Latest KFF Health News Stories
Safety-Net Health Clinics Cut Services and Staff Amid Medicaid ‘Unwinding’
One of Montana’s largest safety-net health centers announced it will lay off nearly 10% of its workforce because of revenue losses it attributes to vast Medicaid disenrollments. Such cuts are happening elsewhere too.
Presidential Election Could Decide Fate of Extra Obamacare Subsidies
Most states that saw enrollment in the Obamacare marketplace double from 2020 to 2024 are in the South. But the enhanced federal subsidies that attracted people with $0 premiums and low out-of-pocket costs will expire next year.
An Obscure Drug Discount Program Stifles Use of Federal Lifeline by Rural Hospitals
A disconnect between two federal programs meant to help keep hospitals afloat discourages struggling rural facilities from accepting the aid.
Psychoactive Drugs Are Having a Moment. The FDA Will Soon Weigh In.
Mounting evidence suggests psychoactive drugs including LSD, ketamine, mushrooms, and MDMA can be powerful treatments for severe depression and PTSD. But not everyone is convinced. And even if such drugs gain FDA approval, safety protocols could render them extremely expensive.
Farmworkers Face High-Risk Exposures to Bird Flu, but Testing Isn’t Reaching Them
Federal officials are offering $75 to dairy workers who agree to be tested for bird flu. Advocates say the payments aren’t enough to protect workers from lost wages and health care costs if they test positive.
Tennessee Gives This Hospital Monopoly an A Grade — Even When It Reports Failure
Ballad Health, a 20-hospital system in Tennessee and Virginia, benefits from the largest state-sanctioned hospital monopoly in the United States and is the only option for hospital care for a large swath of Appalachia.
Los trabajadores agrícolas enfrentan algunas de las exposiciones más intensas al virus de la gripe aviar, pero defensores dicen que muchos de ellos no tienen recursos a los que recurrir si se enferman.
Florida Allows Doctors To Perform C-Sections Outside of Hospitals
A Florida law was enacted this spring making the Sunshine State the first in the nation to let cesarean sections be performed in settings other than hospitals — leading to warnings about increased risks for pregnant women and their babies.
New Help for Dealing With Aggression in People With Dementia
A sedative shouldn’t be the first thing tried to help people with dementia who exhibit distressing behaviors. A new website is a comprehensive, free resource that offers guidance to caregivers.
Florida es el primer estado en permitir que se realicen cesáreas fuera de hospitales
Esta primavera, se promulgó una ley que permite los “centros de parto avanzados”, donde los médicos pueden asistir partos vaginales o por cesárea en mujeres consideradas de bajo riesgo de sufrir complicaciones. Muchos se oponen.
La vacuna contra el sarampión es segura y eficaz. No te dejes engañar por los escépticos
Este año, el 80% de los casos ha sido en personas no vacunadas o con un estatus de vacunación desconocido. Muchos padres han sido influenciados por una avalancha de desinformación difundida por políticos y personalidades en redes sociales, podcasts, y en la TV.
Journalists Zero In on Bird Flu and Weight Loss Drugs
KFF Health News 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.
The South Can Be a Dangerous Place To Be Black and Pregnant
In much of the developed world, dying while pregnant or delivering a child is practically unknown. In Australia, for example, there were just 3 maternal deaths for every 100,000 live births in 2021. But that’s not the case in the American South. And especially not for Black women. In South Carolina, Black women were more […]
The Case of the Armadillo: Is It Spreading Leprosy in Florida?
A single Central Florida county reported 13% of all U.S. leprosy cases in 2020. Researchers have teamed up to investigate whether armadillos are passing the bacteria that cause the disease to humans — which is especially concerning as the animals expand their range farther north.
FDA Urged To Relax Decades-Old Tissue Donation Restrictions for Gay and Bisexual Men
Federal regulations prevent gay and bisexual men from donating tissue, such as corneas, ligaments, and blood vessels. Similar restrictions have been relaxed or lifted for donated blood and organs in recent years.
Reclaman revisar viejas restricciones que previenen que hombres gay y bisexuales donen tejidos
Defensores piden que las pautas para los tejidos donados por hombres gays y bisexuales sean las mismas que aplican al resto del cuerpo humano.
Los Angeles County Launches Ambitious Plan To Tackle Medical Debt. Hospitals Groan.
Los Angeles County, the nation’s most populous county, is spearheading a comprehensive plan to tackle a $2.9 billion medical debt crisis. Hospitals are still getting on board with the project, which is helmed by the public health department.
Clues From Bird Flu’s Ground Zero on Dairy Farms in the Texas Panhandle
Dairy farmers and veterinarians in northern Texas furiously investigated a mysterious illness among cattle before the government got involved. Their observations are telling.
California Pays People With Addiction To Stay Clean — With Feds’ Blessing
Led by California, a few states are testing an experimental program that pays people to stop using hard drugs. The Golden State was the first to win approval from the Biden administration to cover the sobriety payments, with Medicaid wrapping it into an ambitious health-care initiative spearheaded by Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom to provide the […]
He Fell Ill on a Cruise. Before He Boarded the Rescue Boat, They Handed Him the Bill.
A man from Michigan was evacuated from a cruise ship after having seizures. First, he drained his bank account to pay his medical bills.
