Latest KFF Health News Stories
5 Things To Know About Trump’s New ‘Public Charge’ Immigration Proposal
Trump administration officials say the policy would promote “immigrant self-sufficiency and protect finite resources.” Critics say it could have serious public health consequences.
Must-Reads Of The Week From Brianna Labuskes
Newsletter editor Brianna Labuskes wades through hundreds of health articles from the week so you don’t have to.
Bad Air And Inadequate Data Prove An Unhealthy Mix
San Joaquin Valley residents breathe some of the dirtiest air in the country, but it can be a challenge for them to find accurate and timely information on the air quality in their neighborhoods. This summer, nonprofit organizations began distributing 20 small air monitors to hard-hit families, and next year, the state is expected to install monitoring systems in some communities.
Half As Many People Are Trying Heroin, But Marijuana Use Grows
An annual government survey of drug use and health shows a dramatic drop in the number of people who tried heroin but an uptick in pot use.
Must-Reads Of The Week From Brianna Labuskes
Newsletter editor Brianna Labuskes wades through hundreds of health articles from the week so you don’t have to.
Discreetly Tracking Down Sex Partners To Stop A Surge In STDs
In response to a spike in syphilis and gonorrhea cases, one Oregon county is sending medical sleuths to break the bad news in person. Some people have no idea they’ve been exposed to an infection.
4 Takeaways On Puerto Rico’s Death Toll, In The Wake Of Trump’s Tweet Storm
The controversy over the death toll from Hurricane Maria continues as the president tweets that the official estimate adopted by territory officials is a political ploy.
Low-Income Californians Feel Twice The Burn From Wildfires
People living near highways and agricultural and industrial zones get hit with a “double whammy” when smoke blows into their neighborhoods, where the air is often polluted already.
Cancer, Schmancer. In California, Coffee Is King
The Golden State, with the rare support of the Trump administration, is seeking to circumvent a court order that would require cancer warnings in every establishment that sells a hot cup of Joe.
Over Past 20 Years, The Percentage Of Children With ADHD Nearly Doubles
Researchers, using federal survey data, note a significant increase in diagnosis and also find a rise in the rates among girls and minorities.
Californians Living Longer With Cancer — Some Longer Than Others
A new study from the University of California-Davis shows a significant increase in five-year survival rates for more than 20 types of cancer, but with significant disparities by race, ethnicity and economic status. That is in line with the national trend.
Hurricane Maria’s Official Death Toll In Puerto Rico Now Stands At Nearly 3,000
A report, commissioned by officials in the American territory, finds initial estimates were far too low, and mortality rates in the six months after the storm were 20 percent higher than normal.
Parent Alert! Your Kid May Be Vaping More Than Nicotine
Educators and researchers say that as vaping becomes more common among young people, some are putting pot in their pods.
Religious Conservatives’ Ties To Trump Officials Pay Off In AIDS Policies, Funding
Shepherd Smith, a strong supporter of abstinence-only sex education for AIDS, has been close to the new director of the CDC for decades. This connection is just one example of the “new in crowd” surrounding the Trump administration, where politics and religion mix.
Rehabilitation Plus Rehab? Jails Dispense Drugs To Treat Inmates’ Addictions
Rather than go cold turkey, inmates increasingly have the option to take medication to help beat addiction to opioids and other substances. But some warn these substitute drugs serve as another crutch — and a costly one at that.
Babies Dependent On Opioids Need Touch, Not Tech
One doctor in Kansas works to make sure every hospital in the state can provide the soft start, ideally with their mothers, that babies with neonatal abstinence syndrome need.
‘No One Is Ever Really Ready’: Aid-In-Dying Patient Chooses His Last Day
With its expansion to Hawaii this year, medical aid-in-dying is now approved in eight U.S. jurisdictions. Even when legal, the controversial practice of choosing to die after a terminal diagnosis is difficult, said one Seattle man who shared his final deliberations.
GOP Congressman Chris Collins Indicted On Insider Trading Charges
The New York congressman was a major investor in an Australian biotechnology firm and prosecutors allege that he tipped off his son and others to sell stock shortly before the company reported poor results in its drug testing.
Breathing ‘A Chore’: California Wildfires Threaten The Health Of Young And Old
The state battles at least 17 large blazes, with no clear end in sight. Climate change is among the factors that fuel the fires, scientists say.
Trying To Pinpoint Hurricane’s True Toll, Researchers Say 1,139 Died In Puerto Rico
The estimate, published in the journal JAMA, dwarfs the government’s toll of 64 but is far lower than another highly touted analysis.
