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Latest KFF Health News Stories

El gobierno alerta sobre tarjetas de crédito para pagar facturas médicas

KFF Health News Original

La Oficina de Protección Financiera del Consumidor estimó en su informe que, en solo tres años, de 2018 a 2020, las personas han estado pagando $1,000 millones en intereses diferidos de tarjetas de crédito médicas y otros financiamientos médicos.

Biden Administration Issues New Warning About Medical Credit Cards

KFF Health News Original

Americans paid an estimated $1 billion in deferred interest on medical debt in just three years, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau reports. The agency warns against medical credit cards, which are often pitched right in doctors’ offices.

Gun Assault Rates Doubled for Children in 4 Major Cities During the Pandemic, New Data Shows

KFF Health News Original

A study of roughly 2,700 shootings in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, and Philadelphia found that racial disparities in gun injuries and deaths widened during the covid-19 pandemic. Researchers looked only at assaults, excluding accidents or incidents of self-harm.

Colorado Becomes the First State to Ban So-Called Abortion Pill Reversals

KFF Health News Original

The controversial practice of administering progesterone to people after they have taken the abortion pill mifepristone may be coming to an end in Colorado. Pills have emerged as the latest front in the war over abortion since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last summer.

After Idaho’s Strict Abortion Ban, OB-GYNs Stage a Quick Exodus

KFF Health News Original

At least two Idaho hospitals are ending labor and delivery services, with one citing the state’s “legal and political climate” and noting that “recruiting replacements will be extraordinarily difficult” as doctors leave.

The Nation’s Health Secretary Has This Doctor on Call

KFF Health News Original

Carolina Reyes, a physician who specializes in high-risk pregnancies, says providers and health systems have a role in tackling systemic racism. She’s also married to U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra.

For California Teen, Coverage of Early Psychosis Treatment Proved a Lifesaver

KFF Health News Original

A Medi-Cal patient illustrates how early schizophrenia treatments can yield big benefits. Advocates want California to expand such services to more people living with severe mental illness, which they argue will not only improve lives but also save money over time.

Some Private Companies Charge Hefty Fees to Help Veterans With Disability Claims

KFF Health News Original

Unaccredited companies promise to help veterans file for disability benefits. But unlike the thousands of service representatives who have been vetted and approved by the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide aid, these “medical consultants” or “coaches” operate with no restrictions on how much they can charge.

How One Patient’s Textured Hair Nearly Kept Her From a Needed EEG

KFF Health News Original

An EEG can help diagnose conditions like epilepsy, sleep disorders, and brain tumors. But a design flaw and outdated Eurocentric practices make the test less effective on thicker, denser, and curly hair types, potentially excluding or deterring some people from getting screened.