Latest KFF Health News Stories
Retirement’s Revolving Door: Why Some Workers Can’t Call It Quits
Baby boomers are deciding to return to the workplace because they miss the challenges, the accomplishments — and, most important, the people.
Opioids After Surgery Left Her Addicted. Is That A Medical Error?
Doctors prescribed powerful opioids for a patient after back surgery but gave her little guidance on how to take them safely. Then, she says, they misdiagnosed her withdrawal symptoms. Some experts say this situation is akin to a hospital-acquired condition.
Podcast: ‘What The Health?’ Is Health Care Spending Still The Hungry, Hungry Hippo?
In this episode of “What the Health?” Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Stephanie Armour of the Wall Street Journal, Alice Ollstein of Talking Points Memo and Margot Sanger Katz of The New York Times discuss new health spending numbers from the federal government, as well as how the year-end legislating in Congress is being complicated by health issues.
Consumidores atrasados: la inscripción automática puede ser una pesadilla
Es mejor loguearse en la cuenta y hacer los cambios necesarios. No hacer nada puede significar sorpresas desagradables, especialmente en el costo de las primas en 2018.
Viewpoints: CHIP On ‘Brink Of Elimination’; Trump’s Silence On Drug Prices; Tracing Opioids
A selection of opinions on health care from news outlets around the country.
Media outlets report on news from Massachusetts, New York, Florida, New Jersey, Ohio, Minnesota and Wisconsin.
Research Roundup: Medicaid Expansion, Guns and Opioids
Here is a selection of news coverage of other recent research:
Even doctors, who know when it’s necessary, procrastinate about seeking medical care. The Boston Globe looks at why we do this. In other public health news: gene editing, diabetes, marijuana, suicide, arsenic, smog and more.
Initiative In Ohio Encouraging Innovators To Think Outside The Box To Combat Opioid Crisis
The program is distributing millions of dollars to companies to develop solutions such as implants that could someday relieve pain without relying upon opioids and a medication that’s designed to use the body’s natural digestive process to prevent overdoses.
There Are Hints That Flu Season Is Going To Be Ferocious, So Officials Say Get Your Shot
So far, the strain that is most common is the one that is less vulnerable to vaccines. But officials say that, even so, it’s still worth getting the shot.
The Lost Mothers: African American Women Share Stories Of Severe Maternal Complications
African American women disproportionately experience complications from pregnancy and child birth. ProPublica talks to 10 mothers about their experiences as part of an investigation into why it’s happening.
Post-Sandy Hook Behavior Provides Unique Data On Link Between Gun Sales, Accidental Deaths
Researchers have always struggled with the correlation between deaths and the presence of guns in homes. But the 2012 tragedy — and the rush of sales that followed — allowed them an insight into the ramifications of more Americans owning guns.
Two Catholic Health Systems Reach Agreement On Merger
Dignity Health, headquartered in San Francisco, and Catholic Health Initiatives, based in Denver, have signed a merger agreement. The combined system will have 139 hospitals around the country.
Planned Parenthood’s Fetal Tissue Practices To Be Probed By Justice Department
The issue of the organization’s fetal tissue practices was thrust into the spotlight in 2015 when undercover videos purporting to show Planned Parenthood officials discussing procurement of “intact” and partial fetuses in exchange for compensation for expenses.
Senators Ask Leadership To Reverse Trump’s Decision To Slash Funding For Drug Discount Program
The group of lawmakers looking to save the 340B program is made up of both Democrats and Republicans. In other pharmaceutical news: an analysis shows that many drugmakers are behind on required post-marketing studies; the Supreme Court shows interest in taking up the product liability issue; Sage announces positive results from its depression drug trial; and more.
Some Senators Starting To Get Antsy Over Inaction On CHIP Funding
Lawmakers are starting to prod leadership about the lack of movement over money for the popular program.
AARP Presses Congress To Exempt Medicare From Cuts To Pay For Tax Bill
The tax bill is expected to add $1 trillion to the deficit and that will trigger a mechanism that makes automatic cuts in federal spending. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates that would take a $25 billion bite out of the Medicare budget.
Hospitals, Nursing Homes In Mad Dash To Borrow Tax-Free Funds While They Still Can
The borrowing spree is happening as Congress debates whether to do away with long-held tax exemptions on these types of bonds beginning Jan. 1. Meanwhile, lawmakers are mulling what to do about the health law’s insurance tax.
Insurers Could Be On The Hook For CSR Funds They’ve Already Spent On Low-Income Enrollees
The companies may have to return any surplus they used to cover cost-sharing reduction costs since the Trump administration cut off the payments in October.
McConnell Promised Collins Health Bills Would Pass, But No One Else Seems Eager To Uphold That Deal
Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) threw her support behind the Republican tax bill on the agreement that the Senate would take up the bipartisan health legislation that is aimed at stabilizing the marketplace. But even though she extracted the promise from Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, the rest of the GOP leadership isn’t ready with uphold the bargain.