Latest KFF Health News Stories
California Dabbles With Reining in Health Spending
California is now among the states trying to keep health-care costs down by setting spending caps — a task that pits public officials against a deeply entrenched and heavily lawyered set of players. It’s uncertain whether the state can get insurers, hospitals and medical groups to collaborate on containing costs even as they jockey for […]
Many Young Adults Who Began Vaping as Teens Can’t Shake the Habit
New data on substance use among young adults suggests that many former teen e-cigarette users are continuing the habit.
‘I Try To Stay Strong’: Mom Struggles To Get Diagnosis for Son’s Developmental Problems
An Alameda County mother has spent 10 months seeking help for her 4-year-old son’s speech and behavior issues from his school district and her Medicaid health insurer. She still doesn’t have an answer.
Biden Administration Advances Plan To Remove Medical Debt From Credit Scores
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau proposed federal regulations that would prevent unpaid medical bills from being counted on consumers’ credit reports.
End of Internet Subsidy Leaves Millions Facing Telehealth Disconnect
When the clock struck midnight on May 31, more than 23 million low-income households were dropped from a federal internet subsidy program that for years had helped them get connected. The Affordable Connectivity Program was created in 2021, in the midst of the covid-19 pandemic, to help people plug into jobs, schools and health care by reducing their internet […]
Las pruebas para la gripe aviar son difíciles de conseguir. ¿Cómo saber si estamos en una pandemia?
Muchos laboratorios de diagnóstico están capacitados para detectar el virus. Sin embargo, la burocracia, los problemas de facturación y la falta de inversión no permiten aumentar rápidamente la disponibilidad generalizada de pruebas.
Biden Plan To Save Medicare Patients Money on Drugs Risks Empty Shelves, Pharmacists Say
President Joe Biden is campaigning for reelection on his efforts to cut costs for Medicare patients at the pharmacy counter. But independent pharmacists say one strategy makes it unaffordable for them to keep some brand-name medicines in stock.
Bird Flu Tests Are Hard To Get. So How Will We Know When To Sound the Pandemic Alarm?
If widely used, flu tests could be helpful now. In the meantime, the government needs to clear a path for H5N1 tests, researchers warn, to avoid the early missteps of the covid pandemic.
Leyes que protegen a trabajadores de California del calor extremo ayudarían a estudiantes
Estas mismas normas se extenderán a las escuelas, donde profesores, conserjes, quienes atienden las cafeterías y otros empleados suelen trabajar sin aire acondicionado, igual que sus alumnos.
Nursing Homes Are Left in the Dark as More Utilities Cut Power To Prevent Wildfires
A nursing home in Colorado had 75 minutes to prepare for a power outage that lasted 28 hours. Such public safety power shut-offs are being used more often as a fire prevention tool, but not all health facilities are prepared.
Heat Rules for California Workers Would Also Help Keep Schoolchildren Cool
Proposed state standards to protect indoor workers from extreme heat would extend to schools. The rules come as climate change is bringing more frequent and intense heat waves, causing schools nationwide to cancel instruction.
Residencias de adultos mayores quedan a oscuras en la lucha contra los incendios forestales
A medida que se generalizan los cortes de electricidad preventivos, las residencias de adultos mayores se ven obligadas a evaluar cómo prepararse. Pero no debería depender sólo de las residencias, según autoridades del sector y académicos.
Journalists Discuss Abortion Laws, Pollution, and Potential Changes to Obamacare Subsidies
KFF Health News and California Healthline staff made the rounds on national and local media in the last two weeks to discuss topical stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances.
Weight-Loss Drugs Are So Popular They’re Headed for Medicare Negotiations
The steep prices — and popularity — of Ozempic and similar weight-loss and diabetes drugs could soon make them a priority for Medicare drug price negotiations. List prices for a month’s supply of the drugs range from $936 to $1,349, according to the Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker. The Inflation Reduction Act President Biden signed in […]
Thousands of Children Got Tested for Lead With Faulty Devices: What Parents Should Know
Faulty lead test kits made by Magellan Diagnostics may have been used as late as 2021 to test children for exposure to the toxic metal. The company agreed to pay $42 million to settle criminal charges that it concealed malfunctions.
Es el último capítulo de una larga saga que involucra a Magellan Diagnostics, con sede en Massachusetts, que pagará $42 millones en multas, según el Departamento de Justicia.
Investigan si los armadillos son responsables de la propagación de la lepra en Florida
La región central de Florida es un foco crítico de esta antigua enfermedad, lo que desconcierta a los científicos que están analizando el fenómeno.
Biden Wants Hospitals To Report Data on Gunshot Wounds
The Biden administration is enlisting America’s doctors to help combat gun violence. About 160 health-care executives and officials have been invited to the White House today and Friday to promote public health solutions to the epidemic. A top priority, I’m told: The White House wants hospital emergency departments to collect more data about gunshot injuries […]
White House Enlists Doctors and Hospitals To Combat Gun Violence
As Congress remains deadlocked on gun policy, the Biden administration is calling on hospital leaders and doctors to gather more data about gunshot injuries and deaths and step up their violence prevention work.
Wins at the Ballot Box for Abortion Rights Still Mean Court Battles for Access
Michigan and Ohio serve as cautionary tales for states whose voters will decide abortion ballot initiatives this year: Even if the measures pass, it would take time to unwind conflicting laws.
