Repeating History: California County Plugs Budget Gap With Opioid Settlement Cash
By Aneri Pattani
August 2, 2023
KFF Health News Original
State attorneys general vowed that opioid settlement funds — unlike the tobacco settlement of the 1990s — would go toward tackling the underlying crisis. But in Mendocino County, officials have found a way to use some of its share to help fill a budget shortfall — a throwback to what agreement architects hoped to avoid.
Montana Med School Clash Revives For-Profit Vs. Nonprofit Flap
By Victoria Knight
June 7, 2021
KFF Health News Original
Two medical schools vie to open in Montana, highlighting the rapid spread of for-profit schools and their previously tarnished business model.
‘Press 1 for English’: Vaccination Sign-Ups Prove Daunting for Speakers of Other Languages
By Rachana Pradhan
March 23, 2021
KFF Health News Original
In Virginia, if you called 1-877-VAX-IN-VA to register for a vaccine and wanted help in a language other than English or Spanish, the system might hang up on you.
KHN’s ‘What The Health?’: Still Seeking A Federal Coronavirus Strategy
May 28, 2020
KFF Health News Original
Democrats were not impressed with the Trump administration’s COVID-19 national testing strategy document submitted to Congress this week. They say the pandemic requires more direction from the federal government, while the administration wants to give nearly all the responsibility to the states. Meanwhile, in an effort to shore up his base of senior voters, President Donald Trump has unveiled a plan to limit what those on Medicare must pay out-of-pocket for insulin. Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, Erin Mershon of STAT News and Joanne Kenen of Politico join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss this and more. Also, Rovner interviews KHN’s Phil Galewitz, who wrote the latest KHN-NPR “Bill of the Month” installment about a patient who thought he might have COVID-19, did everything right and got a big bill, anyway.
Trump Touted Abbott’s Quick COVID-19 Test. HHS Document Shows Only 5,500 Are On Way For Entire U.S.
By Rachana Pradhan
April 2, 2020
KFF Health News Original
States urgently need millions of tests, and the game changer they’ve been waiting on falls well short of what is needed, according to government documents obtained by KHN.
At-Home Care Designed For COVID Likely Here To Stay At Cleveland Hospital
By Brie Zeltner
June 10, 2020
KFF Health News Original
A public hospital in Cleveland has been trying to keep COVID patients out of its beds. It tried a number of innovations for developing better communication — even better relationships — with patients. Officials think this groundwork helped keep the outbreak at bay — and should be the new business model going forward.
Trump’s Pediatric Cancer Crusade A Drop In Bucket Compared With Past Presidential Pitches
By Victoria Knight
February 8, 2019
KFF Health News Original
President Donald Trump wants Congress to allot $500 million over 10 years for pediatric cancer research. While it’s welcomed by researchers and advocates, it’s not a lot of money.
Study Gives Mixed Reviews On Laws To Equalize Cancer Patients’ Out-Of-Pocket Costs
By Michelle Andrews
November 10, 2017
KFF Health News Original
Most states have laws that require that cancer patients who get their treatment orally rather than by infusion in a doctor’s office not pay more out-of-pocket. A new study finds that the impact of those laws is mixed.
Treating A Scorpion Sting: $ 100 In Mexico Or $ 12,000 In U.S.
By Jenny Gold
November 28, 2011
KFF Health News Original
Say you’re trekking through the desert in Mexico, minding your own business, when all of a sudden a scorpion scrambles up your boot and stings your leg. You hobble over to a nearby clinic, where you’re given a dose of anti-venom that brings you fast relief. The charge for the serum is about $100. Now […]
States Cutting Back On Drug Programs For HIV Patients
By Shefali S. Kulkarni
May 22, 2011
KFF Health News Original
Budget shortfalls are forcing many states to tighten their AIDS drug assistance programs and bump low-income patients to waiting lists.
Health Care Expands For Ex-Offenders In California
By Rick Schmitt
March 28, 2011
KFF Health News Original
The health overhaul law is spurring a major expansion of programs that will benefit ex-offenders and other indigent people in California beginning this summer.
