Latest KFF Health News Stories
Shingles: Don’t Let It Get You The Way It Got Me
The painful condition caused by the chickenpox virus will strike 1 in 3 Americans during their lifetimes — most between ages 60 and 70, but those in their 50s have reason to arm themselves.
Taking A Page From Pharma’s Playbook To Fight The Opioid Crisis
Doctors and pharmacists in Northern California are emulating drug company sales reps with a fresh purpose in mind: They visit medical offices in the hardest-hit counties to change their peers’ prescribing habits and curtail the use of painkillers.
Vaccine Shortage Complicates Efforts To Quell Hepatitis A Outbreaks
The two FDA-approved manufacturers of the vaccine, hit by an unexpected spike in demand, have had difficulty keeping pace. In San Diego County, home to the deadliest outbreak in the nation, officials are postponing a campaign to give at-risk residents the second of two doses.
Experts Explain Why Lead Found In Fidget Spinners Is No Idle Threat
Feeling fidgety about U.S. PIRG’s latest report? KHN gets experts to weigh in with their thoughts about the findings and consumers’ risks.
Breathing Fire: Health Is A Casualty Of Climate-Fueled Blazes
As the planet warms, wildfires such as the latest disastrous blazes in Northern California have increased in frequency and scope. Beyond the environmental effects, people suffer health repercussions that can be disabling and even deadly.
Grass-Roots Network Of Doctors Delivers Supplies To Puerto Rico
Borrowing a plane is part of these doctors’ duties.
California Cracks Down On Weed Killer As Lawsuits Abound
California has listed the active ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup as a cancer-causing agent and will require warning labels on it starting next year. The company says that the listing is unjustified and that science is on its side.
Sickle Cell Patients Suffer Discrimination, Poor Care — And Shorter Lives
People with the genetic blood disorder that mainly afflicts African-Americans can live into their 60s with competent care. So why is life expectancy slipping down to around age 40?
Poll: Americans Avoid Planning For Serious Illness
A majority of Americans say it’s important to write down their medical wishes in case of serious illness, but only a third have done so.
Stoked! Weed May Light The Flame For A Roll In The Hay
A new study of tens of thousands of Americans contradicts stereotypes that stoners have less sex.
Seeking A Peaceful Death Amid The Flames
During Northern California’s recent wildfires, dozens of hospice patients who had hoped to spend their last days in the comfort of their homes had to be relocated to evacuation shelters, assisted living facilities and relatives’ homes instead.
One Nurse Per 4,000 Pupils = Not The Healthiest Arrangement
School districts in California and around the country face a long-standing shortage of nurses, mostly because of tight budgets. But some districts are finding creative ways to reduce the problem.
Desperate Quest For Herpes Cure Launched ‘Rogue’ Trial
Patients flocked to researcher who ignored usual patient protections, as university claimed ignorance.
Hospitals Step In To Help House The Homeless. Will It Make A Difference?
They say it will help reduce unnecessary ER visits and ensure better follow-up care. It’s also good P.R., and helps them meet their obligations to provide benefits to the community in exchange for significant tax breaks.
Tending To Patients As Her New Home Burns
ICU nurse Julayne Smithson had only a few minutes to grab some things from her recently purchased home a block from the Santa Rosa hospital. Then she rushed back to help evacuate patients and has scarcely stopped working since.
Fires Prey On Frail Residents Living On Their Own
The ferocious fires in Northern California underscore the vulnerability of seniors and disabled people whose mobility is limited. Experts recommend basic precautions.
Giving Birth Is Hard Enough. Try It In The Middle Of A Wildfire.
Moms-to-be in labor had to be evacuated from Santa Rosa hospitals in the midst of the California wildfires.
Video: Health After A Hurricane
In this Kaiser Health News video conversation, senior correspondent Julie Appleby and Georges Benjamin, the executive director of the American Public Health Association, hold a wide-ranging discussion about the continuing public and environmental health issues resulting from Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria, as well as other natural disasters such as the wildfires ravaging California.
Your Grandma’s Guide To Grass: Calif. Rolls Out Website To Cut Through Cannabis Haze
Many Californians have been using pot for years, legally and illegally. But newbies, even Grandma, might benefit from a website that contains warnings about the risks.
Moms Of Children With Rare Genetic Illness Push For Wider Newborn Screening
California is one of only a handful of states nationwide that screens babies for the gene mutation that causes a rare brain disease — a test that dramatically increases a sick child’s chances of survival.
