Latest News On Health IT

Latest KFF Health News Stories

Officials Show Little Proof That New Tech Will Help Medicaid Enrollees Meet Work Rules

KFF Health News Original

The Trump administration says it’s developing a digital tool to help people prove they’re meeting new Medicaid work requirements. KFF Health News talked to officials from the two states running pilot programs and found little evidence of new — or effective — technology.

Trump calificó de “racista” la Ley de Equidad Digital. Ahora, el dinero para que la gente del campo tenga internet ha desaparecido

KFF Health News Original

Políticos, investigadores, bibliotecarios y defensores afirmaron que la desfinanciación de los programas de banda ancha, pone en peligro los esfuerzos para ayudar a los residentes rurales y desfavorecidos a participar en la economía moderna y llevar una vida más saludable.

Senators Press Deloitte, Other Contractors on Errors in Medicaid Eligibility Systems

KFF Health News Original

As contractors position themselves to cash in on a gush of new business managing Medicaid work requirements, a cadre of senators has launched an inquiry into the companies paid billions to build eligibility systems.

AI Will Soon Have a Say in Approving or Denying Medicare Treatments

KFF Health News Original

A pilot program testing the use of artificial intelligence to expand prior authorization decisions in Medicare has providers, politicians, and researchers questioning Trump administration promises to curb an unpopular practice that has frustrated patients and their doctors.

As the Trump Administration and States Push Health Data Sharing, Familiar Challenges Surface

KFF Health News Original

Despite billions of tax dollars and two decades of effort invested in improving health care data sharing, Americans’ medical records often remain siloed, leading to duplicate testing, increased costs, and wasted time for patients and doctors.

KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': On Capitol Hill, RFK Defends Firings at CDC

Podcast

A combative Robert F. Kennedy Jr, the U.S. secretary of health and human services, appeared before a Senate committee Thursday, defending his firing of the newly confirmed director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as well as other changes that could limit the availability of vaccines. Meanwhile, Congress has only a few weeks to complete work on annual spending bills to avoid a possible government shutdown and to ward off potentially large increases in premiums for Affordable Care Act health plans. Jessie Hellmann of CQ Roll Call, Sarah Karlin-Smith of Pink Sheet, and Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews KFF Health News’ Tony Leys, who discusses his “Bill of the Month” report about a woman’s unfortunate interaction with a bat — and her even more unfortunate interaction with the bill for her rabies prevention treatment.

Social Security Praises Its New Chatbot. Ex-Officials Say It Was Tested but Shelved Under Biden.

KFF Health News Original

Social Security, under the leadership of a tech enthusiast, rolled out an artificial intelligence-powered chatbot to answer calls. But as beneficiaries complain about glitches, lawmakers and former officials ask whether it’s a preview of a less human agency at which rushed-out AI takes the place of pushed-out government workers.

‘A Fear Pandemic’: Immigration Raids Push Patients Into Telehealth

KFF Health News Original

With intensified immigration enforcement in California, community clinics serving Latino and immigrant populations say they’ve noticed an increase in appointment cancellations and telehealth usage. But, as the covid-19 pandemic showed, accessing the necessary technology can be a challenge and virtual appointments can take a person’s health care only so far.

Trump Team’s Reworking Delays Billions in Broadband Build-Out

KFF Health News Original

A Trump administration reworking of a $42 billion broadband expansion program will trigger delays as millions of rural Americans wait for promised connections and the telehealth services they bring.

Watch: In a ‘Dead Zone,’ Doctors Don’t Practice and Telehealth Doesn’t Reach

KFF Health News Original

Chief rural health correspondent Sarah Jane Tribble explains how millions of rural Americans live in counties with doctor shortages and where high-speed internet connections aren’t adequate to access advanced telehealth services.

Call Centers Replaced Many Doctors’ Receptionists. Now, AI Is Coming for Call Centers.

KFF Health News Original

Artificial intelligence products with lifelike voices are being marketed to schedule or cancel medical visits, refill prescriptions, and help triage patients. Soon, many patients might initiate contact with the health system by speaking not with a human but with AI.