Latest KFF Health News Stories
The Ads Say ‘Get Your Flu Shot Today,’ But It May Be Wiser To Wait
The flu vaccine is available for longer windows of time. Experts say to weigh convenience and science in deciding when to roll up your sleeve.
Geographic, Racial Disparities In Stroke Treatment Tracked In New Study
Patients living in the Northeast are more than twice as likely to get a powerful drug than those in the Midwest or South and African-Americans were 26 percent less likely to get the medicine, a study in the journal Neurology finds.
CDC Deploys New Rapid Response Teams To Fight Zika
Based on lessons learned in the 2014 Ebola outbreak, the federal agency has designated teams to help identify patients and health care workers who have been exposed to the virus.
Shhh! America’s Most Common Workplace Injury Is Hearing Loss
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, hearing loss is the most common work-related injury with approximately 22 million workers exposed annually to hazardous levels of occupational noise. The Department of Labor has issued a challenge to find new ways to turn down the volume.
A Young Woman Dies, A Teen Is Saved After Amoebas Infect The Brain
In Florida, perfect timing and alert medical staff saved a teen from almost certain death. But in North Carolina, one young woman died of an amoeba infection after rafting at a popular tourist site.
Children Exposed To Hepatitis C May Be Missing Out On Treatment
Hepatitis C can be passed from mothers to babies, but it often is not diagnosed until much later in a person’s life. Specialists are debating new screening practices to catch the disease earlier.
CDC Urges Doctors To Aggressively Test Pregnant Women For Zika
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also directs that all pregnant women in the U.S. and its territories should be “assessed for possible Zika virus exposure” whenever they get a prenatal care visit.
Montana’s ‘Pain Refugees’ Leave State To Get Prescribed Opioids
With rising awareness of opioid abuse, some pain patients say doctors are less likely to prescribe them. One Montana sufferer goes to great lengths to get his prescription — he flies to California.
How A Caribbean Island Became Prime Source Of U.S. Zika Cases
Many Dominican Republic immigrants in Florida and New York City brought Zika home after visiting the island, one of many destinations outside the U.S. where Zika has been active, say public health officials.
Mike Pence’s Health Policy Record Is A Mixed Bag
As governor of Indiana, Mike Pence expanded Medicaid with conservative tweaks, responded to an HIV outbreak with a limited needle-exchange program and signed one of the most restrictive abortion laws in the country.
Hispanics Least Prepared For A Major Disaster In Los Angeles
Only 38 percent of Latino households have a disaster plan, the lowest of any ethnic or racial group.
NIH’s Fauci On Combating Zika: ‘You Have To Have The Resources To Act Quickly’
Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, recently spoke with KHN’s Carmen Heredia Rodriguez about vaccine development and the ongoing fight in Congress over emergency funding.
Patients Sometimes Take Antibiotics Without Consulting A Doctor, Study Finds
Instead of getting a doctor’s prescription, these patients opt to use leftover, unfinished medication from previous ailments.
Zika Traveling Tips: Some Issues To Consider
Organizations ranging from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to the Pan American Health Organization offer a range of resources regarding the Zika virus to help keep travelers safe and informed about risks.
For This Man, Reducing Gun Violence Is A Life’s Mission
Garen Wintemute, an ER doctor, gun violence researcher and advocate of tighter firearms restrictions, finds opportunity in the wake of mass shootings like the one that struck an Orlando night club last month.
Most Americans Want More Federal Money To Stop Zika: Poll
Almost two-thirds say federal funds should help women in Zika-affected areas get access to abortion, family planning and contraception services, a new Kaiser Family Foundation survey finds.
Doctors Wrestle With Mixed Messages When Deciding Whether To Prescribe Painkillers
Though the CDC’s new prescribing guidelines follow a theme of less is more, another federal agency’s patient satisfaction surveys include questions about pain management that some say encourage doctors to prescribe the highly addictive medicines.
Flu-Miffed: Piecing Together Clues On How FluMist Lost Its Place In The Flu-Fighting Toolbox
After once being considered a preferred vaccine option for children, a CDC advisory panel recommended the spray should not be used in the upcoming flu season.
A Primer: How The Fight Against Zika Might Be Funded
The Senate approved an amendment to a must-pass appropriations bill that provides $1.1 billion to combat the virus’s spread. A separate House proposal, which has drawn a veto threat from the White House, is also pending and it is not clear how they might compromise. But public health advocates say efforts are needed soon to fight the mosquito-based disease.
As Childhood Diabetes Rates Rise, So Do Costs — And Families Feel The Pinch: Study
Researchers estimated that a year’s worth of care for kids with diabetes cost more than $17,000.
