Latest News On Legislation

Latest KFF Health News Stories

Even Well-Intended Laws Can’t Protect Us From Inaccurate Provider Directories

KFF Health News Original

State and federal laws require health plans to offer accurate lists of participating doctors and facilities, but consumers still struggle to get timely appointments with providers.

Ad Targeting Manchin and AARP Mischaracterizes Medicare Drug-Price Negotiations

KFF Health News Original

The advocacy group American Commitment said empowering Medicare to negotiate drug prices would raid it of billions of dollars. Drug pricing experts say that that’s not the case and that such policies would instead reduce costs for the Medicare program and seniors.

Tres cosas sobre el debate del aborto que se entienden mal

KFF Health News Original

Uno de los mitos: que la decisión de la Corte Suprema afecta solo a las mujeres que quieren realizarse el procedimiento, cuando en realidad afecta a toda la salud reproductiva.

Three Things About the Abortion Debate That Many People Get Wrong

KFF Health News Original

The commonly repeated myths include arguments that only women who are pregnant are affected by the decision overturning Roe v. Wade, that Democratic lawmakers could have codified abortion protections before, and that Congress can easily get rid of federal laws restricting abortion.

Kids Want to Put Montana on Trial for Unhealthy Climate Policies

KFF Health News Original

Sixteen children and young adults are suing the state over energy policies they say are hurting their health and environment. The flooding that closed Yellowstone National Park may show they have a point.

Rural Hospital Rescue Program Is Met With Skepticism From Administrators

KFF Health News Original

A new federal rescue program that pays rural hospitals to shutter underused inpatient units and focus solely on emergency rooms and outpatient care hasn’t generated much interest yet.

Las medidas de Colorado no sirven para frenar los altos niveles de ozono peligrosos para la salud

KFF Health News Original

El ozono se crea cuando las sustancias químicas que se emiten a la atmósfera a través de los tubos de escape de los vehículos, la explotación de petróleo y gas y los incendios forestales se calientan con el sol. La contaminación por ozono es un problema persistente en la región.

Colorado’s Efforts Are Not Enough to Solve Its Ozone Problem

KFF Health News Original

Some health experts said measures underway by state and federal officials won’t lower ozone pollution to safe levels across nine counties of Colorado’s Front Range.

A 63-Year-Old Transgender Woman Is Caught in Montana’s Birth Certificate Dispute

KFF Health News Original

Montana is one of a handful of states that bar transgender people from changing the sex on their birth certificates. Health professionals say that gender marker should be erased completely.

The Push for Abortion Lawmaking After ‘Dobbs’ Is Unique, Legal and Political Experts Say

KFF Health News Original

The surge of calls for special legislative sessions to pass abortion laws is an unusual occurrence in modern U.S. history, according to experts — one caused by the Supreme Court’s decision to give states more power to regulate abortion.

Las disposiciones de la nueva ley de armas y salud mental

KFF Health News Original

La ley de seguridad de armas forjada a través de tensas conversaciones bipartidistas en el Senado se presentó como la primera legislación federal en 30 años para combatir el aumento de la violencia armada. Pero lo que ha pasado desapercibido es uno de sus objetivos clave: mejorar los servicios de salud mental.

Gun Safety ‘Wrapped in a Mental Health Bill’: A Look at Health Provisions in the New Law

KFF Health News Original

The bulk of the funds provided in the gun reform law known as the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act are for expanding mental health services. Will it help improve mental health outcomes and stem violence?

Sheriffs Who Denounced Colorado’s Red Flag Law Are Now Using It

KFF Health News Original

Petitions for protective orders under Colorado’s red flag law have been filed in more than half the counties that opposed it and declared themselves “Second Amendment sanctuaries.”