Latest KFF Health News Content

Latest KFF Health News Stories

Medi-Cal’s Very Big Decade

KFF Health News Original

California’s health insurance program for low-income people grew 78% between 2010 and 2019 to 12.8 million enrollees. The federal Affordable Care Act spurred the increase, aided by state policies broadening eligibility.

Employers’ Dream Of Controlling Health Costs Turns To Workers’ Sleep

KFF Health News Original

Sleep is the latest in an ever-growing list of wellness issues — such as weight loss, exercise and nutrition — that firms are targeting to improve workers’ health and lower medical costs.

With Fate Of Roe V. Wade Unsure, Abortion Fight Shifts To New Territory

KFF Health News Original

The Supreme Court in March will hear a Louisiana case that tests whether the new five-member conservative majority is willing to overturn the 1973 decision that made abortion legal nationwide. Even if the court does not go that far, it could hasten the procedure’s demise by saying abortion providers cannot sue on behalf of their patients.

Listen: How High-Deductible Plans Hurt Rural America

KFF Health News Original

KHN senior correspondent Markian Hawryluk joined Colorado Public Radio’s Avery Lill on “Colorado Matters” to discuss his recent story on how high-deductible health plans are especially hurting the financial health of patients and hospitals in rural America.

KHN’s ‘What The Health?’: Trump Takes Credit Where It Isn’t Due

KFF Health News Original

President Donald Trump says he “saved” popular protections for preexisting conditions, even though his administration is in court asking them to be struck down. Meanwhile, Democrats who want to run against Trump in the fall continue to argue among themselves over health issues. And Kansas may become the next state to expand Medicaid. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Tami Luhby of CNN and Shefali Luthra of Kaiser Health News join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss this and more.

An Unlikely Coalition Of Conservatives Comes Together To Urge North Carolina To Expand Medicaid

Morning Briefing

A group of business leaders, law enforcement and county officials, all of whom identified themselves as conservative or Republican, say the state has been missing out on an opportunity to help people. While elsewhere red states are starting to be won over to the promises of expansion, in North Carolina opposition remains. Medicaid news comes out of Florida and Kansas as well.

How Did A Powerful Pro-Vaccine Bill Fail In New Jersey? Vocal Parents Used Social Media To Convince GOP Leaders To Oppose It, Report Says

Morning Briefing

“I have never seen an issue that brought together grassroots people like this,” said Sen. Robert Singer, a Republican who opposed the legislation. His office received thousands of calls and emails from parents afraid for their children. Public health news is also on heart transplants and stem cells, embryo research, loneliness for hospital patients, inequality and longevity, microbe mystery, a documentary on repetitive head trauma, scares about 5G cell towers, mice studies, menopause, and baby boomers’ health, as well.

Frustrated Americans Turning To Social Media To Connect With Other Patients, Offer Tips For Sky-High Bills

Morning Briefing

“I thought, ‘What if people out there don’t know that they have the right to tell those people to screw off?’” said Shaunna Burns, whose TikTok video helped a 22-year-old woman get her hospital bill reduced to zero.

Health Officials Can’t Rule Human-To-Human Transmission As Pneumonia-Like Virus Spreads Beyond China

Morning Briefing

A patient in Japan said he had not visited the seafood market in China where Chinese officials believe the outbreak started. Malik Peiris, a public health virologist at the University of Hong Kong, said, “If that was the case, that there had been no direct exposure to animals, then that is very concerning, for sure.”

Nearly Half Of Gen X Physicians Say They’re Burned Out And Would Take Pay Cut For Better Work-Life Balance

Morning Briefing

Although physician burnout overall decreased slightly from 46% to 42%, a new survey finds. The stage of a doctor’s career might account for much of the age-related differences, rather than something inherently generational, the researchers say. In other health personnel news, a look at the consequences when surgeons don’t use checklists.

After Maryland’s ‘Price Gouging’ Bill Was Struck Down, New Hampshire Left Its Measure For Dead. Can It Be Resurrected?

Morning Briefing

The New Hampshire legislation would bar generic drug companies from hiking prices over 50% in a one-year period. A court struck down a similar law in Maryland on the grounds that the state was trying to legislate beyond its borders.

Betting On Medicare Advantage Pays Off Big For UnitedHealth

Morning Briefing

UnitedHealth executives said they added 370,000 Advantage members during the open enrollment period that ended Dec. 7, which reflects growth of about 140% over the prior annual enrollment period. As the program grows in popularity, insurers clamor for a piece of the lucrative marketplace.

‘Medicare For All’ Supporters Gear Up To Make Their Case As Proposal Loses Some Of Its Luster With Voters

Morning Briefing

“Medicare for All” has been a hot topic throughout the 2020 Democratic primary race even as its popularity ebbs and flows. Now, as early voting states prepare to head for the polls, advocates hope to bolster sometimes-flagging support for the proposal.