Latest KFF Health News Stories
Defending Against This Season’s Deadly Flu: 5 Things To Know Now
A particularly nasty flu is widespread in 46 states. Nationally, at least 106 people have died from the infectious disease.
VA Clears The Air On Talking To Patients About Marijuana Use
Officials want clinicians to discuss how use of medical marijuana could interact with other parts of their care.
Her Sister’s Keeper: Caring For A Sibling With Mental Illness
Few bonds are as tight as those between sisters. But when one has paranoid schizophrenia, the relationship grows complicated.
Despite Prod By ACA, Tax-Exempt Hospitals Slow To Expand Community Benefits
The Affordable Care Act mandated that hospitals exempt from taxes work to provide health benefits to the community. But a study finds that has been slow to get off the ground.
A selection of opinions on health care from news outlets around the country.
Different Takes On The Opioid Crisis
Opinion writers offer their thoughts on the current national response to this drug abuse epidemic.
Congress’s CHIP funding challenges and Obamacare status checks from different angles draw commentary from a variety of news outlets.
Media outlets report on news from Maryland, New Mexico, Georgia, New York, Iowa, Ohio, Wisconsin, Florida, Colorado and Texas.
Some Patients May Have Existing Immunity To CRISPR Gene Editing Therapies, Research Finds
The study could be another snag for CRISPR-based therapies but scientists not involved with the research said its findings, if substantiated, could be worked around. In other public health news: alcohol abuse, stomach reduction surgery, autism and sleep talking.
This Anti-Overdose Medication Has Provided Miracles To Families Of Those Struggling With Addiction
Naloxone is increasingly seen as the first line of defense in an opioid overdose. When administered within the first minutes — even up to an hour or more — of a potentially deadly overdose, it can resuscitate a victim
Monitoring Heart Disease: Questions About Statins And New Blood Pressure Guidelines
If you’re over 75 and don’t have cardiovascular disease, why continue to take a statin? New research explains the pros and cons of taking drugs to lower cholesterol and also helps sort out the “discombobulating” changes behind new blood pressure guidelines.
Jana Partners LLC and the California State Teachers’ Retirement System control about $2 billion of Apple share, and want Apple to take responsibility for what they see as a public health crisis.
This Year’s Flu Is A Quirky, Vicious, Misbehaving Strain That Health Professionals Hate
A particularly nasty strain of the flu is sweeping the country–flooding emergency rooms, draining medication resources, and racking up a higher-than-normal death toll. But it’s still not too late to get a flu shot.
Iowa Saving Less On Managed Medicaid Program Than Expected, State Reports
Former Gov. Terry Branstad ordered the shift to private companies managing the state Medicaid program in 2015 and predicted it would save the state $232 million this year. The Department of Human Services now says it will save $47.1 million this year. Meanwhile, voters in Oregon begin to gear up for a special election later this month on funding for that state’s Medicaid program and a hack in Florida exposes files of 30,000 enrollees.
Minn. Officials Worry Rollback Of Nursing Home Penalties Could Undercut Recent Crackdown On Abuse
The federal move comes just as Gov. Mark Dayton has pledged tougher action following revelations of elder abuse in the state’s nursing homes.
Kids Are Being Kept In Hospital Too Long Because U.S. Lacks Financially Supported Home Care System
It’s much cheaper to provide sick children with home nurses, but there’s a shortage of them because there’s little incentive to get into the low-paying field.
Pharma’s Concerns That Trump Will Do Something Radical To Cut Prices Have All But Evaporated
The J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference, the biggest annual investors event in biotechnology, is underway and the worries from last year haven’t exactly carried over into 2018. In other pharmaceutical news: an Alzheimer’s drug may have gotten its second wind; Celgene has agreed to buy cancer drugmaker Impact Biomedicines; and an executive facing sexual harassment allegations still hasn’t stepped down.
Idaho Governor To Let Insurance Companies Skirt ACA Requirements
Health insurers in Idaho and the state’s insurance director have been working for months on a plan that would allow the sale of non-ACA compliant insurance and hope to have them available by March. They would not be eligible for government premium subsidies.
Democrats Go In Search Of Next ‘Big Idea’ On Health Care In Preparation For 2020
Tired of playing defense and looking to capitalize on Republicans’ fumbles, Democrats are encouraging people in the party to think big, with ideas ranging from single-payer, government-run care for all, to new insurance options anchored in popular programs like Medicare or Medicaid. In other news from Capitol Hill: medical research legislation, entitlement overhaul, “right-to-try” bills, and CHIP funding.
As Debate Over President’s Mental Health Heats Up, Trump Declares Himself A ‘Very Stable Genius’
President Donald Trump said that those questioning his mental well being are just trying to score political points. All of the chatter over Trump’s health comes just before the president’s first psychical exam while in office.