Latest KFF Health News Stories
Medical Debt and Nurse Shortages Haunt Winning Halloween Haikus
Entries for our fifth annual Halloween haiku contest left us terrified. Based on a review by our panel of judges, here’s the winner and runners-up — plus the original artwork they inspired.
Dads Drive Growth in California’s Paid Family Leave Program
The number of men in the state taking paid family leave to bond with a new child has risen nearly 20% since the start of the pandemic.
When That Supposedly Free Annual Physical Generates a Bill
Completing a routine depression screening questionnaire during an annual checkup is cost-free under federal law. But, as one woman discovered, answering a doctor’s follow-up questions might not be.
Watch: California and Feds Invest in Health Care for Homeless People
KFF Health News senior correspondent Angela Hart discusses big developments in street medicine, both statewide and nationally.
Smaller Employers Weigh a Big-Company Fix for Scarce Primary Care: Their Own Clinics
Company health clinics are most common at large workplaces, but some small employers say they see advantages, too: healthier workers, lower costs, and better access to primary care.
A New Era of Vaccines Leaves Old Questions About Prices Unanswered
The CDC’s RSV vaccination recommendations beg the question: How much should an immunization that will possibly be given to millions of Americans cost to be truly valuable?
Storing Guns Away From Home Could Reduce Suicides, but Legal Hurdles Loom
Safe storage maps show gun owners where to put their firearms for safekeeping if they experience a mental health crisis. The idea has support among some gun enthusiasts, but legal obstacles threaten wider adoption.
Doubts Abound About a New Alzheimer’s Blood Test
Quest Diagnostics is selling a blood test online to consumers. But results may not be reliable or easy to interpret. And it isn’t covered by insurance.
California Expands Paid Sick Days and Boosts Health Worker Wages
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation expanding paid sick leave to five days, extending bereavement leave to miscarriages and failed adoptions, and approving an eventual $25-an-hour health care minimum wage. Still, in a possible sign of national ambitions, the Democrat vetoed free condoms in schools and refused to decriminalize psychedelic mushrooms.
Residents of a Rural Arkansas County Grapple With Endemic Gun Violence
Rural gun homicides have often been overshadowed by violence in cities. But they are taking their toll on small communities ill-equipped to deal with the challenges.
Millions of Rural Americans Rely on Private Wells. Few Regularly Test Their Water.
More than 43 million Americans drink, bathe, and cook with water from private wells, which can be tainted by farm or industrial runoff, leaky septic systems, or naturally occurring minerals.
Pruebas genéticas rápidas a bebés pueden salvar vidas, pero muchas aseguradoras no las cubren
Que Medicaid cubra la prueba puede expandir significativamente el acceso para los bebés; el programa de salud federal gerenciado por los estados que asegura a las familias de bajos ingresos y que cubre a más del 40% de los niños en su primer año de vida.
Using Opioid Settlement Cash for Police Gear Like Squad Cars and Scanners Sparks Debate
State and local governments will receive a windfall of more than $50 billion over 18 years from settlements with companies that made, sold, or distributed opioid painkillers. Using the funds for law enforcement has triggered important questions about what the money was meant for.
Quick Genetic Test Offers Hope for Sick, Undiagnosed Kids. But Few Insurers Offer to Pay.
A new, rapid genetic test shows promise in increasing diagnoses and improving treatment for some children with rare genetic conditions. Many insurers won’t cover it, but Florida’s Medicaid program is among those that see benefits — and, potentially, savings.
Tiny, Rural Hospitals Feel the Pinch as Medicare Advantage Plans Grow
More than half of seniors are enrolled in private Medicare Advantage plans instead of traditional Medicare. Rural enrollment has increased fourfold and many small-town hospitals say that threatens their viability.
¿Por qué sigue siendo tan difícil encontrar vacunas contra covid para niños pequeños?
Por primera vez desde el inicio de la pandemia, el gobierno federal no paga directamente a los fabricantes por las dosis de covid, un proceso que permitió a médicos y farmacéuticos recibir envíos de forma gratuita.
Why Is Finding Covid Shots for Young Children Still So Hard?
In Los Angeles and elsewhere, some parents are having trouble finding the new pediatric covid shot, especially for young children. Not all pediatricians or pharmacies have it and can administer it, even if vaccines.gov says they can.
California Moves Ahead of the FDA in Banning Common Candy Additives
The legislation bans the use of four additives that are already prohibited in many other countries but remain in popular U.S. foods. Advocates say states need to act because the FDA has done little.
Let’s Have an Honest Conversation About What to Expect as You Age
A leading geriatrician says a lot of health information for older adults isn’t as useful as it should be. No person’s aging process looks exactly like another’s. So she’s written a guidebook.
Una charla necesaria: qué le ocurre al cuerpo y la mente a medida que se envejece
El envejecimiento altera a las personas por décadas, un largo período influenciado por circunstancias sociales y económicas, conductas, el lugar en donde se vive, y otros factores. E impacta en la fisiología, pero no de manera uniforme para todos.
