Latest KFF Health News Stories
In ‘Stealth Move,’ Mich. Refines Vaccine Waivers, Improves Rate Among Kids
A whooping cough and measles outbreak prompted lawmakers to require parents to personally meet with health officials before a waiver can be granted.
Tracking Air Quality Block By Block
An environmental advocacy group plans to install 100 pollution sensors at homes, schools and businesses in the congested area near the Port of Oakland to capture variations in the level of diesel contaminants.
Another Circle Of Hell: Surviving Opioids In The Fentanyl Era
Unlike heroin, fentanyl routinely shuts down breathing in seconds, and it’s becoming more common.
March Madness Vasectomies Encourage Guys To Take One For The Team
Some urologists use March Madness as an opportunity to market vasectomy services, offering men the excuse to sit on the sofa for three days to watch college basketball while they recover.
Lead Poisoning’s Lifelong Toll Includes Lowering Social Mobility, Researchers Find
Research published today suggests childhood lead exposure, which affects half a million children and which the CDC has been deemed a major public concern, doesn’t just impact cognitive development but also undermines class mobility.
Experimental Stem Cell Treatment Leaves Three Women Blind
Researchers, who detail the women’s experiences in the New England Journal of Medicine, say it exposes the need for better regulation of clinical trials.
Dentists Work To Ease Patients’ Pain With Fewer Opioids
Dentistry is at a crossroads and many in the field are reassessing their narcotics prescribing habits.
Sprint To Find Zika Vaccine Could Hinge On Summer Outbreaks
In a paradox, researchers say testing for a vaccine will depend on the outbreak recurring this year.
California Reports Thousands Of Workers Exposed To Elevated Lead Levels
More than 6,000 workers had levels in their blood that could lead to heart, kidney or cognitive disease, according to state findings.
Spreading The Word About HIV Prevention For African-American Women
African-American women are more likely to be infected with HIV than other women. So the District of Columbia is launching an effort to inform them about PrEP, medication that can reduce their risk.
Aid-in-Dying Laws Don’t Guarantee That Patients Can Choose To Die
In California, Colorado and four other states, many hospitals, health systems and doctors just say no.
ACA Repeal Threatens A Black Lung Provision Popular In Coal Country
The Affordable Care Act simplified and speeded up the complex process that allows coal miners who have black lung to get special benefits. Many in coal country want this reform to stay if the rest of the law is repealed.
Athlete-Turned-Trucker Works To Improve Truckers’ Health
Once an elite swimmer and a Yale grad, Siphiwe Baleka now coaches 3,000 fellow truckers on the best ways to work out, eat right and stay connected on the road. Drivers say his wellness plan works.
California Aims To Boost Worker Safety, One Nail Salon At A Time
Effort asks salon owners to voluntarily improve air quality and use less toxic chemicals.
Advocacy Group Pushes For Changes In U.S. Food Assistance Program
The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, which eschews meat and pushes for nutrition to have a stronger influence in health policy, is suggesting alterations in how food aid to low income people is structured.
Health Claims On The Rise For Kids With Type 2 Diabetes, Obesity-Related Conditions
An analysis of claims data from 60 health insurers found a significant increase in the amount of treatments sought by young people for conditions traditionally associated with older people, such as high blood pressure and sleep apnea.
In Search Of A Vaccine To Vanquish The Plague
The scourge of the Middle Ages could still be pretty scary as a bioterrorism weapon, so scientists are trying to find a way to immunize people against it.
In Puerto Rico, The Joy Of Pregnancy Is Tempered By Fear Of Zika
Because of the fears about devastating birth defects, carrying a child to term can be daunting for women in the commonwealth.
A Peer Recovery Coach Walks The Frontlines Of The Opioid Epidemic
Charlie Oen was addicted to heroin as a teenager. At 25, he’s now clean and a peer counselor in Lima, Ohio, where he tries to help people who started using drugs before he was born.
Offering Syringes Along With Prayers, Churches Help IV Drug Users
Some churches and other faith-based organizations are offering clean syringes to IV drug users, while still others are voicing their support for comprehensive treatment, testing and education programs that also help stem transmission of diseases like HIV and hepatitis C.
