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Latest KFF Health News Stories

Vaccine and Testing Delays for Monkeypox Echo Failures in Early Covid Response

KFF Health News Original

Public health officials say monkeypox is not as dangerous as covid and can be handled well with current treatments and if those at risk use caution. But the rollout of vaccines has been slow and led to angst among some at-risk people.

The Push for Abortion Lawmaking After ‘Dobbs’ Is Unique, Legal and Political Experts Say

KFF Health News Original

The surge of calls for special legislative sessions to pass abortion laws is an unusual occurrence in modern U.S. history, according to experts — one caused by the Supreme Court’s decision to give states more power to regulate abortion.

The Search for Scarce Formula Is Worse for Rural Families on WIC

KFF Health News Original

Constraints imposed by the Special Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for Women, Infants, and Children, known as WIC, that prevent recipients from using benefits to buy formula across state lines weigh on families as the nationwide formula shortage drags on.

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: A Chat With the Surgeon General on Health Worker Burnout

KFF Health News Original

Health workers are not OK, and that poses a threat to anyone who may need health services. That’s the central finding of the latest report from the office of U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, “Addressing Health Worker Burnout.” This special episode of KHN’s “What the Health?” podcast is a conversation about the report between Murthy and KHN chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner, which was recorded at the annual research meeting of AcademyHealth in June.

Las disposiciones de la nueva ley de armas y salud mental

KFF Health News Original

La ley de seguridad de armas forjada a través de tensas conversaciones bipartidistas en el Senado se presentó como la primera legislación federal en 30 años para combatir el aumento de la violencia armada. Pero lo que ha pasado desapercibido es uno de sus objetivos clave: mejorar los servicios de salud mental.

Seeking to Kick-Start Biden’s Agenda, Schumer Unveils a Bill for Medicare Drug Price Negotiations

KFF Health News Original

In addition to allowing federal officials to negotiate the price that Medicare pays for some drugs, the bill would cap annual out-of-pocket drug costs for Medicare beneficiaries at $2,000. But before Democrats can pass the bill under special rules that prevent Republicans from staging a filibuster, they must get approval from the Senate parliamentarian.

Feds Want a Policy That Advocates Say Would Let Hospitals Off the Hook for Covid-Era Lapses

KFF Health News Original

The pandemic disrupted all sense of normalcy for U.S. hospitals, so federal officials are proposing to pause financial penalties against the facilities and to block public access to key hospital safety data — such as the frequency of falls and sepsis — because of concerns that the data isn’t accurate enough. But consumer advocates are furious about the proposal.

Widely Used Hospital Gowns Show Signs of Exposing Workers to Infection

KFF Health News Original

Isolation gowns are supposed to protect health care workers from splattered bodily fluids. But new studies suggest that too much liquid seeps through some disposable gowns, creating a risk of infection.

Datos de las sobredosis, obtenidos por colaboración colectiva, resaltan en dónde hace falta la ayuda

KFF Health News Original

El proyecto de la Universidad de Texas, llamado TxCOPE, busca resolver un problema que mantiene en vilo a los funcionarios de todo el país en su esfuerzo por reducir el número récord de muertes por drogas: obtener una imagen clara y precisa de las sobredosis no mortales y mortales.

Crowdsourced Data on Overdoses Pinpoints Where to Help

KFF Health News Original

University of Texas researchers are testing a program that would allow harm reduction groups to crowdsource data on fatal and nonfatal drug overdoses statewide. While the data relies on word of mouth, they say, it is more comprehensive than anything that exists now and can be used immediately to prevent overdoses.