Latest KFF Health News Stories
After a Brief Pandemic Reprieve, Rural Workers Return to Life Without Paid Leave
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?
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.
The Biggest, Buzziest Conference for Health Care Investors Convenes Amid Fears the Bubble Will Burst
This year’s JPMorgan confab, the first since covid’s chilling effect on such gatherings, was full of energy and enthusiasm. But it was also marked by questions about the future of health care investment.
Rural Seniors Benefit From Pandemic-Driven Remote Fitness Boom
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?
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
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.
Ending Involuntary Commitments Would Shift Burden of Dementia Care to Strapped Communities
Health department officials anticipate having to transfer two dozen patients from the Montana State Hospital to another state-run facility if a bill to end involuntary commitments passes.
Why People Who Experience Severe Nausea During Pregnancy Often Go Untreated
Because morning sickness is common, severe nausea in pregnancy can be minimized by doctors or the patients themselves. Untreated, symptoms can worsen — and delays lead to medical emergencies.
California Attorney General Sues Drugmakers Over Inflated Insulin Prices
California Attorney General Rob Bonta is taking three major drugmakers and three distributors to court, alleging the companies illegally raised prices at the expense of diabetes patients.
Fiscal general de California demanda a farmacéuticas por “inflar” los precios de la insulina
En la demanda, Rob Bonta argumentó que los precios se han disparado y que algunos pacientes se han visto obligados a racionar sus medicamentos o renunciar por completo a comprar insulina.
Despite Doctors’ Concerns, University of California Renews Ties With Religious Affiliates
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.
Bleeding and in Pain, a Pregnant Woman in Louisiana Couldn’t Get Answers
How one Louisiana woman experiencing a miscarriage sought care amid a climate of fear and confusion among doctors fueled by that state’s restrictive abortion law.
¿Clínica de urgencias o sala de emergencias? Cómo decidir donde recibir la atención adecuada
Las personas heridas o enfermas deben decidir con cuidado, en un momento de estrés, cuál es el mejor lugar para buscar ayuda. Y deben tomar esa decisión en medio de un número creciente de opciones.
Listen: Who Investigates Suspicious Deaths in Your Community — And Why It Matters
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
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
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
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.
En muchos casos, los guardias utilizaron armas, como pistolas paralizantes y aerosoles de pimienta, para controlar y doblegar a presos con condiciones psiquiátricas graves que podrían haberles impedido seguir órdenes, o entender lo que estaba sucediendo.
Medicaid and Abortion Top Health Agenda for Montana Lawmakers
State lawmakers say their health care goals for the new legislative session are to lower costs and improve access to care. They’ll have to grapple with a full slate of other issues, as well.
In PA County Jails, Guards Use Pepper Spray and Stun Guns to Subdue People in Mental Crisis
An investigation of records from 25 county jails across Pennsylvania showed that nearly 1 in 3 “use of force” incidents by guards involved a confined person who was having a psychiatric crisis or who had a known mental illness.
