Latest News On Iowa

Latest KFF Health News Stories

Older Americans Living Alone Often Rely on Neighbors or Others Willing To Help

KFF Health News Original

Diverse networks of friends, former co-workers, neighbors, and extended family are often essential sources of support for older adults living alone. Often it is the elderly caring for the elderly.

Tribal Health Leaders Say Feds Haven’t Treated Syphilis Outbreak as a Public Health Emergency

KFF Health News Original

The National Indian Health Board has urged the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to declare a public health emergency as an alarming syphilis outbreak, which disproportionately affects Native Americans, continues. This is the latest plea for more resources from tribal leaders after previous requests went unanswered.

Arkansas’ Governor Says Medicaid Extension for New Moms Isn’t Needed

KFF Health News Original

Federal law requires states to provide pregnancy-related Medicaid coverage through 60 days after delivery. Arkansas has not expanded what’s called postpartum Medicaid coverage, an option that gives poor women uninterrupted health insurance for a year after they give birth.

No One Wants To Talk About Racial Trauma. Why My Family Broke Our Silence.

KFF Health News Original

Every family has secrets. I spent the past few years reporting about racial violence in Sikeston, Missouri. Interviewing Black families there helped me uncover my family’s traumatic past, too.

Disability Rights Activist Pushes Government To Let Him Participate in Society

KFF Health News Original

Garret Frey won a U.S. Supreme Court case as a teenager who needed assistance to attend high school. Now, he’s gained concessions under Iowa’s Medicaid program to help him live at home instead of in a care facility.

Journalists Highlight Maternal Health Challenges in Rural America, From Iowa to Georgia

KFF Health News Original

KFF Health News and California Healthline staff took to the airwaves in the last couple of weeks to discuss maternal health care challenges in rural areas. Here’s a collection of their appearances.

Native American Public Health Officials Are Stuck in Data Blind Spot

KFF Health News Original

For decades, state and federal agencies have restricted or delayed tribes and tribal epidemiology centers from accessing public health data, a blackout that leaves health workers in Native American communities cobbling together information to guide their work, including tracking devastating disease outbreaks.

KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': Harris in the Spotlight

Podcast

For the 2024 campaign, Joe Biden is out, and Kamala Harris is in. As the vice president makes moves toward the top of the Democratic presidential ticket, health policy is resurging as a campaign issue. Meanwhile, Congress tries — and again fails — to make timely progress on the annual government spending bills as abortion issues cause delays. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Stephanie Armour of KFF Health News, and Rachel Cohrs Zhang of Stat join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Anthony Wright, the new executive director of Families USA, about his plans for the organization and his history working with Harris on health topics. 

Therapists Learn How To Help Farmers Cope With Stress Before It’s Too Late

KFF Health News Original

Many farmers have traditionally handled their own problems, whether it’s a busted tractor or debilitating anxiety. “With the older generation, it’s still, ‘Suck it up and get over it,’” says an Iowa mental health advocate and farmer.

FDA Urged To Relax Decades-Old Tissue Donation Restrictions for Gay and Bisexual Men

KFF Health News Original

Federal regulations prevent gay and bisexual men from donating tissue, such as corneas, ligaments, and blood vessels. Similar restrictions have been relaxed or lifted for donated blood and organs in recent years.

For-Profit Companies Open Psychiatric Hospitals in Areas Clamoring for Care

KFF Health News Original

State institutions and community hospitals have closed inpatient mental health units, often citing staffing and financial challenges. Now, for-profit companies are opening psychiatric hospitals to fill the void.

As AI Eye Exams Prove Their Worth, Lessons for Future Tech Emerge

KFF Health News Original

With artificial intelligence in health care on the rise, eye screenings for diabetic retinopathy are emerging as one of the first proven use cases of AI-based diagnostics in a clinical setting.

Movimientos en contra de las vacunas perjudican a los niños más vulnerables

KFF Health News Original

La desinformación, junto con un movimiento por el derecho de los padres que aleja la toma de decisiones de la salud pública, ha contribuido a las tasas de vacunación infantil más bajas en una década.