Latest KFF Health News Stories
Markups On Care Can Fatten Hospital Budgets — Even If Few Patients Foot The Full Bill
A study finds that higher charges are associated with greater payments by private insurers, which can drive up costs for employers and consumers who pay their way.
Mujeres con seguro médico tienen más chances de lograr embarazos in vitro
Un nuevo estudio revela que las mujeres cuyos seguros de salud cubren la fertilización in vitro (FIV) son más propensas a repetir el procedimiento si el primer intento fracasa, aumentando así sus chances de tener un bebé.
Women With Coverage For IVF More Likely To Have Procedure Again, Give Birth
After four cycles of IVF, women with insurance had a 57 percent probability of giving birth while a woman without coverage had a 51 percent chance, a study in JAMA reports.
Lead Poisoning’s Lifelong Toll Includes Lowering Social Mobility, Researchers Find
Research published today suggests childhood lead exposure, which affects half a million children and which the CDC has been deemed a major public concern, doesn’t just impact cognitive development but also undermines class mobility.
El envenenamiento por plomo no solo afecta la salud a largo plazo, también la movilidad social
Un nuevo estudio comprueba que el envenenamiento por plomo en la niñez sigue afectando durante la vida adulta, no solo la salud sino también el ascenso social.
Nueva droga baja el colesterol en forma drámatica y previene ataques, pero es costosísima
Por primera vez, una investigación muestra que un nuevo, y costoso, medicamento llamado Repatha no sólo baja dramáticamente los niveles de colesterol malo (LDL) sino que también reduce el riesgo de ser hospitalizado y de morir.
Cholesterol Drug Prevents Heart Attacks — But It Doesn’t Come Cheap
A cholesterol-lowering drug called Repatha cuts the risk of heart attacks, strokes and heart-related death by 20 percent, according to a new study.
Change In Texas Medicaid Payments Helps Cut Number Of Premature Births
Texas has reduced unnecessary early deliveries by 14 percent since refusing to pay doctors who performed C-sections that weren’t medically necessary.
Experimental Stem Cell Treatment Leaves Three Women Blind
Researchers, who detail the women’s experiences in the New England Journal of Medicine, say it exposes the need for better regulation of clinical trials.
Where You Live May Determine How You Die. Oregon Leads The Way.
A state with integrated systems for end-of-life care offers better treatment for the seriously ill, according to a new study.
Los Angeles County Scores An E-Success In Managing Specialist Care
An electronic consulting and referral system adopted by the county’s safety net public health system in 2012 has reduced waiting times for appointments with specialists and eliminated the need for such appointments in a significant number of cases, according to a new study in the journal Health Affairs.
Are Virtual Doctor Visits Really Cost-Effective? Not So Much, Study Says
Rand Corp. finds that telehealth encourages patients to seek care for minor illnesses they wouldn’t bother to make an office visit for, raising overall health costs.
Cancer Rates Dropped During The Recession. That’s Not Necessarily A Good Thing.
Researchers believe Californians, many of whom lost health coverage, delayed doctor visits that could have led to earlier detection. Now, with people seeking medical care under the Affordable Care Act, some experts expect to see an increase in late-stage cancers.
For New Medicaid Patients, The Doctor Is In (Generally). But You May Have To Wait.
A new study examines whether people newly insured through the Affordable Care Act are adding pressure to primary care access challenges.
Cuando los padres y el pediatra no hablan el mismo idioma
Un nuevo estudio en California revela que los padres latinos que sólo hablan español son menos propensos a reportar buenas experiencias con los médicos de sus hijos que los que hablan inglés.
Lost In Translation: When Parents And Pediatricians Don’t Speak The Same Language
Latino parents who speak only Spanish are less likely to report having satisfactory experiences with their children’s doctors than Latino parents who speak English, a new California study shows.
Patient Advocacy Groups Rake In Donations From Pharma
A new study shows that 83 percent of the largest patient advocacy groups take contributions from drug, medical device or biotech firms.
How Long You Stay On Opioids May Depend On The Doctor You See In the ER
A study shows some emergency physicians wrote far more opioid prescriptions and Medicare patients who saw those doctors were more likely to still be taking the addictive painkillers months later.
California Reports Thousands Of Workers Exposed To Elevated Lead Levels
More than 6,000 workers had levels in their blood that could lead to heart, kidney or cognitive disease, according to state findings.
What Made Obamacare Succeed In Some States? Hint: It’s Not Politics
A study of five states looks at the market conditions that make or break the health insurance marketplaces set up by the Affordable Care Act.
