Latest KFF Health News Content

Latest KFF Health News Stories

Destination Limbo: Health Suffers Among Asylum Seekers In Crowded Border Shelter

KFF Health News Original

Asylum seekers from Mexico and Central America, housed in migrant shelters in the border city of Tijuana, Mexico, are often sick and exhausted from their long journeys. Volunteer health workers from Southern California recently sent a mobile clinic to one of those shelters and spent a day tending to its inhabitants.

Migrantes reciben atención médica en abarrotado refugio de Tijuana

KFF Health News Original

En los albergues, migrantes centroamericanos y mexicanos muchas veces están enfermos y debilitados. Un grupo de voluntarios de California llevó una clínica móvil a uno de estos lugares para atenderlos.

Listen: Syphilis Spreads Into Rural America

KFF Health News Original

Lauren Weber, one of Kaiser Health News’ new Midwest correspondents, joined St. Louis Public Radio reporter Jeremy Goodwin on “St. Louis on the Air” Friday to discuss how syphilis is making inroads into rural counties across the Midwest and West.

Montana Lawmakers Send Medicaid Expansion Bill With Work Requirements To Governor

Morning Briefing

The legislation comes as Montana faces an expiration date on the state’s Medicaid expansion, which was approved in 2015. “It was in our best interest to continue the program to help as many folks as we can, especially with drug addictions [and] mental illness. Those are big things that plague Montana, and they’re very expensive. And everyone that we can treat and have success in those areas is a huge win for everyone,” said Republican state Rep. Ed Buttrey of Great Falls.

North Carolina Governor Vetoes ‘Born Alive’ Legislation Calling It An Unnecessary Interference Between Patient, Doctor

Morning Briefing

There are already laws protecting babies who are born alive, whether it is as a result of a botched abortion or not, said North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper. Meanwhile, a look at the rare occurrence where infants actually are born following an abortion attempt.

Facial Expressions Are Crucial To Human Interactions, But Botox And Cosmetic Surgery May Disrupt All That

Morning Briefing

“People these days are constantly rearranging their facial appearance in ways that prevent engaging in facial mimicry, having no idea how much we use our faces to coordinate and manage social interactions,” said Paula Niedenthal, a professor of psychology. In other public health news: medicine’s racist past, a polio-like illness, and groundbreaking heart surgery.

Genetic-Risk Scorecard Able To Predict Obesity, Making It Possible To Suss Out Who’s Been Dealt An Unlucky Hand

Morning Briefing

Researchers have created a way to test millions of gene variants to predict who is more susceptible to obesity. Although it’s in its early stages, some experts see it as a way to encourage intervention in children who are prone to becoming severely overweight.

Lessons From Columbine and Parkland: ‘Trauma Doesn’t Stop When Bullets Stop’

Morning Briefing

Saturday is the 20th anniversary of what was, at the time, the deadliest shooting at a high school in United States history. Survivors of the Columbine shooting talk with those who lived through Parkland just a year ago and share what life is like in the wake of such a tragedy. “You’re gonna go through really dark times,” Columbine survivor Amy Over tells Parkland student Brandon Abzug. “Times where you don’t think you can take another step forward. But you learn coping skills. You figure out, ‘I need to go get help.’ For me, I had to go punch something.”

In Midst Of Measles Outbreak, Parents In NYC Face Reality Of Not Vaccinating Kids To Potential Tune Of $1,000

Morning Briefing

Public health legal experts said it’s been at least a century since health authorities issued fines in connection with violations such as not vaccinating a child. But as the measles outbreak continues to run rampant, New York City is making it clear that it’s taking a strict stand on the emergency vaccination order that was issued. Meanwhile, Washington state legislation tightening exemptions moves forward.

Tobacco’s Longtime Ally Mitch McConnell Pushes To Raise Smoking Age To 21, Following Trend That’s Sweeping Through The States

Morning Briefing

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says he’s been hearing from parents that there’s been an unprecedented spike in vaping among their teenage children. Tobacco companies are actually publicly on board with the federal legislation — and similar measures gaining traction at the state-level — in part to distance themselves from accusations that they’ve been marketing to youth.

Communities Hit Hardest By Opioid Epidemic To Get $350M From NIH To Study Best Way To Combat Crisis

Morning Briefing

The communities in the four-state study are expected to look at how behavioral health, unemployment and the criminal justice system contributes to the crisis, and measure the effectiveness of various prevention and treatment methods, such as distributing anti-overdose drugs to schools, police and other first responders.