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Latest KFF Health News Stories

California Fails to Adequately Help Blind and Deaf Prisoners, US Judge Rules

KFF Health News Original

Thirty years after prisoners with disabilities sued and 25 years after a federal court first ordered accommodations, a judge found that California prison and parole officials still are not doing enough to help deaf and blind prisoners — in part because they are not providing readily available technology such as video recordings and laptop computers.

As Bans Spread, Fluoride in Drinking Water Divides Communities Across the US

KFF Health News Original

The broad availability of over-the-counter dental products containing fluoride has some community leaders arguing that its addition to public drinking water is no longer necessary. But public health experts worry that, much like vaccines, fluoridation may be a victim of its own success.

After Uphill Battle, Company Is Poised for Takeover of Bankrupt California Hospital

KFF Health News Original

American Advanced Management, a steadily growing operator of small hospitals, is expected to get the green light from a bankruptcy court next week to take over the shuttered Madera Community Hospital. Some community groups worry about the company’s track record.

Arkansas Led the Nation in Measuring Obesity in Kids. Did It Help?

KFF Health News Original

For more than 20 years, children in Arkansas have been measured in school as part of a statewide effort to reduce childhood obesity. But the letters have had no impact on weight loss — and obesity rates have risen. Still, the practice of sending letters has spread to other states.

The NIH Hopes To Make TMJ ‘Bearable.’ It Has a Long Way To Go.

KFF Health News Original

The National Institutes of Health is spending more money than ever to solve the mysteries of TMJ disorders — little-understood ailments that afflict as many as 33 million Americans. Temporomandibular joint disorders, known as TMJ or TMD, cause pain in the jaw and face that can range from discomfort to disabling, with severe symptoms far […]

Médicos de atención primaria asumen tareas de dentista para ayudar a pacientes vulnerables

KFF Health News Original

En Denver, la inestabilidad de la vivienda, las barreras del idioma, la falta de transporte y el “costo astronómico” de la odontología sin seguro hacen que la atención dental sea inaccesible para muchos nuevos inmigrantes.

Becerra Joins the Fray Over Reproductive Rights

KFF Health News Original

Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra is racking up frequent-flier miles as he hopscotches the country to highlight health issues the White House hopes will become pivotal for voters this year — none more so than reproductive rights.  “No woman today should fear [not having] access to the care that she needs. President Biden […]

After Public Push, CMS Curbs Health Insurance Agents’ Access to Consumer SSNs

KFF Health News Original

Days after publication of a KFF Health News article about Obamacare enrollees being switched to different plans without their knowledge or consent, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services took steps to tighten insurance agents’ access to private consumer information on the federal marketplace.

City-Country Mortality Gap Widens Amid Persistent Holes in Rural Health Care Access

KFF Health News Original

People in their prime working years living in rural America are 43% more likely to die of natural causes, like diseases, than their urban counterparts, a disparity that grew rapidly in recent decades, according to a new federal report.

As Republicans Wrestle With IVF, the Biden Administration Expands Benefits

KFF Health News Original

While Republican lawmakers try to walk a fine line on in vitro fertilization — expressing support for the popular procedure, even as some of their supporters argue life begins at conception — the federal government expanded fertility benefits for millions of workers this year, including up to $25,000 a year for IVF. Many employers have […]

Cada vez mueren más menores por sobredosis. ¿Podrían los pediatras ayudar más?

KFF Health News Original

La Academia Americana de Pediatría recomienda ofrecer buprenorfina a los adolescentes adictos a los opiáceos. Sin embargo, según los resultados de una encuesta, solo el 6% de los pediatras informa haberlo hecho alguna vez.

El tipo de alimentación está vinculado a tasas más altas de preeclampsia en latinas

KFF Health News Original

No hay una forma de curar o predecir la preeclampsia. La enfermedad puede dañar el corazón y el hígado, y causar otras complicaciones tanto para la madre como para el bebé, incluido el parto prematuro e incluso la muerte.