Latest KFF Health News Stories
Amid Confusion Over US Vaccine Recommendations, States Try To ‘Restore Trust’
The decisions by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices matter, because insurers and federal programs rely on them, but they are not binding. States can follow the recommendations, or not.
She Had a Broken Arm, No Insurance — And a $97,000 Bill
Deborah Buttgereit knew piecing together the broken bone in her elbow would be expensive. But complications the doctor deemed a surprise, midsurgery, drove the total bill tens of thousands of dollars above the original estimate.
As the Trump Administration and States Push Health Data Sharing, Familiar Challenges Surface
Despite billions of tax dollars and two decades of effort invested in improving health care data sharing, Americans’ medical records often remain siloed, leading to duplicate testing, increased costs, and wasted time for patients and doctors.
‘Sick to My Stomach’: Trump Distorts Facts on Autism, Tylenol, and Vaccines, Scientists Say
The White House’s autism announcement exaggerates links to Tylenol, misleads on vaccines, and sets back the field by ignoring decades of research, scientists say.
Expertos en autismo de los Centros para el Control y Prevención de Enfermedades no fueron consultados para el esperado anuncio de la Casa Blanca.
States Are Cutting Medicaid Provider Payments Long Before Trump Cuts Hit
North Carolina and Idaho are cutting their Medicaid programs to bridge budget gaps, raising fears that providers will stop taking patients and that hospitals will close even before the brunt of a new federal tax-and-budget law takes effect.
Journalists Follow the Fallout of CDC Director’s Firing and Trump’s Health Policies
KFF Health News journalists made the rounds on national and local media recently to discuss topical stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances.
Mercury in Your Hot Dog? Vaccine Skeptics Face Their Limits at Crucial CDC Meeting
A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention meeting on vaccines pitted scientific expertise against vaccine skepticism. An often confusing debate ended with critics of the current vaccine schedule tabling a vote to remove one of its cornerstones.
Disability Bias Complaints Peak as the Office That Investigates Them Is Gutted
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Kennedy’s Take on Vaccine Science Fractures Cohesive National Public Health Strategies
A lack of faith in the soundness of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s new direction has led states to explore enacting their own vaccine policies. A patchwork of divergent recommendations and requirements could result.
Exactech Will Pay $8M To Settle Lawsuits Over Defective Knee Implant Parts
Whistleblower lawsuits alleged that Exactech covered up defects in knee implants while patient injuries mounted.
Listen: The Surprising Power of Pushback When Health Insurance Won’t Pay
Denied coverage for preventive care? You’re not powerless. In this new episode of NPR’s “Life Kit” podcast, KFF Health News reporter Jackie Fortiér explores why denials happen and how to avoid common pitfalls.
Health Care Cuts Threaten Homegrown Solutions to Rural Doctor Shortages
In a rural, largely Republican region of California, homegrown efforts to bolster the medical workforce face an uphill battle, in part because of federal health care cuts approved by the GOP Congress and signed by President Donald Trump in July, as well as a state budget deficit.
Ticks Are Migrating, Raising Disease Risks if They Can’t Be Tracked Quickly Enough
Doctors need to know when to screen for tick-borne diseases in their communities. But it’s getting harder for local health departments to get funding for tick surveys as federal public health grants from agencies like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention dry up.
Las garrapatas migran y aumentan los riesgos de enfermedades si no se las rastrea con rapidez
El cambio climático provocado por los humanos ha acortado los inviernos, lo que hace que las garrapatas pasen menos tiempo en hibernación y tengan más meses de actividad para engancharse a animales y personas.
Watch: Fired CDC Chief Says RFK Jr. Demanded She Roll Back Vaccine Policies Without Evidence
Susan Monarez and former Centers for Disease Control and Prevention chief medical officer Debra Houry described turmoil in an agency dominated by anti-vaccine political officials nominated by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Team Trump’s Answer to Ballooning Obamacare Premiums: Less Generous Coverage
Tens of millions of people face sticker shock enrolling in Affordable Care Act insurance for 2026. To save money, the Trump administration wants them to consider less generous coverage.
Montana Advocates Worry About Federal Impacts on Support for Students With Disabilities
Montana has a waitlist for people with disabilities who need vocational training, even as schools and disability advocates are concerned about how federal cuts will affect those programs.
Projected Surge in Uninsured Will Strain Local Health Systems
In South Texas’ Rio Grande Valley, many people go without health insurance, and the health system struggles as a result. Similar communities dot the nation, and more could face such difficulties under President Donald Trump’s tax-and-spending law.
El aumento de personas sin seguro médico pondrá en aprietos a los sistemas de salud locales
Las medidas del gobierno han despertado una nueva preocupación: la creciente dificultad para que médicos, hospitales y otros proveedores de salud puedan seguir atendiendo a personas sin seguro médico.
