Latest KFF Health News Stories
Prescribing Opioids To Seniors: It’s A Balancing Act
An expert geriatrician says the benefits for the patient, such as alleviating pain and maintaining independence, must be weighed against the possible risks. Her motto: ‘start low and go slow.’
Drug Prices, Opioids, And Obamacare: A Conversation With Assemblyman Jim Wood
Wood, who chairs the Assembly Health Committee, lays out his priorities for 2017.
Aging And Addicted: The Opioid Epidemic Affects Older Adults, Too
Using opioids to treat pain in seniors has been common, and that has led some to dependence disorders in later life.
Medicaid Coverage For Addiction Treatment Varies Dramatically
States can set their own rules about these benefits for Medicaid enrollees and a study shows wide disparities. But researchers say a repeal of the health law’s expansion could derail progress.
Delivered ‘Like A Pizza’: Why Killer Drug Fentanyl Is So Hard To Stop
Just a few grains of pure fentanyl is enough to kill most users. But law enforcement sources say stopping the supply of the deadly synthetic opioid from China and Mexico is very difficult.
Surgeon General Murthy Wants America To Face Up To Addiction
More people struggle with alcohol or drugs than have cancer, and 1 in 5 Americans binge drink. It all costs the nation $420 billion a year. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy says we know how to help.
Organ Donation And The Opioid Epidemic: ‘An Unexpected Life-Saving Legacy’
So far this year, more than one in four donations in New England are from people who died after a drug overdose — a much higher rate than in the U.S. overall, though it’s not clear why.
Rehab For Addiction Usually Lasts 28 Days. But Why?
A month’s stay in a rehab facility became the standard of care for alcoholism. But there’s little research to support that length of stay for people addicted to opioids.
Many Doctors Treating Alcohol Problems Overlook Successful Drugs
Two prescription medications have been found to be successful in helping many patients with alcohol cravings. Yet they are rarely used and many patients don’t know they exist.
Video Chat? In Rural Areas Combating Drug Addiction, A New Way To Connect With Help
The federal government is supporting efforts to test whether telemedicine strategies can be used to treat Appalachia’s painkiller addiction crisis.
Study: Health Spending Related To Opioid Treatment Rose More Than 1,300 Percent
Based on an analysis of insurance company payments, emergency room visits and lab tests were responsible for much of the overall spending.
In Boston’s ‘Safe Space,’ Surprising Insights Into Drug Highs
As doctors and nurses learn more about what the body goes through during drug use, they are changing the treatment they provide for patients on heroin and other drugs.
California Court Helps Kids By Healing Parents’ Addictions
The opioid epidemic may be fueling a rise in the number of children in foster care. But a special family court is trying to keep families together by treating parents with substance abuse problems.
Insurance Rules Can Hamper Recovery From Opioid Addiction
Medicaid and other health insurers require doctors to file time-consuming paperwork before allowing them to prescribe drugs that help people quit opioids. That delay fosters relapse, specialists say.
Fighting HIV In Miami, One Dirty Needle At A Time
A Miami doctor spent five years working to pass a needle exchange law for Miami-Dade County that he hopes will reduce HIV and other infections. The doctor’s battle inspired a patient who was infected with HIV and Hepatitis C from a shared needle.
Doctors Need A New Skill Set For This Opioid Abuse Treatment
Practicing surgery on a piece of pork — that’s how some doctors are learning to implant a new drug that curbs opioid cravings. It’s not a skill set typically used in addiction medicine.
Teaching Future Doctors About Addiction
Most medical schools offer very little education on treating opioid addiction. Stanford University’s medical school is trying to ramp it up.
Clinton Veep Pick Tim Kaine Bolstered Mental Health System After Va. Tech Shooting
As a Democratic senator and governor, Tim Kaine has backed the Affordable Care Act, Medicaid expansion and better access to mental health treatment for people in crisis.
Diabetes Linked To Risk Of Mental Health Hospitalization In Young Adults: Study
The rate of hospital treatment for mental health conditions or substance abuse problems was four times higher for people with diabetes aged 19 through 25 than for those without the disease.
Montana’s ‘Pain Refugees’ Leave State To Get Prescribed Opioids
With rising awareness of opioid abuse, some pain patients say doctors are less likely to prescribe them. One Montana sufferer goes to great lengths to get his prescription — he flies to California.
