Latest KFF Health News Stories
Choosing Between Death And Deportation
What happens when an undocumented immigrant has a life-threatening diagnosis? Much depends on where the person lives. And even in states with generous care for a dire illness, a patient can face difficult life-and-death choices.
‘Aggressive’ New Advance Directive Would Let Dementia Patients Refuse Food
Supporters call it the strongest move yet to document a patient’s advance wishes in cases of severe dementia. Critics say it would deny basic care to society’s most vulnerable.
Cut In Federal Subsidies Threatens Basic Health Programs In N.Y., Minn.
President Donald Trump’s decision to stop paying cost-sharing reduction subsidies means the federal government will reduce its funding of the Basic Health Program that provides low-cost coverage to more than 800,000 low-income people in those two states.
For Some Refugees, Women’s Health Care Is A Culture Shock
Refugee women from conservative Muslim countries can be shocked by some U.S. medical conventions — like trusting a male doctor to care for them.
New York State Wants Its Prescription Drug Money Back — Or Else
A new law gives Medicaid regulators power to threaten drugmakers with cost-effectiveness scrutiny unless they grant additional rebates.
Inside Hospital, Families Find Refuge With Recliners, Tissues And Cake
More hospitals, including Montefiore Medical Center in New York, are setting up support centers to help stressed-out family members cope.
Would California’s Proposed Tobacco Tax Hike Reduce Smoking?
When New York increased its cigarette tax, smoking rates declined. California’s proposed increase of $2 a pack may, too, say researchers. The higher the tax, the more likely people are to quit.
‘Mental Health First Aid’ — Chirlane McCray On How N.Y.C. Is Fixing The System
“Every city’s not New York City,” but the Big Apple’s first lady hopes that the city’s efforts to address mental health access issues could be replicated across the country.
Refugees’ Needs In U.S. Change As World’s Conflicts Shift
Syrian and Iraqi refugees arrive with decidedly different medical and mental health needs than other waves of refugees.
N.Y., Minn. Opt For Low-Cost Plans To Help Some Residents Afford Coverage
Both states are offering “basic health programs” that provide policies to consumers with low monthly premiums and copayments, and low or no deductibles.
States Simplify Medicaid Sign-Ups
Forty-nine states now take Medicaid applications by phone and 49 also accept online applications, reports the Kaiser Family Foundation.
Hispanic Children’s Uninsured Rate Hits Record Low, Study Finds
About 300,000 Hispanic children gained insurance in 2014 from 2013, dropping the number of uninsured to 1.7 million, researchers said, and two-thirds of 1.7 million uninsured Hispanic kids live in five states.
The clinics have agreed to disclose more fully which health insurance plans consider them “in network.”
Coping with Autism and Puberty
A family struggles with what to do when an autistic adolescent becomes aggressive.
The Hospital Is In Network, But Not The Doctor: N.Y. Tries New Balance Billing Law
Consumers in New York are getting new protections against “balance billing,” where insurers bill patients for the difference between what insurers pay and what providers want, and states considering similar laws are watching closely.
