Latest KFF Health News Content

Latest KFF Health News Stories

Nov. 1 Marked The Start Of Obamacare Sign-Up Season: What To Know, What To Expect

Morning Briefing

The federal insurance marketplace is open for business despite changes by President Donald Trump and GOP lawmaker that critics say could weaken it. News outlets detail what is different this year and offer consumers advice.

Montana To Vote On Measure That Would Pay For Medicaid Expansion Renewal Through Tobacco Tax

Morning Briefing

The controversial ballot initiative has drawn record spending in the state, with tobacco companies alone having contributed $17 million to fight it. In Utah, The New Yorker profiles some of the activists who worked to secure Medicaid expansion a spot on the ballot.

Barrage Of Attacks On Health Care Is Forcing Republicans To Promise To Protect People Who Are Sick

Morning Briefing

Despite the new vows by many GOP candidates to champion coverage guarantees for preexisting conditions, they have not come to endorse another provision of the federal health law: the expansion of Medicaid. Also, outlets provide campaign news from Illinois and Florida.

Podcast: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’ Open Enrollment And A Midterm Preview

KFF Health News Original

In this episode of KHN’s “What the Health?” Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times, Anna Edney of Bloomberg News and Joanne Kenen of Politico discuss the start of open enrollment for individual health insurance plans for 2019 and preview what next week’s midterm elections might mean for health policy. Plus, Barbara Feder Ostrov of KHN and California Healthline talks to Julie about the latest NPR-KHN “Bill of the Month” feature.

New Allegations Of Sexual Abuse, Neglect Of Children In State Care Surface At Psychiatric Hospital In Chicago

Morning Briefing

Federal authorities have told the Aurora Chicago Lakeshore Hospital it will cut off funding vital to staying open if it doesn’t implement immediate changes. Other hospital news comes from Texas, Virginia, Arizona and Georgia.

EPA Signs Off On Continued Use Of Bayer Weedkiller Farmers Say Damaged Hundreds Of Crop Fields

Morning Briefing

Also, environmental news focuses on a toxic paint stripper still on the market, a groundskeeper’s acceptance of a judge’s decision to lower his lawsuit award from Bayer and Los Angeles County’s takeover of a water agency that allegedly serves smelly water.

Treadmill Stress Test Data Supports Strong Link Between Endurance And Living A Long Life

Morning Briefing

The greater someone’s fitness, the less likely he or she was to have died prematurely and vice versa, the numbers from the Cleveland Clinic showed. Those with high fitness lived longer than those whose fitness was above average. Other public health news focuses on diabetes, homeless veterans, Alzheimer’s, medical education and more.

Shingles Vaccine Lifts Glaxo’s Third-Quarter Earnings Forecast

Morning Briefing

GlaxoSmithKline reports that demand for Shingrix — the drugmaker’s new shingles vaccine that was granted favored status by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last year — is driving healthy profits.