Latest KFF Health News Stories
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.
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.
Florida’s Mosquito Control Forces Mobilize Against Zika Threat
Local mosquito control authorities prepare spray-and-trap offensive to halt Zika-carrying mosquitos in damp breeding grounds.
Gaps In Women’s Health Care May Derail Zika Prevention In Texas, Florida
In these two high-risk states, public health workers face challenges in educating women about the virus and minimizing its impact.
Lights Out: Some Children’s Hospitals Take Steps To Ensure A Good Night’s Sleep
Because of the important role sleep plays in healing, a trend is emerging in which children’s hospitals are reorganizing their workflow to help their young patients sleep through the night.
California’s Glaring Shortage Of School Nurses
A new national pediatric guideline proposes that every school have a nurse on staff. In California, 57 percent of school districts do not employ nurses.
Study Of Birth Defects, Folic Acid In Foods Finds More Questions Than Answers
But the authors caution against concluding that folic acid is ineffective.
Health Coverage Rates For Lower Income Children Improving
Although Medicaid and CHIP were already helping many children get insurance, the implementation of the health law has improved coverage.
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.
Cities Begin To Count The Scars Of Childhood, And Try To Prevent New Damage
A class action lawsuit in Los Angeles and a task force in Memphis both try to counter the “adverse childhood events” that impair health and well-being.
Medi-Cal se expande para los niños inmigrantes. Así es como funciona
Entrará en vigencia una nueva ley del programa estatal de cuidado de salud de bajos ingresos para los niños en EE.UU. sin papeles.
