Latest News On Kentucky

Latest KFF Health News Stories

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Washington’s Slow Churn

KFF Health News Original

Stemming gun violence is back on the legislative agenda following three mass shootings in less than a month, but it’s hard to predict success when so many previous efforts have failed. Meanwhile, lawmakers must soon decide if they will extend current premium subsidies for those buying health insurance under the Affordable Care Act, and the Biden administration acts, belatedly, on Medicare premiums. Margot Sanger-Katz of the New York Times, Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call, and Rachel Cohrs of Stat News join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews KHN’s Michelle Andrews, who reported and wrote the latest KHN-NPR “Bill of the Month” episode about a too-common problem: denial of no-cost preventive care for a colonoscopy under the Affordable Care Act.

Few Eligible Families Have Applied for Government Help to Pay for Covid Funerals

KFF Health News Original

The Federal Emergency Management Agency will reimburse many families up to $9,000 in funeral expenses for loved ones who died of covid-19. But fewer than half of eligible families have applied, while others have run into application problems.

Persistent Problem: High C-Section Rates Plague the South

KFF Health News Original

Some U.S. states have reduced use of the procedure, including by sharing C-section data with doctors and hospitals. But change has proved difficult in the South, where women are generally less healthy heading into their pregnancies and maternal and infant health problems are among the highest in the U.S.

Patients’ Perilous Months-Long Waiting for Medicaid Coverage Is a Sign of What’s to Come

KFF Health News Original

The pandemic crisis has overwhelmed understaffed state Medicaid agencies, already delaying access to the insurance program in Missouri. As the public health emergency ends, low-income people nationwide could find it even harder to have coverage.

Nursing Homes Bleed Staff as Amazon Lures Low-Wage Workers With Prime Packages

KFF Health News Original

Add nursing homes to the list of industries jolted by Amazon’s handsome hourly wages. Enticed by an average starting pay rate of $18 an hour and the potential for benefits and signing bonuses, low-wage workers are fleeing entry-level elder care for jobs packing boxes.

As Overdose Deaths Soar, DEA-Wary Pharmacies Shy From Dispensing Addiction Medication

KFF Health News Original

A West Virginia pharmacy cleared a Drug Enforcement Administration investigation. But it shut down anyway, highlighting how the agency’s policies reduce the availability of buprenorphine, an important tool for recovery from opioid addiction.

Firefighters on Front Lines, No Strangers to Risk, Push Back Against Covid Vaccine Mandates

KFF Health News Original

Among the people still reluctant to get vaccinated — and pushing against mandates — are firefighters, many of whom also respond to medical calls as paramedics and EMTs and have witnessed the ravages of the pandemic firsthand.

Brecha de género contra covid: se vacunan más mujeres que hombres

KFF Health News Original

Porque representan gran parte de la fuerza laboral en atención médica y educación, porque viven más o porque son más proactivas, las mujeres tienen tasas más altas de vacunación contra covid.

The Gender Vaccine Gap: More Women Than Men Are Getting Covid Shots

KFF Health News Original

A KHN examination of state vaccine statistics shows that more women than men have gotten covid vaccines. Experts cite demographic realities of those who were part of the initial rollout but also women’s greater likelihood to seek preventive health care.

As the Vulnerable Wait, Some Political Leaders’ Spouses Get Covid Vaccines

KFF Health News Original

Spouses of governors and federal leaders are getting early access to scarce doses of covid-19 vaccines. Some officials have argued their inoculation sets an example for the public and shows the vaccines to be safe and effective. But critics say those doses should go to more vulnerable people first.

Heartbreaking Bills, Lawsuit and Bankruptcy — Even With Insurance

KFF Health News Original

With health insurance that can leave him on the hook for more than a quarter of his salary every year, a Kentucky essential worker who has heart disease is one of millions of Americans who are functionally uninsured. At only 31, he has already been through bankruptcy and being sued by his hospital. This year, he faced a bill for more than $10,000.