Latest KFF Health News Stories
How Medicaid Contractors Stand To Gain From Trump’s Policy
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After Man’s Death Following Insurance Denials, West Virginia Tackles Prior Authorization
After Eric Tennant died, his widow vowed to speak out against West Virginia’s Public Employees Insurance Agency, which had denied cancer treatment recommended by Tennant’s doctor. Her efforts paid off. In March, West Virginia’s governor signed a bill to protect some patients from harm tied to prior authorization.
States Pay Deloitte, Others Millions To Comply With Trump Law To Cut Medicaid Rolls
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act will add red tape and restrictions for those seeking Medicaid and SNAP benefits. And the costs to update computer systems that determine eligibility for those programs will be steep.
Inside the High-Stakes Corporate Fight Over Feeding Preterm Babies
Behind their warm-and-fuzzy marketing, infant formula industry giants Abbott, maker of Similac products, and Mead Johnson, maker of the Enfamil line, have turned neonatal intensive care units into arenas of brutal competition.
Maker of Device To Treat Addiction Withdrawal Seeks Counties’ Opioid Settlement Cash
Some researchers and recovery advocates see the NET device as the latest in a series of products pitched as the solution to the addiction crisis that have been overhyped to capitalize on money from the opioid settlements.
Psiquiatras podrían adoptar biomarcadores en el diagnóstico de la salud mental
En un documento de enero, la Asociación Americana de Psiquiatría incluyó ideas sobre cómo podría incorporar biomarcadores —indicadores biológicos de enfermedad mental que pueden aparecer en pruebas diagnósticas— en futuras versiones de su Manual Diagnóstico y Estadístico de los Trastornos Mentales.
Psychiatrists’ Use of Biomarkers Could Open a New Window Into Mental Health Diagnoses
The world’s largest professional psychiatry organization is preparing for the day when biological indicators can help diagnose and treat mental illness.
Lost in Transmission: Changes in Organ Donor Status Can Fall Through Cracks in the System
Patchwork state policies and limited federal oversight have led to a fragmented system for tracking when potential organ donors provide consent or change their minds.
More Kids Are in ERs for Tooth Pain. Trump Cuts and RFK Jr.’s Anti-Fluoride Fight Aren’t Helping.
Dentists, hygienists, and researchers say a shortage of rural dental care professionals and worsening oral hygiene since the covid-19 pandemic mean more kids are ending up in the emergency room for tooth decay.
Florida Hasn’t Expanded Medicaid. Lawmakers Want To Add Work Requirements Anyway.
Florida is not mandated to add work requirements for Medicaid, because the state has not expanded eligibility to more low-income adults. But lawmakers have proposed requiring some adults in the state’s program to work anyway, a policy that could leave many uninsured.
Wyoming Wants To Make Its Five-Year Federal Rural Health Funding Last ‘Forever’
State officials believe they’ve found a way to extend the life of federal Rural Health Transformation Program money Wyoming is receiving as part of last summer’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act — by investing most of it.
Louisville Found PFAS in Drinking Water. The Trump Administration Wouldn’t Require Any Action.
After detecting a sudden spike in PFAS in its drinking water, the city traced it upstream along the Ohio River to a factory in West Virginia. But the EPA has relaxed Biden-era plans to regulate PFAS levels. So what happens next?
When Health Insurance Costs More Than the Mortgage
As health care costs skyrocket and federal lawmakers pull back help on insurance premiums, more middle-income families are facing tough choices on health care.
Cuando el seguro médico cuesta más que la hipoteca
A pesar de las intensas discusiones y del cierre del gobierno más largo en la historia, el Congreso permitió que los subsidios mejorados de ACA expiraran el pasado 31 de diciembre.
Feds Promised ‘Radical Transparency’ but Are Withholding Rural Health Fund Applications
Proposals from states that have shared their applications to a new $50 billion rural health program include using drones to deliver medication, installing refrigerators to expand access to healthy produce, and bringing telehealth to libraries, day cares, and senior centers.
US Cancer Registries, Constrained by Trump Policies, To Recognize Only ‘Male’ or ‘Female’ Patients
Under Trump policies, cancer registries in 2026 will have to classify sex data strictly as male, female, or unknown, a change scientists and advocates say will harm the health of one of the nation’s most marginalized populations.
Concerns Over Fairness, Access Rise as States Compete for Slice of $50B Rural Health Fund
Amid public forums and local cries for help, states are also talking with large health systems, technology companies, and others amid intensifying competition for shares of a $50 billion fund to improve rural health.
From Narcan to Gun Silencers, Opioid Settlement Cash Pays Law Enforcement Tabs
Local governments have received hundreds of millions of dollars from the opioid settlements to support addiction treatment, recovery, and prevention efforts. Their spending decisions in 2024 were sometimes surprising and even controversial. Our new database offers more than 10,500 examples.
Senators Press Deloitte, Other Contractors on Errors in Medicaid Eligibility Systems
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.
This Geriatrics Training Program Escaped the Ax. For Now.
The Trump administration has restored promised funds to a program that teaches people in health care how to work with aging Americans.
