Latest KFF Health News Stories
Indiana State Senator Moves To Scrap Hospital Monopoly Law He Helped Create
After rival hospitals in Terre Haute scuttled plans to merge, a state senator has introduced a bill to forbid similar mergers by repealing a state law he helped write.
Obamacare Sign-Ups Lag After Trump Election, Legal Challenges
The number of new and returning enrollees using healthcare.gov — the federal marketplace that serves 31 states — is well below last year’s as of early December. Also, a Biden administration push to give “Dreamers” access to Obamacare coverage and subsidies is facing court challenges.
How Are States Spending Opioid Settlement Cash? We Built a Database of Answers
From addiction treatment to toy robot ambulances, we uncovered how billions in opioid settlement funds were used by state and local governments in 2022 and 2023. Find out where the money went.
Federal Judge Halts Dreamers’ Brand-New Access to ACA Enrollment in 19 States
A federal judge sided with 19 states seeking an injunction against a Biden administration rule allowing recipients of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals to enroll in Affordable Care Act coverage and qualify for subsidies amid the annual open enrollment period.
9 States Poised To End Coverage for Millions if Trump Cuts Medicaid Funding
About 3.7 million people are at immediate risk of losing health coverage should the federal government cut funding for Medicaid expansions, as some allies of President-elect Donald Trump have proposed. Coverage could be at risk in the 40 states that have expanded Medicaid.
Si Trump recorta fondos, millones de personas en nueve estados podrían perder Medicaid
Los estados son Arizona, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Montana, New Hampshire, Carolina del Norte, Utah y Virginia.
Indiana Hospitals Pull Merger Application After Pushback Over Monopoly Concerns
Two Indiana hospital rivals withdrew their application to merge after facing pushback from the Federal Trade Commission and the public.
FTC, Indiana Residents Pressure State To Block Hospital Merger
Hundreds of people and the Federal Trade Commission weighed in on a proposed hospital merger in Terre Haute, Indiana, with most arguing that the creation of a monopoly would increase costs and worsen patient care.
For People With Opioid Addiction, Medicaid ‘Unwinding’ Raises the Stakes
Medications such as methadone can cut the risk of a fatal opioid overdose in half. Medicaid covers the medication. But as state Medicaid programs reevaluated coverage of each enrollee following a pause in disenrollments during the covid-19 pandemic, some patients lost a crucial pillar of their sobriety.
An Arm and a Leg: ‘Baby Steps’ in the Fight Against Facility Fees
An extra $99 fee on top of a copay for a checkup didn’t sit right with a listener. Turns out, state legislators across the country aren’t buying it either.
Urgent Care or ER? With ‘One-Stop Shop,’ Hospitals Offer Both Under Same Roof
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.
Colorado Dropped Medicaid Enrollees as Red States Have, Alarming Advocates for the Poor
Colorado defended its high disenrollment rates following the covid crisis by saying that what goes up must come down. Advocates and researchers disagree.
Why the Election May Slow Plans To Replace Lead Pipes
Lead in drinking water is a known danger. But how many of the country’s estimated 9 million lead service lines need to be replaced — and how quickly — is subject to debate. The clock is ticking on two competing plans as the election looms.
Two Rival Hospitals Want To Join Forces. Will Patients Lose?
In Terre Haute, Ind., two rival hospitals want to merge, a move that supporters say will save patients money and help people live longer. But similar hospital consolidations in Tennessee, Virginia and North Carolina have resulted in government reports documenting diminished care. In more than a dozen states, certificates of public advantage (COPAs) permit deals […]
Experts: US Hospitals Prone to Cyberattacks Like One That Hurt Patient Care at Ascension
Clinicians working for Ascension hospitals in multiple states described harrowing lapses, including delayed or lost lab results, medication errors, and an absence of routine safety checks to prevent potentially fatal mistakes.
Indiana Weighs Hospital Monopoly as Officials Elsewhere Scrutinize Similar Deals
If Indiana officials approve a proposed hospital merger in western Indiana in the coming months, the state will have its first hospital monopoly created by a “Certificate of Public Advantage.” Other such deals have resulted in government reports documenting diminished care in Tennessee and North Carolina.
Investigan si los armadillos son responsables de la propagación de la lepra en Florida
La región central de Florida es un foco crítico de esta antigua enfermedad, lo que desconcierta a los científicos que están analizando el fenómeno.
The Case of the Armadillo: Is It Spreading Leprosy in Florida?
A single Central Florida county reported 13% of all U.S. leprosy cases in 2020. Researchers have teamed up to investigate whether armadillos are passing the bacteria that cause the disease to humans — which is especially concerning as the animals expand their range farther north.
FDA Said It Never Inspected Dental Lab That Made Controversial AGGA Device
Johns Dental Laboratories stopped making the Anterior Growth Guidance Appliance last year after a KFF Health News-CBS News investigation into allegations of patient harm. The company had “never” reported any complaints about its products to the FDA, according to the agency.
Why Opioid Settlement Money Is Paying County Employees’ Salaries
More than $4.3 billion in opioid settlement money has landed in the hands of city, county and state officials to date — with billions more on the way. But instead of using the cash to add desperately needed treatment, recovery and prevention services, some places are using it to replace existing funding. Local officials say […]
