Latest News On Pennsylvania

Latest KFF Health News Stories

Hospitals, Insurers Invest Big Dollars to Tackle Patients’ Social Needs

KFF Health News Original

Eager to control costs, health systems and insurers are trying to address patients’ social needs such as food insecurity, transportation and housing. Yet, after years of testing, there’s slim evidence these efforts pay off.

The Hard Realities of a ‘No Jab, No Job’ Mandate for Health Care Workers

KFF Health News Original

Despite a hearts-and-minds campaign and millions spent in incentives, managers struggle to get staffs vaccinated against covid. Some workers have threatened to quit over the pressure to get a shot, which employers can’t afford.

Black Americans Are Getting Vaccinated at Lower Rates Than White Americans

KFF Health News Original

Black Americans are receiving covid vaccines at a much lower rate than their white peers due to a combination of mistrust and access issues, leaving them behind in the mission to vaccinate the nation’s population.

Trump’s Lame-Duck Status Leaves Governors to Wing It on COVID

KFF Health News Original

As coronavirus cases surge, state officials can’t afford to wait for a new president to take office before taking action. But some governors’ initiatives seem to be little more than policy tweaks or symbolic gestures.

Family Mourns Man With Mental Illness Killed by Police and Calls for Change

KFF Health News Original

Like almost a quarter of the 989 people killed by police in the U.S. in the past 12 months, Ricardo Muñoz had a serious mental illness. “Instead of a cop just being there, there should have been other responders,” his sister says.

How Families Are Keeping Halloween From Turning Into a COVID Nightmare

KFF Health News Original

Parents are turning to spooky scavenger hunts, pumpkin-carving and movie nights as alternatives to trick-or-treating. Health professionals have their own advice on how to safely celebrate Halloween during the pandemic.

It’s Not Just Insulin: Lawmakers Focus on Price of One Drug, While Others Rise Too

KFF Health News Original

While insulin is the poster child for outrageous prescription costs, patients are paying ever more to treat depression, asthma, HIV, cholesterol and more. And the pandemic has overtaken efforts to force the issue in Congress.

One College’s Pop-Up COVID Test: Stop and ‘Smell the Roses’ (Or the Coffee)

KFF Health News Original

Forget those thermometers. Researchers, finding a surer link between the loss of the sense of smell and a coronavirus infection, suggest the symptom may be an easy and less expensive method for screening.

‘Pennie’-Pinching States Take Over Obamacare Exchanges From Feds

KFF Health News Original

Pennsylvania and New Jersey are leaving the federal marketplace this fall to save money and will start their own insurance exchanges. Kentucky, New Mexico, Virginia and Maine are looking to join them in 2021 or beyond.

Coronavirus Crisis Disrupts Treatment For Another Epidemic: Addiction

KFF Health News Original

The coronavirus has forced drug rehabilitation centers to scale back operations or temporarily close, leaving people who have another potentially deadly disease — addiction — with fewer opportunities for help.