Latest KFF Health News Stories
This Bill Aims To Help Firefighters With Cancer. Getting It Passed Is Just the Beginning.
Amid the Los Angeles wildfires, California’s U.S. senators cosponsored legislation that would provide support to first responders who develop or die from service-related cancers. But those involved with similar efforts say the road to implementation is rough and paved with long waits, restrictive eligibility requirements, and funding issues.
Scientists Say NIH Officials Told Them To Scrub mRNA References on Grants
Two senior scientists say National Institutes of Health officials advised them to remove references to mRNA vaccines in grant applications, and they fear the Trump administration will abandon a promising field of medical research.
Some CT Scans Deliver Too Much Radiation, Researchers Say. Regulators Want To Know More.
Unnecessarily high radiation doses in scans have been linked to cancers. Under new federal rules, doctors and imaging centers have to more closely track and report the doses of radiation that patients receive.
How the FDA Opens the Door to Risky Chemicals in America’s Food Supply
The FDA has relied on food companies for decades to determine whether their ingredients are safe. Some chemicals and additives are tied to health risks while others are absent from product labels.
Future of Cancer Coverage for Women Federal Firefighters Uncertain Under Trump
In the waning days of the Biden administration, the Labor Department added ovarian, uterine, cervical, and breast cancer coverage for wildland firefighters. It’s unclear whether the new protections will stick under Trump.
KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': New Year, New Congress, New Health Agenda
Health is unlikely to be a top priority for the new GOP-led 119th Congress and President-elect Donald Trump. But it’s likely to play a key supporting role, with an abortion bill already scheduled for debate in the Senate. Meanwhile, it’s unclear when and how the new Congress will deal with the bipartisan bills jettisoned from the previous Congress’ year-end omnibus measure — including a major deal to rein in the power of pharmacy benefit managers. In this “catch up on all the news you missed” episode, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Shefali Luthra of The 19th, and Lauren Weber of The Washington Post join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more.
Helene and CVS Land Double Whammy for 25,000 Patients Who Survive on IV Nutrition
A Massachusetts woman ended up stranded in the hospital because CVS stopped providing the IV nutrition she needs to survive at home. Without it, she’d starve.
Breast Cancer Rises Among Asian American and Pacific Islander Women
Asian American and Pacific Islander women once had a relatively low rate of breast cancer diagnoses. Now, researchers are scrambling to understand why it’s rising at a faster pace than those of many other racial and ethnic groups.
Traveling To Die: The Latest Form of Medical Tourism
Medical aid in death is legal in 10 states and the District of Columbia. But only Oregon and Vermont explicitly allow out-of-state people who are terminally ill to die with assistance there. So far, at least 49 people have made the trek while state legislation stalls elsewhere.
Viajar para morir: la última forma de turismo médico
La muerte asistida sigue siendo un tema controversial. Es un derecho, o no se permite, dependiendo del estado en donde se viva.
Small-Town Patients Face Big Hurdles as Rural Hospitals Cut Cancer Care
For rural patients, getting cancer treatment close to home has always been difficult. And now chemotherapy deserts are expanding across the United States as hospitals winnow services to save money, creating financial and logistical hurdles for people seeking lifesaving care.
Journalists Talk Cost of Weight Loss Drugs and Lack of Obesity Doctors to Manage Their Use
KFF Health News and California Healthline staff made the rounds on national and local media this week to discuss topical stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances.
Amgen Plows Ahead With Costly, Highly Toxic Cancer Dosing Despite FDA Challenge
The FDA told Amgen to test whether a quarter-dose of its lung cancer drug worked as well as the amount recommended on the product label. It did and with fewer side effects. But Amgen is sticking to the higher dose — which earns it an additional $180,000 a year per patient.
Una prueba genética podría salvar la vida de cientos de pacientes en quimioterapia
Estos tipos de quimioterapia comunes son difíciles de tolerar en general, pero para los pacientes que tienen deficiencia de una enzima que metaboliza la droga, puede ser una tortura o causar la muerte.
City-Country Mortality Gap Widens Amid Persistent Holes in Rural Health Care Access
People in their prime working years living in rural America are 43% more likely to die of natural causes, like diseases, than their urban counterparts, a disparity that grew rapidly in recent decades, according to a new federal report.
Overdosing on Chemo: A Common Gene Test Could Save Hundreds of Lives Each Year
The FDA and some oncologists have resisted efforts to require a quick, cheap gene test that could prevent thousands of deaths from a bad reaction to a common cancer drug.
En California, la cobertura de salud ampliada a inmigrantes choca con las revisiones de Medicaid
El proceso de redeterminación ha afectado de forma desproporcionada a los latinos, que constituyen la mayoría de los beneficiarios de Medi-Cal.
California’s Expanded Health Coverage for Immigrants Collides With Medicaid Reviews
A state policy to extend Medi-Cal to qualified Californians without legal residency is running up against a federal requirement to resume eligibility checks. The redetermination process is causing many Latinos, who make up a majority of Medi-Cal beneficiaries, to be disenrolled.
Operating in the Red: Half of Rural Hospitals Lose Money, as Many Cut Services
A recent report finds half of America’s rural hospitals are losing money, and many are struggling to stay open. Researchers and advocates worry the hospitals’ financial spiral will have immediate and long-term health effects on their communities.
Toxic Gas That Sterilizes Medical Devices Prompts Safety Rule Update
The Environmental Protection Agency is tightening regulation of ethylene oxide, a carcinogenic gas used to sterilize medical devices. The agency is trying to balance the interests of the health care industry supply chain with those of communities where the gas creates airborne health risks.
