Latest KFF Health News Content

Latest KFF Health News Stories

Saving Lives From Opioid Overdoses?: Philadelphia Streets Offer Treatment With Black Market Sales Of Suboxone

Morning Briefing

Entering formal treatment can be daunting for some people. So they turn to do-it-yourself options they can get on the streets. Meanwhile, legislators are proposing making it more difficult to get prescriptions for treatment News on the opioid crisis comes out of Virginia and Minnesota, as well.

Walmart Looks Toward Training More Health Workers, Streamlining Care For Employees In Health Care Push

Morning Briefing

The supercenter is hoping that its business savvy can help improve the health care industry. Other news out of the health care landscape focuses on the nurse practitioner workforce, valued care and transparency and accountability efforts for the CMS’ Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation.

Iowa Democrats’ Efforts To Increase Accessibility For Disabled Participants Praised By Some, Fall Short By Others

Morning Briefing

“I call it ‘Iowa-nice’ voter suppression,” said McCoy McDeid, who was one of the participants not impressed by the Iowa Democratic Party’s efforts this year. The party attempted to open up caucuses to more participants this year by shortening the candidate selection process and establishing satellite locations that could run hours before the normal 7 p.m. start of other caucuses throughout the state.

World Braces For Global Economic Toll Coronavirus Will Likely Take

Morning Briefing

The Chinese economy now accounts for about 17% of global GDP and it’s the largest trading partner for most of its neighbors. The impact of the coronavirus is likely to send shockwaves across the globe.

Coronavirus Cases See Biggest Jump Since Statistics Began; A Look Inside A Locked-Down Country

Morning Briefing

There are now at least 24,324 cases with more than 3,000 patients in critical condition. Experts were alarmed by the sharp one-day increase. Meanwhile, media outlets get a glimpse of what quarantined China is like.

Coronavirus In U.S.: Self-Quarantines, The First Case, More Evacuations, Race To Develop A Treatment, Emergency Funds And More

Morning Briefing

“I am going stir crazy,” said Claire Campbell, who has self-quarantined herself after returning from China. Stories on the coronavirus in the United States look at the Americans who have been affected by the outbreak, the government’s response, technology being used to identify patients, and more.

Can Coronavirus Spread While Patients Don’t Have Symptoms? Report Saying ‘Yes’ Was Flawed, But That Doesn’t Mean It’s Untrue

Morning Briefing

While research showing that the coronavirus was spreading while patients were asymptomatic was based on faulty information, experts say it doesn’t mean that the virus isn’t spreading before symptoms appear. “We had been getting reports from highly reliable people in China — scientists, investigators and public health people who we’ve known over the years — and they’ve been telling us, ‘There’s asymptomatic disease, for sure, and we are seeing asymptomatic transmission,’” said Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

Democrats Chant Name Of House’s Drug Costs Bill After Trump’s Vow To Act On High Pricing At State Of Union

Morning Briefing

When President Donald Trump vowed to pass a bipartisan drug pricing bill if it got to his desk, Democrats at the State of the Union began chanting “H.R. 3,” a reference to legislation the House passed last year that included many of Trump’s own policies. It has since been languishing in the Senate. Democrats also countered other health claims from the president, such as which party was working to protect American’s care.

In State Of The Union, Trump Calls For Action On Drug Prices, Surprise Billing And Promises To Protect Health Care

Morning Briefing

President Donald Trump in his State of the Union address to Congress touched on health care topics that are front of mind for voters, such as drug pricing and costly surprise medical bills. Trump also touted his push for price transparency within the industry, a main theme in his administration’s actions, and took a swipe at Democrats’ support of “Medicare for All.”

Cruise Ship Quarantined After 10 Passengers Test Positive For Coronavirus

Morning Briefing

The ship, carrying about 3,500 people, is quarantined off the coast of Japan. Princess Cruises said a guest who later tested positive for coronavirus sailed from Yokohama on Jan. 20 and disembarked at Hong Kong on Jan. 25. The confirmation set off a round of testing for 273 people, including a U.S. guest who then tested positive for the illness.

Good Rehab Is Hard To Find

KFF Health News Original

Helping a loved one overcome addiction isn’t easy. Start by listening to people who have been through it. They can help find effective treatment and avoid unethical or incompetent operators.