Latest News On Delaware

Latest KFF Health News Stories

Stimulant Users Are Caught in Fatal ‘Fourth Wave’ of Opioid Epidemic

KFF Health News Original

The migration of fentanyl into illicit stimulants such as cocaine is especially dangerous for people who are not regular opioid users. That’s because they have a low tolerance for opioids, putting them at greater risk of an overdose. They also often don’t take precautions — such as not using alone and carrying the opioid reversal medication naloxone — so they’re unprepared if they overdose.

California Sets 15% Target for Primary Care Spending Over Next Decade

KFF Health News Original

The state Office of Health Care Affordability has set a goal for insurers to direct 15% of their spending to primary care by 2034, part of a push to expand preventive care services. Health plans say it’s unclear how the policy will mesh with the state’s overarching goal to slow spending growth.

12 States Promised To Open the Books on Their Opioid Settlement Funds. We Checked Up on Them.

KFF Health News Original

Victims of the opioid crisis, health advocates, and public policy experts have repeatedly called on state and local governments to transparently report how they’re using the funds they are receiving from settlements with opioid makers and distributors.

Traveling To Die: The Latest Form of Medical Tourism

KFF Health News Original

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.

Urgent Care or ER? With ‘One-Stop Shop,’ Hospitals Offer Both Under Same Roof

KFF Health News Original

Hospitals in several states are partnering with a private equity-backed company to offer combined emergency and urgent care in a single building. But patients may not realize prices vary between the two services — often by a lot.

Why Long-Term Care Insurance Falls Short for So Many 

KFF Health News Original

The private insurance market has proved wildly inadequate in providing financial security for millions of older Americans, in part by underestimating how many policyholders would use their coverage.

As Younger Children Increasingly Die by Suicide, Better Tracking and Prevention Is Sought

KFF Health News Original

Decades-long systemic shortcomings have left suicide among children ages 5 to 11 poorly tracked and addressed. Now, as rates appear to be rising, advocates are strengthening efforts to screen for problems and prevent deaths in younger children.

Promising Better, Cheaper Care, Kaiser Permanente’s National Expansion Faces Wide Skepticism

KFF Health News Original

Kaiser Permanente, the California-based health care giant, is looking to dramatically expand its national presence. It’s committed $5 billion to a new unit called Risant Health and has agreed to acquire Pennsylvania-based Geisinger, but skeptics wonder how it will export its unique model to other states.

This Open Enrollment Season, Look Out for Health Insurance That Seems Too Good to Be True

KFF Health News Original

Complaints about misleading health insurance marketing are soaring. State insurance commissioners are taking notice. They’ve created a shared internal database to monitor questionable business practices, and, in the future, they hope to provide a public-facing resource for consumers. In the meantime, consumers should shop wisely as open enrollment season begins.

Mounting Covid Deaths Fuel School Bus Drivers’ Fears

KFF Health News Original

Since August, school bus drivers and monitors have died of covid-19 in at least 10 states, including Georgia and Florida. Masks are required on school buses, but enforcing the rules in districts without school mask mandates is especially hard to do.