Latest KFF Health News Stories
Women And The Zika Virus: Smart Questions And A Few Solid Answers
Here’s a breakdown of what women should know, and what is still unclear, regarding how Zika is transmitted, who is at risk and how to take precautions against it.
It’s In The Water: The Debate Over Fluoridation Lives On
Though fluoride has been added to water for decades, grass-roots opposition still pops up in towns and cities around the country.
Newly Covered By Medi-Cal, Undocumented Children Also Seek Dental Care
Some dental clinics are expanding their hours to meet demand, but can an already stressed system satisfy the needs of children who haven’t seen a dentist in years?
How Can Parents, Pediatricians Discuss Guns In The House?
Research suggests pediatricians shy away from the topic, but parents generally are open to discussing firearms in the context of safe storage.
Parents Often Battle To Get Their Children Mental Health Services At School
Kids with mental health problems often suffer anxiety, difficulty focusing and social challenges. Half of them drop out of high school, in part because many schools don’t manage to meet their needs.
Report: Hungry Teens Often Feel Responsibility To Help Feed The Family
After interviewing scores of teenagers, researchers report that many who face hunger are not aware of assistance programs or think they don’t qualify.
Trans And Adopted: Exploring Teen Identity
A Boston health clinic that treats transgender kids and teens finds that the percentage of its young patients who are adopted is higher than expected. These kids might need extra support, doctors say.
California Court Helps Kids By Healing Parents’ Addictions
The opioid epidemic may be fueling a rise in the number of children in foster care. But a special family court is trying to keep families together by treating parents with substance abuse problems.
Insurance Doesn’t Ensure Children Get Needed Visual Exams, Study Says
Researchers estimate thousands of children suffer two debilitating eye conditions because they don’t get proper exams while young.
Race, Ethnicity Affect Kids’ Access To Mental Health Care, Study Finds
An analysis in the International Journal of Health Services finds disparities between white young people and their black and Hispanic counterparts in how often they receive mental health treatment.
Study: 30 Percent Of Children’s Readmissions To Hospitals May Be Preventable
In more than three-quarters of the cases that researchers said might have been preventable, factors at the hospital contributed to the child’s return, according to the researchers.
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.
Soda Taxes: Gaining Steam Or Getting Steamrolled?
A staunch advocate of taxing sugary drinks discusses the benefits and difficulties of enacting such policies.
Hospital Finance Measure On California Ballot May Stump Voters
Proposition 52 would permanently enshrine a significant source of funding for hospitals and limit lawmakers’ ability to change it.
Doctors Get Creative To Distract Tech-Savvy Kids Before Surgery
Anxiety before surgery can be dangerous for kids. Medication can help calm them down. But an anesthesiologist in California has come up with a safer, cheaper and much more entertaining alternative.
Many Toddlers Fail To Get Necessary Medicaid Renewal At Their First Birthday
Infants born to women covered by Medicaid or CHIP may be automatically eligible for that insurance during their first year, but advocates say confusing rules and bureaucratic problems too often prevent an easy extension of that coverage.
Despite Federal Directive, Texas Denies Medicaid Coverage For An Autism Therapy
The state’s Medicaid program quit covering the expensive therapy, called applied behavioral analysis, leaving some families scrambling to afford the treatment.
Unintended Consequence: Blood Banks Could Feel The Squeeze From Zika Advisories
Public health officials are wrestling with how to safeguard and maintain blood bank reserves in the face of concerns that the Zika virus can be spread through transfusions.
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.
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.
