The independent source for health policy research, polling, and news.
Showing 1 - 10 of 10
Peer support, well-known in addiction treatment, is gaining ground for people with serious mental illness. Texas and 35 other states are training and paying peer support specialists to help bridge a gap in mental health treatment.
Across the U.S., the number of teenagers having babies has hit a record low — it’s down to about 1 out of every 45 young women. That trend hasn’t extended to certain parts of Texas, however, where the teen birth rate is still nearly twice the national average.
One in four doctors practicing in the U.S. is an international medical doctor. Many foreign-born doctors practice in parts of the country where there are doctor shortages.
The agency has decided to leave kratom off its list of highly restricted drugs for now. The DEA is asking for public comment and help from the Food and Drug Administration in evaluating kratom.
The DEA plans to put the herbal supplement in the same legal category as heroin and LSD, but the agency has been surprised by the response of people who say it helps them stay off opioids.
Trying to prevent gun violence by tying it to mental health legislation began in 1966 when a young gunman killed 16 people in Austin, Texas. But some believe the approach is misguided.
Women scientists get first author credit on medical studies much less often than their male coauthors. That has career implications and could even be skewing the study of women's health.
Just 1,337 black men applied to medical school in 2014 and 515 enrolled. Why?
Over a hundred counties in Texas don't have a mental health worker, affecting about 3 million Texans. A new loan repayment program may not be enough to recruit them to rural areas.
The Texas Medical Board issued tough new rules for telemedicine, and the nation’s largest telemedicine provider, based in Dallas, is suing to stop the rules from going into effect.
Stay informed by signing up for the Morning Briefing and other emails:
© 2026 KFF