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Latest KFF Health News Stories

People With Down Syndrome Are Living Longer, but the Health System Still Treats Many as Kids

KFF Health News Original

The median life expectancy for a U.S. baby born with Down syndrome jumped from about four years in 1950 to 58 years in the 2010s. That’s largely because they no longer can be denied lifesaving care, including surgeries for heart defects. But now, aging adults with Down syndrome face a health system unprepared to care for them.

Aumenta el número de californianos mayores que muere por desnutrición

KFF Health News Original

Las muertes atribuidas a la desnutrición aumentaron más del doble, de unas 650 en 2018 a aproximadamente 1,400 en 2022, según datos preliminares de certificados de defunción del Departamento de Salud Pública estatal.

California: proyecto de ley exigiría que estudiantes universitarios se vacunen contra el VPH

KFF Health News Original

Estudios han confirmado que la vacuna contra el VPH reduce el riesgo de desarrollar cáncer en casi un 90% cuando se administra a niñas y niños en la adolescencia temprana, presumiblemente antes de que estén expuestos a cepas peligrosas del virus.

California Bill Would Mandate HPV Vaccine for Incoming College Students

KFF Health News Original

A state lawmaker wants all incoming college students to get an HPV vaccine, as part of a push to drive up vaccination rates and prevent cervical cancer. At least four other states have enacted a similar mandate.

As Montana’s Mental Health Crisis Care Crumbles, Politicians Promise Aid

KFF Health News Original

One of Montana’s largest mental health providers has ratcheted back services amid financial troubles, leaving a vacuum. State policymakers have promised more money to aid behavioral health care, but lasting change could be years out.

Doctors’ Lesson for Drug Industry: Abortion Wars Are Dangerous to Ignore

KFF Health News Original

The American Medical Association ducked the abortion issue for years and now sees its members’ professional opinions second-guessed by lawmakers and judges. PhRMA is following the same playbook.

Doctor Shortages Distress Rural America, Where Few Residency Programs Exist

KFF Health News Original

Patients in rural northeastern Nevada soon will have fewer providers and resources, after a local hospital decided to close its medical residency program. Nationally, the number of rural residency slots has grown during the past few years but still makes up just 2% of programs and residents nationwide.

Watch: Rulings on Abortion Pill Have Far-Reaching Repercussions

KFF Health News Original

Sarah Varney, a senior correspondent for KHN, joins Ali Rogin of PBS NewsHour to discuss the ruling by a federal judge in Texas that threatens nationwide access to the widely used abortion drug mifepristone, and a separate ruling in Washington state that reached the opposite conclusion.

Para pacientes de cáncer sin seguro, conseguir atención médica es una lotería

KFF Health News Original

Los estudios demuestran que, a veces, los adultos sin seguro retrasan la atención, lo que puede perjudicar las probabilidades de supervivencia. Pero que los pacientes obtengan un seguro para cubrir el tratamiento se parece un poco al juego de la ruleta, es decir, depende de dónde vivan y del tipo de cáncer que padezcan.

Abortion Clinics in Conservative-Led States Face Increasing Legal Threats

KFF Health News Original

Since the U.S. Supreme Court reversed federal protections for abortions, medical providers in conservative-led states have been fighting legal and political battles — as well as escalating threats from the anti-abortion movement.

For Uninsured People With Cancer, Securing Care Can Be Like Spinning a Roulette Wheel

KFF Health News Original

When uninsured people are diagnosed with cancer, accessing resources and paying for treatment can be daunting. The safety nets meant to help often fall short, say cancer physicians and health policy experts who study access to care. Some patients find it easier to play the odds.