Latest News On Disparities

Latest KFF Health News Stories

Democrats Say Abortion Is on the Line in Recall Election. But Rolling Back Rights Wouldn’t Be Easy.

KFF Health News Original

Reproductive rights groups and Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom argue that Californians’ access to abortion would be threatened if he is recalled. But a replacement governor’s power to restrict access to the procedure would be limited.

Pandemia revela una creciente crisis de suicidios en comunidades de color

KFF Health News Original

Entrevistas con una docena de investigadores del suicidio, datos recopilados de todos los estados, y una revisión de décadas de investigación revelaron que el suicidio es una crisis creciente para las comunidades de color, que ya estaba impactando antes de la pandemia, y que se ha agravado desde entonces.

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Becerra Urges Congress to Expand Medicare, Address Rx Prices

KFF Health News Original

Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra is the special guest for this bonus episode of KHN’s “What the Health?” podcast. He and host Julie Rovner discuss a breadth of topics the secretary oversees, including covid-19, prescription drug prices, Medicare, Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act.

California Lawmakers Push Feds to Allow a Therapy That Pays Meth Users to Abstain

KFF Health News Original

The approach, known as contingency management, has helped thousands of veterans kick the methedrine habit, but a federal government ruling has limited its use. California hopes to challenge that and make the treatment a Medi-Cal benefit.

La esperanza de vida de los hispanos y afroamericanos ha sufrido la peor baja desde la Segunda Guerra Mundial

KFF Health News Original

La pandemia proyectará una larga sombra sobre la salud estadounidense, lo que hará que millones de personas vivan más enfermas y mueran más jóvenes debido a las crecientes tasas de pobreza, hambre e inseguridad en la vivienda.

At Texas Border, Pandemic’s High Toll Lays Bare Gaps in Health and Insurance

KFF Health News Original

In Texas’ border communities, which are overwhelmingly Hispanic, covid-19 death rates for people under age 65 were double those in the rest of the state and three times the national average. They were also significantly higher than rates in New Mexico border areas.

Hospitals, Insurers Invest Big Dollars to Tackle Patients’ Social Needs

KFF Health News Original

Eager to control costs, health systems and insurers are trying to address patients’ social needs such as food insecurity, transportation and housing. Yet, after years of testing, there’s slim evidence these efforts pay off.

Violent Colorado Arrest Puts Spotlight on How Police Treat Disabled People

KFF Health News Original

Criminal charges filed against two officers who injured a Colorado woman with dementia don’t address the fact that police often lack the skills to effectively deal with suspects with mental disabilities.

In Mental Health Crises, a 911 Call Now Brings a Mixed Team of Helpers — And Maybe No Cops

KFF Health News Original

More communities are creating teams of health care providers to respond to mental health crises instead of cops, a shift propelled by nationwide demonstrations against police brutality. But the shapes of those mobile crisis response teams vary because the movement is still in an experimental stage.

Farmworkers Recall Mistreatment as Colorado Aims to Guarantee Medical Access

KFF Health News Original

Agricultural workers living in employer-owned housing can have trouble getting health care. It’s symptomatic of bigger gaps in worker protections that the pandemic spotlighted, say proponents of a newly passed Colorado bill for farmworker rights.

Kidney Experts Say It’s Time to Remove Race From Medical Algorithms. Doing So Is Complicated.

KFF Health News Original

When estimating how well a patient’s kidneys are working, doctors frequently turn to an equation that depends on a question: Is the patient Black? Kidney experts are now debating how to remove the race adjustment and whether the question is a function of sound science. It’s considered just the first step in dismantling institutional racism in kidney care.