Sarah Varney

Sarah Varney was a senior correspondent for KFF Health News until August 2023.

@SarahVarney4

In Weary Post-Storm Puerto Rico, Medicaid Cutbacks Bode New Ills

KFF Health News Original

The island’s government must squeeze $840.2 million in annual savings from Medicaid by 2023, part of the U.S. territory’s agreement with the federal government as Puerto Rico claws its way back from fiscal oblivion. Experts warn such drastic cuts defy actuarial science.

Listless And Lonely In Puerto Rico, Some Older Storm Survivors Consider Suicide

KFF Health News Original

More than six months ago, Hurricane Maria upended routines and shuttered services on the island leading to a sense of despair and isolation, especially among older people.

In A Puerto Rican Mountain Town, Hope Ebbs And Health Suffers

KFF Health News Original

More than six months after Hurricane Maria, daily life in Castañer, Puerto Rico, is nowhere close to normal as residents try to deal with the effects of trauma, chronic stress and the continued lack of electricity.

Los más frágiles en Puerto Rico enfrentan el final de la ayuda por el huracán

KFF Health News Original

Como Ausberto Maldonado, miles en la isla que sufren condiciones crónicas, y casi no tienen alimentos y medicinas, sienten que la crisis económica es tanto o más amenazante que el huracán María.

For One Father And Son In Puerto Rico, Hurricane Maria’s Cloud Has Not Lifted

KFF Health News Original

The deadly storm turned a health challenge into a full-blown medical crisis for one young man with unconfirmed multiple sclerosis. And still he waits to see a neurologist.

Marihuana: con leyes más flexibles, médicos aconsejan a embarazadas no fumar

KFF Health News Original

Muchas embarazadas, especialmente las más jóvenes, consumen marihuana durante la gestación. Pero los médicos enfatizan los riesgos que acarrea para el niño este hábito.

As Marijuana Laws Relax, Doctors Say Pregnant Women Shouldn’t Partake

KFF Health News Original

Some mothers who smoke pot see it as a harmless remedy for everything from pain to postpartum depression. But doctors say the active ingredients in marijuana can be passed onto the baby and may affect developing nervous systems.

If Poor Neighborhood = Poor Health, Relocation Is One Solution

KFF Health News Original

Research shows that living in more affluent, less segregated neighborhoods can improve health problems like asthma and high blood pressure. Communities around the country are experimenting with moving some families to boost their health.

Inside The Global Race To Deliver A Vital Radioactive Isotope Used To Detect Cancer

KFF Health News Original

Moly-99, as it’s called, is created in just six government-owned nuclear research reactors — none in North America — raising concerns about the reliability of the supply.

Maine Voters Chose Medicaid Expansion. Why Is Their Governor Resisting?

KFF Health News Original

Even though voters in Maine decided to expand Medicaid through a ballot measure, the law’s fate is still unclear. Gov. Paul LePage says the Legislature must find funds for it without raising taxes. Advocates say the law is on their side and expansion must be implemented.

Empeora la salud de trabajadores agrícolas, a medida que la fuerza de trabajo envejece

KFF Health News Original

Con una migración en baja, hoy en día la edad promedio del trabajador agrícola en California, 90 por ciento de ellos hispanos, es de 45 años. Enfrentan más problemas de salud.

Health Risks To Farmworkers Increase As Workforce Ages

KFF Health News Original

Harvesting U.S. crops has been left to an aging population of farmworkers whose health has suffered from decades of hard labor. Older workers have a greater chance of getting injured and of developing chronic illnesses.

Texans With HIV Cope With Homes And Medicines Ruined By Hurricane Harvey

KFF Health News Original

The hurricane closed pharmacies and clinics for a week or longer. Floodwaters spoiled drugs. People who fled to other states couldn’t get their prescriptions filled for HIV medicine.

Dispositivos que salvan vidas en los Estados Unidos se fabrican en México

KFF Health News Original

Casi todos los estadounidenses con marcapasos -y personas en todo el mundo- caminan portando partes fabricadas en Tijuana, México, en donde se ha creado una industria que podría estar en riesgo si la administración Trump cambia el juego del comercio global.

Hospitals, Both Rural And Urban, Dread Losing Ground With Health Law Repeal

KFF Health News Original

Under the Affordable Care Act, hospitals made a high-stakes trade of massive cuts in federal aid in exchange for millions of newly insured customers. Now that deal is in jeopardy.