Michelle Andrews

Like Doctors, More Nurse Practitioners Are Heading Into Specialty Care

KFF Health News Original

If your doctor can’t see you now, maybe the nurse practitioner can. Nurse practitioners have long been a reliable backstop for the primary-care-physician shortfall, which is estimated at nearly 21,000 doctors this year and projected to get worse. But easy access to NPs could be tested in coming years. Even though nearly 90 percent of […]

Funding Instability Plagues Program That Brings Docs to Underserved Areas

KFF Health News Original

A medical residency program designed to train future primary care physicians in outpatient rather than hospital settings has proved an effective means to bring doctors to rural and underserved areas. But it hinges on unpredictable congressional funding.

The Lure of Specialty Medicine Pulls Nurse Practitioners From Primary Care

KFF Health News Original

Nurse practitioners have been viewed as a key to addressing the shortage of primary care physicians. But data suggests that, just like doctors, they are increasingly drawn to better-paying specialties.

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 […]

Feds Join Ranks of Employers with Generous Fertility Benefits

KFF Health News Original

Starting this year, federal employees can choose plans that cover a broad menu of fertility services, including up to $25,000 annually for in vitro fertilization procedures. At the same time, politics around IVF and reproductive health have become a central issue in the current election-year debate.

Mammography AI Can Cost Patients Extra. Is It Worth It?

KFF Health News Original

Artificial intelligence software to aid radiologists in detecting problems or diagnosing cancer has been moving rapidly into clinical use, where it shows great promise. But it’s a turnoff for some patients asked to pay out-of-pocket for technology that’s not quite ready for prime time.

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.

Trump Misplaced Blame When He Said Drug Shortages Were Biden’s Fault

KFF Health News Original

Former President Donald Trump, who’s running for another term in the White House, recently blamed drug shortages on his successor, President Joe Biden. Our findings don’t align with Trump’s claims; by some measures, drug shortages increased more on Trump’s watch than on Biden’s.

Resurge la hepatitis C, ¿podrá el plan de Biden eliminar este viejo flagelo en cinco años?

KFF Health News Original

Se calcula que el 40% de los más de 2 millones de personas con hepatitis C en Estados Unidos ni siquiera saben que la tienen, pero el virus puede estar dañando silenciosamente su hígado, causando cicatrices, insuficiencia hepática o cáncer de hígado.

Hep C’s Number Comes Up: Can Biden’s 5-Year Plan Eliminate the Longtime Scourge?

KFF Health News Original

Before covid-19, hepatitis C held the distinction of claiming more American lives each year than any other infectious disease — that’s despite the marketing of several relatively affordable, highly effective treatments.

¿Cuánto costará la píldora anticonceptiva de venta libre? ¿La cubrirán los seguros?

KFF Health News Original

Los defensores de la salud reproductiva celebraron esta histórica aprobación como un paso que puede ayudar a millones de personas a evitar embarazos no deseados, que ocurren casi la mitad de las veces en los Estados Unidos.