Latest KFF Health News Stories
For Seniors, Teeth Need Care — But Insurance Coverage Is Rare
Traditional Medicare does not cover most dental needs and the private Medicare Advantage plans often have limited coverage, leaving most seniors struggling to pay for dental care out of pocket.
Staying Out Of The Closet In Old Age
Many aging gays and lesbians who have lived openly for decades are finding that the world of assisted living and nursing homes can be decidedly less accommodating.
Geographic, Racial Disparities In Stroke Treatment Tracked In New Study
Patients living in the Northeast are more than twice as likely to get a powerful drug than those in the Midwest or South and African-Americans were 26 percent less likely to get the medicine, a study in the journal Neurology finds.
Lack Of Medicaid Expansion Hurts Rural Hospitals More Than Urban Facilities
Researchers writing in Health Affairs report that decisions by 19 states to not expand the program for low-income residents could be hurting the financial stability of rural hospitals.
Attending To The ‘Human Element’ Is Key To Keeping Patients Healthy
Research to be published in full this fall details how medicine’s “implicit bias” — whether real or perceived — undermines the doctor-patient relationship and the well-being of racial and ethnic minorities as well as lower-income patients.
Baltimore Draws 10-Year Blueprint To Cut Racial Health Disparities
Officials aim to bring elevated rates of lead poisoning, heart disease, obesity, smoking and overdoses among Baltimore’s African-Americans closer to those of whites.
Screening Positive For Depression Doesn’t Mean You’ll Get Treatment, Study Finds
A study in JAMA Internal Medicine suggests that patients known as the “worried well” are actually the highest utilizers of mental health care — and likely to receive antidepressants.
‘More At Peace’: Interpreters Key To Easing Patients’ Final Days
But more training is needed for such translators to do their jobs well, without miscommunications and misunderstandings.
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.
Genetic Insights About Health Risks Limited By Lack Of Diversity, Study Finds
A study in the New England Journal of Medicine detailed how the diagnoses of risk for a common hereditary heart disease may have been skewed because studies have traditionally had low numbers of black participants.
Medical Providers Try Uber, Lyft For Patients With Few Transportation Options
Some hospitals and other medical providers are experimenting with ride-hailing services to help patients without access to cars get to their appointments.
‘Lost In Translation:’ Hospitals’ Language Service Capacity Doesn’t Always Match Need
A study in Health Affairs finds that nationwide hospital-based language services are not available in a systematic way.
In Later Years, Disabilities End Blacks’ Active Lives Sooner Than Whites’
Elderly black women suffer most from shorter active life expectancy free of disabilities, showing no improvement since the early 1980s, Health Affairs study finds.
Hispanics Least Prepared For A Major Disaster In Los Angeles
Only 38 percent of Latino households have a disaster plan, the lowest of any ethnic or racial group.
For Many In Baltimore’s Growing Latino Community, Health Care Is A Challenge
Many immigrants lack access to affordable services due to lack of citizenship and legal residency.
Health Care’s Hard Realities On The Reservation: A Photo Essay
For American Indians on the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation in South Dakota, getting health care can be a weeks-long proposition, and it has some moving away from their homes and families seeking better access.
Latino Youth In California See Significant Rise In Psychiatric Hospitalizations
Some experts say the 86 percent increase in psychiatric hospitalizations since 2007 means preventive care is seriously lacking; others believe reduced stigma has led more kids to accept help.
