Latest KFF Health News Stories
Even Patients Are Shocked by the Prices Their Insurers Will Pay — And It Costs All of Us
Health care prices are on the rise, and patients are flummoxed that even insurance companies aren’t doing more to control costs.
Hospitals Fighting Measles Confront a Challenge: Few Doctors Have Seen It Before
As the number of cases grows to about 1,000 in the Carolinas, health care workers who’ve never seen the vaccine-preventable disease can get caught by surprise.
Nevada Debuts Public Option Amid Tumultuous Federal Changes to Health Care
The state recently became the third to offer a public option health plan through its Affordable Care Act marketplace. But researchers said it’s unlikely to fill the gaps left by sweeping changes at the federal level.
ACA Subsidies Expired. Open Enrollment Ended. But It Will Still Take Awhile To Register the Results.
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Obamacare: el impacto de los costos en las inscripciones no se conocerá hasta dentro de varios meses
Los subsidios mejorados, que redujeron el porcentaje del ingreso familiar que se debía pagar por la atención médica y eliminaron el límite de ingresos para calificar, expiraron a fines del año pasado.
Obamacare Sign-Ups Drop, but the Extent Won’t Be Clear for Months
Experts say Affordable Care Act sign-up data won’t be clear until people who were enrolled have paid — or haven’t paid — their new, often much higher, premiums.
States Race To Launch Rural Health Transformation Plans
Every state will receive at least $100 million annually from the federal Rural Health Transformation fund, but some scored millions more based on how the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services judged the “quality” of their plans and willingness to pass policies embracing “Make America Healthy Again” initiatives.
On the Hook for Uninsured Residents, Counties Now Wonder How They’ll Pay
Millions of people gained health coverage under the Affordable Care Act, reducing pressure on counties in states that fund care for the uninsured. With federal policies expected to reverse that trend, county officials wonder how they will fill the gap — and who will pay for it.
Judge in Nursing Home Bankruptcy Case Gives Families Fresh Hope of Compensation for Injuries, Deaths
Genesis HealthCare’s controlling investor, Joel Landau, had sought to rebuy the nursing homes while gaining protection from settlement payments over allegations of poor care. A judge rejected the proposal and ordered a new auction. A KFF Health News investigation found Genesis settled hundreds of lawsuits but didn’t pay them out fully.
How Delays and Bankruptcy Let a Nursing Home Chain Avoid Paying Settlements for Injuries and Deaths
Genesis HealthCare’s bankruptcy case in Dallas will allow the nursing home chain to avoid paying millions of dollars it promised for residents who were injured or died while in its care. Families say bankruptcy nullifies one of the main ways to hold nursing home owners accountable for poor care.
Aunque se reanuda SNAP, nuevas reglas laborales amenazan el acceso al programa de alimentos por años
Ahora, los estados deben cumplir con las nuevas reglas o enfrentar sanciones que podrían obligarlos a cubrir una parte mayor del costo del programa.
Even as SNAP Resumes, New Work Rules Threaten Access for Years To Come
Even as the federal government resumed funding the nation’s largest food assistance program, people risk losing access to the aid because of new rules.
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.
Gobierno prometió “transparencia radical”, pero oculta solicitudes de fondos para la salud rural
Drones que entregan medicamentos y telesalud en bibliotecas locales son algunas de las ideas que líderes estatales acaban de presentar para gastar su parte de un programa federal de salud rural de $50.000 millones.
South Carolina’s Measles Outbreak Shows Chilling Effect of Vaccine Misinformation
When a measles outbreak emerged in Spartanburg, South Carolina, in October, health officials announced that most cases were tied to one public charter school, where only 17% of the 605 students enrolled during the 2024-25 academic year provided documentation showing they had received their required vaccinations.
California Faces Limits as It Directs Health Facilities To Push Back on Immigration Raids
California now has a law requiring hospitals and clinics to improve patient privacy and have clear protocols for handling requests by immigration agents. Legal experts say the state can’t fully protect immigrant patients, because federal authorities are allowed in public places, including hospital lobbies, general waiting areas, and parking lots.
The Quiet Collapse of America’s Reproductive Health Safety Net
The HHS office that administers the Title X family planning program has been effectively shut down. And with cuts to federal funding for other family health programs, expected Medicaid cuts, and the potential lapse of ACA subsidies, health leaders fear they are seeing the biggest setback to U.S. reproductive care in half a century.
States Jostle Over $50B Rural Health Fund as Trump’s Medicaid Cuts Trigger Scramble
States are battling for their piece of $50 billion in federal rural health funding, but it’s not just hospitals vying for the money. Tech startups and policy demands are raising the stakes as Medicaid cuts loom.
Team Trump’s Answer to Ballooning Obamacare Premiums: Less Generous Coverage
Tens of millions of people face sticker shock enrolling in Affordable Care Act insurance for 2026. To save money, the Trump administration wants them to consider less generous coverage.
Luego de los recortes de Trump a la salud, estados enfrentan decisiones presupuestarias difíciles
En conjunto, estas reducciones representan un cambio radical en la forma en que se financian y se ofrecen los programas estatales de salud.
