Latest News On Doctors

Latest KFF Health News Stories

ER Doctors Call Private Equity Staffing Practices Illegal and Seek to Ban Them

KFF Health News Original

Doctors, consumer advocates, and some lawmakers are looking forward to a California lawsuit against private equity-backed Envision Healthcare. The case is part of a multistate effort to enforce rules banning corporate ownership of physician practices.

Medicare Pay Cuts Will Hurt Seniors’ Care, Doctors Argue

KFF Health News Original

New reductions in Medicare payments in 2023 will drive more doctors away from accepting Medicare patients, physicians say. They are again pushing back on efforts largely designed to control government spending.

The Official Who Investigates Suspicious Deaths in Your Town May Be a Doctor — Or Not

KFF Health News Original

Across the country, there are no consistent requirements for the officials who investigate suspicious and unexpected deaths. Some have no medical training, others are doctors trained in forensic pathology. Washington, California, Illinois, and Georgia are among the states that have recently attempted to make changes — with mixed success.

How Medicare Advantage Plans Dodged Auditors and Overcharged Taxpayers by Millions

KFF Health News Original

Facing rare scrutiny from federal auditors, some Medicare Advantage health plans failed to produce any records to justify their payments, government records show. The audits revealed millions of dollars in overcharges to Medicare over three years.

As Giant Hospitals Get Bigger, an Independent Doctor Feels the Pinch

KFF Health News Original

Independent medical practices keep closing as doctors join behemoth hospital groups or leave the field. Research suggests that’s bad news for patients. Studies repeatedly conclude that consolidation in the health care industry is driving up costs while showing no clear evidence of improved care.

Hospitals Have Been Slow to Bring On Addiction Specialists

KFF Health News Original

Hospitals have specialists ready to offer consult and care for concerns from cancer to childbirth but often no one with expertise in addiction medicine. Patients with a history of substance use — who are discharged without care — are at risk for overdose.

Watch: Meet the Latest Fact-Checker — Your Doctor

KFF Health News Original

KHN’s Mary Agnes Carey talks with American Medical Association President Dr. Jack Resneck Jr. about how misinformation affects doctors and their daily efforts to treat patients.

Medical Coding Creates Barriers to Care for Transgender Patients

KFF Health News Original

The codes used by U.S. medical providers to bill insurers haven’t caught up to the needs of trans patients or even international standards. Consequently, doctors are forced to get creative with what codes they use, or patients spend hours fighting big out-of-pocket bills.

Indiana’s New Abortion Ban May Drive Some Young OB-GYNs to Leave a State Where They’re Needed

KFF Health News Original

Dr. Caitlin Bernard, an Indiana OB-GYN, was publicly vilified for providing an abortion to a 10-year-old rape victim. That treatment and new abortion restrictions in the state have left some medical residents reconsidering whether they will practice in Indiana.

Because of Texas Abortion Law, Her Wanted Pregnancy Became a Medical Nightmare

KFF Health News Original

A Houston woman was 18 weeks pregnant when her water broke. That means her fetus had virtually no chance of survival, and she was at risk of an infection that could threaten her future fertility and even her life. Following Texas’ law, the hospital made her wait until she was showing signs of serious infection to terminate the pregnancy.