Latest News On Substance Misuse

Latest KFF Health News Stories

Dentro de una de las pocas escuelas secundarias para adolescentes con adicciones

KFF Health News Original

Hay 43 en todo el país y están diseñadas para estudiantes que se están recuperando de una adicción, y que también podrían estar lidiando con trastornos de salud mental relacionados.

Minnesota Overhauled Substance Use Treatment. Rural Residents Still Face Barriers.

KFF Health News Original

A recent policy change in Minnesota promotes quick evaluations and care for people with substance use disorders. But because of gaps riddling rural treatment systems nationwide, the promise of swift care isn’t reaching rural Minnesotans.

Truly Random Drug Testing: ADHD Patients Face Uneven Urine Screens and, Sometimes, Stigma

KFF Health News Original

Doctors have no national standards on when to order urine tests to check whether adult ADHD patients are properly taking their prescription stimulants. Some patients are subjected to much more frequent testing than others.

End of Covid Emergency Will Usher in Changes Across the US Health System

KFF Health News Original

The May 11 expiration of the federal government’s pandemic emergency declaration will affect patient care across a broad range of settings, including telemedicine, hospitals, and nursing homes.

Some Roadblocks to Lifesaving Addiction Treatment Are Gone. Now What?

KFF Health News Original

The federal government has lifted restrictions on one of the most effective opioid addiction treatment medications. The change sets up a “truth serum moment”: Will mainstream doctors and nurses now treat addiction as a common disease?

Despite Pharma Claims, Illicit Drug Shipments to US Aren’t Full of Opioids. It’s Generic Viagra.

KFF Health News Original

The FDA has long blocked the importation of cheap medicine, agreeing with pharmaceutical manufacturers that it opens the door to opioids. The agency’s own data shows that rarely happens.

‘The Country Is Watching’: California Homeless Crisis Looms as Gov. Newsom Eyes Political Future

KFF Health News Original

As Gov. Gavin Newsom enters his second term, his legacy as governor and path forward in the Democratic Party hinge on his making visible headway on California’s homeless crisis. We lay out the possibilities — and challenges — as he unleashes an $18 billion battle plan.

Montana Lawmakers Seek More Information About Governor’s HEART Fund

KFF Health News Original

Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte’s Healing and Ending Addiction Through Recovery and Treatment fund has spent $5.2 million since 2021. With a proposed increase, providers and lawmakers alike want to tap into the money.

A $30 Million Gift to Build an Addiction Treatment Center. Then Staffers Had to Run It.

KFF Health News Original

Howard Buffett, son of billionaire investor Warren Buffett and chairman of his own charitable foundation, gave $30 million to build an addiction treatment center in the central Illinois community where he farms. But the money was a one-time gift for infrastructure, so the clinic is on its own to keep it running.

A Montana Addiction Clinic Wants to Motivate People With Rewards. Then Came a Medicaid Fraud Probe.

KFF Health News Original

A complaint was filed with the state against an addiction treatment provider that wants to use rewards — an effective but largely unregulated tool — to help people stay in recovery.

Addiction Treatment Proponents Urge Rural Clinicians to Pitch In by Prescribing Medication

KFF Health News Original

The number of U.S. health care providers certified to prescribe buprenorphine more than doubled in the past four years, and treatment advocates hope to see that trend continue.

Schools, Sheriffs, and Syringes: State Plans Vary for Spending $26B in Opioid Settlement Funds

KFF Health News Original

The cash represents an unprecedented opportunity to derail the opioid epidemic, but with countless groups advocating for their share of the pie, the impact could depend heavily on geography and politics.

Los mentores trabajan, sin límites, en la recuperación de adicciones

KFF Health News Original

Los especialistas en apoyo a pares están ellos mismos en recuperación y se los contrata para ayudar a otros. Pueden vincularse con los pacientes de una manera distinta que los profesionales de salud.

The Player-Coaches of Addiction Recovery Work Without Boundaries

KFF Health News Original

States, tribes, and local governments are figuring out how best to spend billions of dollars from an opioid lawsuit settlement. One option they’re considering is funding peer support specialists, who guide people recovering from addiction as they do it themselves.

Fentanyl in High School: A Texas Community Grapples With the Reach of the Deadly Opioid

KFF Health News Original

The first fentanyl-related deaths of students in an area south of Austin, Texas, were reported over the summer. The school district, parents, and students are trying to deal with the aftermath.