Latest KFF Health News Stories
Health Care In Hazard: Cathy Nance
Six years ago, Cathy Nance had to have open heart surgery. Later, she had kidney cancer. Because of poor health and inability to work, she became homeless, until she was helped by Harlan Countians for a Healthy Community.
How Health Reform Bills Would – And Wouldn’t – Affect Illegal Immigrants
This brief explainer examines the number of uninsured illegal immigrants, where they go for health services and how they would fare if current health reform proposals pass.
Lawmakers to Fight for Rural Hospitals Despite Budget Concerns On Reform
The finances of Hillsboro Medical Center in North Dakota improved after it got a “critical access” designation. Sens. Conrad, D-N.D., Wyden, D-Ore., Pryor, D-Ark., and Brownback, R-Kan., want to make it easier for other rural hospitals to get the designation as part of health reform.
Health Reform Proposals Enhance Children’s Dental Care
All of the Democratic health proposals would expand children’s dental care – a serious need. Currently about twice as many children are without dental coverage as those without medical coverage. At the same time, some insurance experts worry that the legislation may have unintended consequences, disrupting adult coverage.
Children’s Dental Health, By The Numbers
A list of some vital statistics about children’s oral health and dental insurance.
Health Bills In Congress Won’t Fix Doctor Shortage
Even as Congress moves to expand health insurance coverage to millions of Americans, it’s doing little to ensure there will be enough primary care doctors to meet the expected surge in demand for treatment. One prediction: the shortage of family doctors will reach 40,000 by 2019, as medical schools send about half the needed number of graduates into primary care medicine.
U.S. Doesn’t Always Trump Other Countries In Quality Of Health Care
A study comparing U.S. treatment outcomes and other indicators among 30 developed nations found “no hard evidence” that American system stands out.
Medicare Makes Patients Happy, But Can It Last?
As part of the series, “Are You Covered?” KHN and NPR profile Audrey Bernfield, 71, a two-time breast cancer survivor. When her cancer returned, her Medicare coverage enabled her to choose her own doctors, move closer to her family and get the best treatments for her situation. She says she prefers Medicare over a private insurer. Medicare Coverage Explained | Video Profile
Reform Won’t Work Without Strengthening Nursing
Health care reform is the serious-minded media event of the summer, but one element of the story has inspired relatively little serious discussion: the role of nursing.
Minnesota Experiment Puts Patient Health First
Doctors paid a salary, rather than per procedure ordered, shift their emphasis to prevention. This story comes from our partner NPR News.
Could Lawsuit Curbs Pave Way For Health Care Deal?
The GOP has long said that many of the ills of the nation’s health care system can be remedied with a cap on medical malpractice suits. Democrats say limits on pain and suffering awards are not the answer. Could a compromise save the president’s health care initiative? This story comes from our partner NPR News.
Nurses, Once in High Demand, Face Job Shortages
As economic conditions force a tighter job market, new nurses find it’s harder than ever to land their dream job-or any job, for that matter. It’s especially difficult in metropolitan areas.
Doctors Disagree About Effectiveness, Cost Of Stents
For policymakers to cut medical spending, they must persuade doctors that some procedures are unnecessary. A friendly debate between two cardiologists over using stents to unclog arteries shows how hard it may be to achieve that consensus. This story comes from our partner NPR News.
‘Don’t Choose Paper’: Sebelius, Blumenthal Provide Detail On Health IT Funds
At a forum in Chicago, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Vice President Joe Biden announced Thursday the release of $1.2 billion of stimulus money to help with the adoption of electronic medical records at a forum in Chicago.
Transcript: President Obama’s Colorado Town Hall Meeting On Health Reform
President Barack Obama spoke about health insurance, a pressed for a need to overhaul the health care system at town hall meeting in Grand Junction, Colorado on Saturday.
E-Health Ambitions to Confront Human, Financial Realities
As much as $36 billion in federal stimulus money will help physicians and hospitals go digital by 2015. But, workers need training, smaller offices may struggle to come up with down payments, and once the electronic records are up and running many say their biggest value is pointing out room for improvement. And, improvement efforts cost time and money, too.
Medical Imaging: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
In its current state, diagnostic imaging can be seen as “The Good, The Bad and The Ugly”. Congress must separate healthy and unhealthy growth
Five Lessons From Seattle On Adopting Electronic Medical Records
In Seattle, three major hospital systems have sophisticated electronic medical records, one of the many goals of health reform. But the systems can’t talk to each other. Overcoming the obstacles will take ‘federal will and money.’
Community Health Centers Fill Big Need During Recession
As the economy has worsened, community health centers – which provide free and reduced-cost care to millions of Americans – have felt the pinch . Facilities, such as the Walker-Jones Health Center in Washington D.C., will have even more patients if Congress passes a health overhaul that expands coverage.
‘Medical Homes’ Concept Takes Off In Seattle
Across the country, doctors are experimenting with a health care model that puts the focus on individualized, preventive care. In so-called medical homes, doctors are rewarded for using longer visits, phone calls and e-mails to keep patients healthy. This story comes from our partner NPR News.
