Articles

Latest KFF Health News Stories

Numbers Don’t Lie. Biden Kept His Promise on Improving Obamacare.

KFF Health News Original

KHN has teamed up with our partners at PolitiFact to monitor 100 key promises made by Joe Biden during the 2020 presidential campaign — including those surrounding the Affordable Care Act.

After a Brief Pandemic Reprieve, Rural Workers Return to Life Without Paid Leave

KFF Health News Original

Coastal and politically progressive states have passed stronger paid sick and family leave policies, but many workers in rural America are left out, facing tough decisions when choosing between caring for themselves or sick family members or keeping their jobs.

¿Será tu celular tu próximo consultorio médico?

KFF Health News Original

La yema del dedo presionada contra la lente de la cámara de un celular puede medir la frecuencia cardíaca. El micrófono, colocado junto a la cama, puede detectar apnea del sueño. Incluso el altavoz está siendo modificado para monitorear la respiración usando tecnología de sondas.

Rural Seniors Benefit From Pandemic-Driven Remote Fitness Boom

KFF Health News Original

When the pandemic began, senior service agencies hustled to rework health classes to include virtual options for older adults. Now that isolation has ended, virtual classes remain. For seniors in rural areas, those classes have broadened access to supervised physical activity.

Will Your Smartphone Be the Next Doctor’s Office?

KFF Health News Original

Entrepreneurs see smartphones as an opportunity to meet patients where they are. But many app-based diagnostic tools still need clinical validation to get buy-in from health care providers.

Ask Voters Directly, and Abortion Rights Wins Most Ballot Fights

KFF Health News Original

Anti-abortion candidates have fared well in recent elections. But decades of ballot initiatives — including a half-dozen measures considered after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last June — show that when voters are asked directly, they usually side with preserving abortion rights.

Despite Doctors’ Concerns, University of California Renews Ties With Religious Affiliates

KFF Health News Original

The public university’s health system is renewing contracts with outside hospitals and clinics even as some doctors and faculty say clearer language is needed to protect physicians performing abortions and gender-affirming treatments.

Listen: Who Investigates Suspicious Deaths in Your Community — And Why It Matters

KFF Health News Original

KHN senior correspondent Samantha Young appeared on the “Apple News Today” podcast and KOA, a public radio station in Denver, to discuss the difference between coroners and medical examiners and why it matters.

The Decision of Where to Seek Care Is Complicated by the Multitude of Options

KFF Health News Original

The proliferation of care options — particularly urgent care centers and free-standing emergency departments — can make the head spin. Facilities have little incentive to clear up the confusion of where to go. But for patients, the wrong choice can mean big bills and possibly poor health outcomes.

Behavioral Telehealth Loses Momentum Without a Regulatory Boost

KFF Health News Original

As flexible treatment options spurred by the covid pandemic wane, patients relying on medications classified as controlled substances worry that without action to extend the loosened rules, it’ll be harder to get their meds.

Hospitals’ Use of Volunteer Staff Runs Risk of Skirting Labor Laws, Experts Say

KFF Health News Original

Hospitals using volunteers is commonplace. But some labor experts argue that deploying unpaid workers to do work that benefits the organization’s bottom line lets for-profit hospitals skirt federal labor laws, deprives employees of work, and potentially exploits the volunteers.