Latest KFF Health News Stories
Details On Death Certificates Offer Layers Of Clues To Opioid Epidemic
Deaths from opioid overdoses are on the rise, and we know that because of data on death certificates. States determine who fills them out and what information they record. And that can vary widely.
Young People At Risk For STDs Often Don’t Get Tested: Study
A CDC survey of teens and young adults finds that nearly half who have had sex but not been tested for disease believe they are not at risk. Yet young people account for half of all new sexually transmitted infections.
Study Of Birth Defects, Folic Acid In Foods Finds More Questions Than Answers
But the authors caution against concluding that folic acid is ineffective.
Georgia Women Weigh Zika Risks As Mosquito Season Arrives
The CDC is advising pregnant women, especially in the South, to take some precautions to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes that could carry the Zika virus. So far, Zika cases in Georgia are linked to travel, not bites.
‘Walking Wounded’ Share Jarring Stories For No-Smoking Campaign
But reaching Spanish speakers might take some extra effort.
Questions Emerge About The Impact Of State Autism Insurance Mandates
New research finds that the impact of these mandates varies because of differences in states’ coverage requirements and the availability of treatment options.
States Urged To Reduce Pregnancy-Related Deaths
States are being asked to collect data on the deaths of pregnant women and new mothers to determine how to reduce maternal mortality rates.
FAQ: How The FDA’s New Tobacco Rule Affects Consumers
The FDA expands its purview over all tobacco products — including e-cigarettes, cigars, pipe tobacco — but the new regulatory process could permit many products sold in the U.S. to remain so for up to three years.
Counterfeit Opioid Poisonings Spread To Bay Area
Vomiting, breathing problems, lethargy, unconsciousness result from pirate pills laced with fentanyl.
At Teaching Hospitals, Aggressive Screening May Lead To Medicare Penalties
Nearly half of academic medical centers will be penalized by the government this year for high rates of infections and other avoidable complications, but the hospitals say it shows they screen better for problems.
Health officials want shopping malls to be fitness centers for seniors. Level surfaces, a safe environment and plenty of places to stop and rest make an ideal place for walking.
Needle Exchanges Can Now Get Federal Funding
Proponents hail the change in policy but say it doesn’t go far enough because federal dollars cannot be used to buy syringes.
Are States Obligated To Provide Expensive Hepatitis C Drugs?
New hepatitis C drugs boast cure rates of at least 95 percent. But states are restricting their use for Medicaid patients and prisoners because the cost is so high.
Research Gives Context To Addressing Nation’s Drug Abuse Crisis, Review Finds
As presidential candidates, state officials and even President Barack Obama wrestle with how to handle drug addiction, scientists lay out some of the intersections between opioid prescriptions and heroin abuse in the New England Journal of Medicine, including findings that crackdowns on opioid prescriptions may not fuel increases in heroin use.
Hospitals Step Up To Help Seniors Avoid Falls
Falls are the leading cause of injuries for adults older than 65, but they don’t have to happen. A number of new initiatives are designed to make seniors stronger and less likely to take a tumble.
Medicare Payment Changes Lead More Men To Get Screening Colonoscopies
The health law waived Medicare’s Part B deductible and dropped the 20 percent copayment for the preventive tests.
Where Are STDs Rampant? Google Wants To Help Researchers Find Out
Google is sharing search data with academic teams and other public health researchers to try to fight the spread of infectious diseases.
Nursing Homes’ Residents Face Health Risks From Antibiotics’ Misuse
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urges homes to improve their policies in fight against antibiotic-resistant superbugs.
Kids With Ebola? Texas Children’s Hospital Is Ready If It Happens In U.S.
One of the 55 hospitals nationwide that the CDC named as future “Ebola treatment centers” is Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston. One year after the first confirmed case of Ebola in the U.S., the hospital is about to open a new eight-bed biocontainment wing — the only one of its kind for children in the country.
Ouch! Vaccination Rates for Older Adults Falling Short
Millions of Americans over 60 are risking illnesses by skipping their shots.
