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Latest KFF Health News Stories

US Military Says National Security Depends on ‘Forever Chemicals’

KFF Health News Original

PFAS chemicals are found in hundreds of products and weapons used by the U.S. military. Defense Department officials say a blanket ban on these man-made substances would threaten military readiness.

Why Do We Pay For so Much Worthless Health Care?

KFF Health News Original

Medical advances are expensive. Take Wegovy, the wildly successful obesity drug that we learned last week may also reduce the risk of heart disease. If just 10 percent of Medicare beneficiaries start taking the drug, taxpayers could be on the hook for nearly $27 billion a year.  So how can the country afford the latest […]

Beyond Insulin: Medi-Cal Expands Patient Access to Diabetes Supplies

KFF Health News Original

California’s Medicaid program is making it easier for people with diabetes to obtain the supplies and equipment they need to manage their blood sugar, partly by relaxing preauthorization requirements that can cause life-threatening delays.

It’s Getting Harder to Find Long-Term Residential Behavioral Health Treatment for Kids

KFF Health News Original

Intermountain Residential in Montana is one of the only facilities in the United States that offer long-term residential behavioral treatment for kids as young as four. Now, administrators say they’re not sure how long it can keep its doors open.

Compensation Is Key to Fixing Primary Care Shortage

KFF Health News Original

Many proposals have been floated about how to address the nation’s primary care problem. They range from training slots to medical school debt forgiveness but often sidestep comprehensive payment reform.

Abortion “Until the Day of Birth” Is Almost Never a Thing

KFF Health News Original

It’s one of the most frequent claims made by antiabortion lawmakers: That abortion rights supporters favor allowing abortions literally until the end of pregnancy. “Frankly I think it’s unethical and immoral to allow for abortions up until the day of birth,” Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) said at last week’s GOP presidential primary debate. At that […]

The Unusual Way a Catholic Health System Is Wielding an Abortion Protest Law

KFF Health News Original

Dignity Health is suing several patients and their advocates for “commercial blockade” for refusing discharge during the covid-19 pandemic. The lawsuits could set precedents for use of the California commercial blockade statute, conceived to constrain abortion protesters, and how hospitals handle discharges.

Biden Administration’s Limit on Drug Industry Middlemen Backfires, Pharmacists Say

KFF Health News Original

A rule taking effect Jan. 1 was intended to stop one set of abuses by pharmacy benefit managers, or PBMs, but some pharmacists say it’s enabling these price brokers to simply do new things unfairly.

Adult Children Discuss the Trials of Caring for Their Aging Parents

KFF Health News Original

The financial and emotional toll of providing and paying for long-term care is wreaking havoc on the lives of millions of Americans. Read about how a few families are navigating the challenges, in their own words.

What One Expectant Mom’s Effort To Get an RSV Shot Says About Health Policy

KFF Health News Original

Today we bring you the story of a patient seeking the RSV vaccine — and how her frustrating journey illustrates why it can be so hard in the United States to get an important medicine recommended by federal regulators. Hannah Fegley of Silver Spring, Md., says she spent seven hours on the phone last month […]