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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.