp than a victory lap when it comes to abortion. But they can’t escape talking about it.
As Colorado Reels From Another School Shooting, Study Finds 1 in 4 Teens Have Quick Access to Guns
By Markian Hawryluk
March 27, 2023
KFF Health News Original
The study analyzed Colorado kids’ responses to how quickly they could get their hands on a loaded gun without their parents’ knowledge. More than 1 in 10 said they could do so within 10 minutes.
‘Forever Chemicals’ Contaminate America’s Freshwater Fish
By Hannah Norman
January 4, 2024
KFF Health News Original
Gone fishing? Depending on the lake, your catch may not be safe to eat. A group of chemicals collectively known as PFAS are found in hundreds of consumer goods, including dental floss, rain jackets and nonstick cookware. Over decades, these chemicals have spewed from manufacturing plants and landfills into local ecosystems, polluting surface water and […]
California May Face More Than $40M in Fines for Lapses in Prison Suicide Prevention
By Don Thompson
March 8, 2024
KFF Health News Original
A court expert reported that California prisons continue to lag on 14 of 15 suicide prevention measures, and even regressed in some areas. The state could face more than $40 million in fines after a federal judge warned more than a year ago that she would impose penalties for each violation.
California Voters Consider Tough Love for Repeat Drug Offenders
By Don Thompson
September 30, 2024
KFF Health News Original
A California ballot measure would roll back some decade-old criminal justice reforms that have become fodder for Donald Trump’s presidential campaign. Stiffer penalties for shoplifting have gotten much of the attention, but the measure also allows controversial treatment requirements for repeat drug offenders.
The Debt Crisis That Sick Americans Can’t Avoid
By Elisabeth Rosenthal
August 2, 2022
KFF Health News Original
The federal government is stepping in to assist student loan borrowers. But little public attention has been focused on what is — statistically, at least — a bigger, broader debt crisis in our country: An estimated 100 million people in the U.S., or 41% of all adults, are saddled with pernicious health care debt.
Telehealth Sites Promise Cure for ‘Male Menopause’ Despite FDA Ban on Off-Label Ads
By Michael Scaturro
March 21, 2024
KFF Health News Original
Most healthy men produce sufficient testosterone as they age. Yet online ads and telehealth sites are promoting testosterone drugs with flawed promises of boosting libido and busting stomach fat.
Biden Administration Issues New Warning About Medical Credit Cards
By Noam N. Levey
May 4, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Americans paid an estimated $1 billion in deferred interest on medical debt in just three years, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau reports. The agency warns against medical credit cards, which are often pitched right in doctors’ offices.
International Rights Group Calls Out US for Allowing Hospitals to Push Millions Into Debt
By Noam N. Levey
June 15, 2023
KFF Health News Original
In a new report, Human Rights Watch urges stronger federal and state action to hold hospitals to account for a medical debt crisis that now burdens more than 100 million Americans.
More Mobile Clinics Are Bringing Long-Acting Birth Control to Rural Areas
By Arielle Zionts
October 16, 2024
KFF Health News Original
Small-town doctors may not offer IUDs and hormonal implants because the devices require training to administer and are expensive to stock.
Personal Medical Debt in Los Angeles County Tops $2.6 Billion, Report Finds
By Molly Castle Work
June 7, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Medical debt is a leading public health problem, researchers say. Despite the county’s ongoing expansion of health coverage, the prevalence of medical debt remained unchanged from 2017 to 2021.
Montana’s Plan To Curb Opioid Overdoses Includes Vending Machines
By Mara Silvers, Montana Free Press
July 18, 2024
KFF Health News Original
Details about where the machines would go — and how they would help those most at risk — are sparse. The state has proposed using them to distribute naloxone and fentanyl testing strips.
Dads Drive Growth in California’s Paid Family Leave Program
By Phillip Reese
October 30, 2023
KFF Health News Original
The number of men in the state taking paid family leave to bond with a new child has risen nearly 20% since the start of the pandemic.
California Confronts the Threat of ‘Tranq’ as Overdose Crisis Rages
By Brian Rinker
June 5, 2023
KFF Health News Original
California officials are stepping up efforts to combat the spread of xylazine, a powerful animal sedative that’s increasingly being used by people, often with devastating results. It’s mostly been an East Coast phenomenon, but ‘tranq,’ as it is known, is beginning to appear in the Golden State.
Medicare’s Push To Improve Chronic Care Attracts Businesses, but Not Many Doctors
By Phil Galewitz Holly K. Hacker
April 18, 2024
KFF Health News Original
Most Medicare enrollees have two or more chronic health conditions, making them eligible for a federal program that rewards physicians for doing more to manage their care. It shows promise in reducing costs. But not many doctors have joined.
Rural Hospitals Built During Baby Boom Now Face Baby Bust
By Tony Leys
July 15, 2024
KFF Health News Original
Fewer than half of rural U.S. hospitals offer labor and delivery services. In some areas, births have dropped by three-quarters since the baby boom’s peak.
La crisis de deuda que los estadounidenses enfermos no pueden evitar
By Elisabeth Rosenthal
August 2, 2022
KFF Health News Original
Poca atención pública se ha centrado en lo que es, al menos estadísticamente, una crisis de deuda más grande: se estima que 100 millones de personas, o el 41% de todos los adultos del país, tienen deudas de atención médica, en comparación con 42 millones con deuda estudiantil.
Federal Panel Prescribes New Mental Health Strategy To Curb Maternal Deaths
By Cheryl Platzman Weinstock
May 16, 2024
KFF Health News Original
The leading causes of pregnancy-related deaths in the United States — including suicides and fatalities linked to substance use disorders — stem from mental health conditions. Now a federal task force has recommended strategies to help women who are at risk during or after pregnancy.
