Latest KFF Health News Stories
Big Pharma Is Betting on Bigger Political Ambitions From Sen. Tim Scott
The South Carolina senator led the congressional pack in pharma campaign contributions for the second half of 2021. There are clear reasons.
Climate Change May Push the US Toward the ‘Goldilocks Zone’ for West Nile Virus
Colorado recently recorded the most West Nile virus deaths and cases of neuroinvasive infections in nearly two decades. Scientists warn that climate change will make conditions ripe for more West Nile transmission.
Journalists Recap Coverage of the Ongoing Pandemic and Lead Risks in Schools’ Drinking Water
KHN and California Healthline staff made the rounds on national and local media this week to discuss their stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances.
Nurse Convicted of Neglect and Negligent Homicide for Fatal Drug Error
RaDonda Vaught, a former nurse at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, could spend years in prison after being convicted of two felonies in Nashville, Tennessee, on Friday.
Senators Ask GAO to Examine Medicaid’s Low Covid Vaccination Rates
Sens. Robert Casey Jr. and Ron Wyden want a probe into what barriers are keeping Medicaid plans from reaching enrollees.
Watch: Omicron Subvariant Is Nothing to Sneeze At, Explains KHN’s Public Health Expert
A KHN public health expert discusses the new covid subvariant, seasonal allergies, and the debate over whether Americans will need a fourth vaccination.
The Case of the $489,000 Air Ambulance Ride
Diagnosed with aggressive leukemia on a Western trip, a young man thought his insurance would cover an air ambulance ride home to North Carolina. Instead, questions about medical necessity left him with an astronomical bill.
Montana Is Sending Troubled Kids to Out-of-State Programs That Have Been Accused of Abuse
State health officials are using Medicaid funds to send children in their care to treatment programs in states with less stringent regulations, including programs accused of abuse and mistreatment.
Muchas familias están usando masticables de melatonina para hacer dormir hasta a bebés. Pediatras generan controversia.
KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: The ACA Turns 12
Although its fate was in doubt more than a few times, the Affordable Care Act turned 12 this week. Year 13 could be pivotal in determining how many Americans receive ACA health insurance, and at what price. Meanwhile, three leading credit bureaus agreed to stop using most medical debt to measure U.S. consumers’ creditworthiness. Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, Rachel Cohrs of Stat, and KHN’s Mary Agnes Carey join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more.
El futuro en la vigilancia de enfermedades infecciosas puede estar… en el popó
El lodo que se recolecta de las aguas residuales, adonde se arrojan las heces de la comunidad, puede ser clave para detectar no solo covid, sino otras enfermedades infecciosas.
Can Melatonin Gummies Solve Family Bedtime Struggles? Experts Advise Caution
Throughout history, parents have searched for the secret to getting fretful children to sleep through the night. The latest strategy involves giving children melatonin-infused gummies and tablets, a trend that concerns some doctors.
In Nurse’s Trial, Investigator Says Hospital Bears ‘Heavy’ Responsibility for Patient Death
Nashville nurse RaDonda Vaught is charged with reckless homicide for giving the wrong medication to a patient at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
Health Officials See Bright Future in Poop Surveillance
Sewage surveillance is proving so useful in mapping covid trends that many public health officials say it should become standard practice in tracking infectious diseases. Whether that happens will depend on the nation’s ability to make it viable in communities rich and poor.
As States Impose Abortion Bans, Young Doctors Struggle — And Travel Far — To Learn the Procedure
The number of medical schools and residency programs where aspiring physicians can learn to perform abortion procedures continues to shrink, a byproduct of the anti-abortion legislation being enacted in multiple states.
Black Therapists Fight to Be Seen on TikTok. When They Are, They Find Solidarity.
Black mental health therapists talk openly on TikTok about working in a predominantly white field, while at the same time making mental health care more accessible for people of color who might be shut out of the health care system.
As a Nurse Faces Prison for a Deadly Error, Her Colleagues Worry: Could I Be Next?
Former nurse RaDonda Vaught is on trial for reckless homicide, and her case raises consequential questions about how nurses use computerized medication-dispensing cabinets.
Patients With Vulnerable Immune Systems Worry Vaccine Exemptions May Put Them in Peril
Montana’s governor pushed the state’s health workers to seek religious exemptions to a federal mandate to be vaccinated against covid, but the number who have done so is unknown.
To Families’ Dismay, Biden Nursing Home Reform Doesn’t View Them as Essential Caregivers
Relatives who often provide vital caregiving for nursing home residents say the lockdowns during the covid pandemic showed the need for family members to visit in person with their loved ones. About a dozen states have passed laws guaranteeing that right, and California is considering one.
Pfizer CEO Pushes Yearly Shots for Covid. Not So Fast, Experts Say.
A corporate CEO’s call for a fourth mRNA shot struck those closely watching the pandemic as self-serving. It creates public pressure for a fourth dose of vaccine before government experts have time to assess the evidence and settle on the best course forward.
