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Latest KFF Health News Stories

Ballad Health’s Hospital Monopoly Underperformed. Then Tennessee Lowered the Bar.

KFF Health News Original

Ballad Health, a state-sanctioned hospital monopoly in Tennessee and Virginia, can now be deemed a “clear and convincing” benefit to the public with performance that would earn a “D” on most grading scales, according to Tennessee state documents.

Role Reversal: Millions of Kids Are Caregivers for Elders. Why Their Numbers Might Grow.

KFF Health News Original

As state officials anticipate Medicaid funding cuts that could strip resources for those with disabilities and chronic health conditions, an army of unpaid caregivers waits in the wings: children. At least 5.4 million kids are estimated to be caring for family members at home, a number likely to rise if Medicaid cuts hit professional home-based services.

RFK Jr. Says Healthy Pregnant Women Don’t Need Covid Boosters. What the Science Says.

KFF Health News Original

Despite opposition by the leader of the Department of Health and Human Services, existing evidence on the safety and efficacy of getting a covid vaccine during pregnancy all points the same way: The shots are important for maternal and fetal health.

Opioid Settlement Windfall: Where the Billions Are Going

KFF Health News Original

Opioid manufacturers, distributors, and retailers have been paying billions of dollars to settle lawsuits over their role in the overdose epidemic. How to spend the money remains an open question.

Language Service Cutbacks Raise Fear of Medical Errors, Misdiagnoses, Deaths

KFF Health News Original

Federal cuts are hurting community organizations in California that provide language assistance services to people who speak limited English. Despite President Trump’s executive order declaring English the national language, millions in the U.S. need help navigating the health system.

Feds Chop Enforcement Staff and Halt Rules Meant To Curb Black Lung in Coal Miners

KFF Health News Original

The Trump administration has paused implementation of a rule limiting miners’ exposure to airborne silica dust days after a federal court agreed to put it on hold to hear an industry challenge. The protections are meant to head off a surge in cases of black lung disease. Meanwhile, any enforcement of new standards might be meager due to workforce cuts.

In Arizona County That Backed Trump, Conflicted Feelings About Cutting Medicaid

KFF Health News Original

Medicaid plays a vital role in many rural communities that favored President Donald Trump in the 2024 election. But residents still seem open to Republican proposals to cut perceived waste in the program.

Federal Cuts Ripple Through a Bioscience Hub in Rural Montana

KFF Health News Original

The National Institutes of Health’s Rocky Mountain Laboratories in Hamilton, Montana, is one of only a few dozen research facilities of its type. The threat of staffing and grant cuts has town leaders worried and has added to long-standing tension around the lab’s presence in this politically conservative region.