Latest KFF Health News Stories
California Official Comes out of Retirement To Lead Troubled Mental Health Commission
Former California social services head Will Lightbourne has come out of retirement to lead the state’s mental health accountability commission following its executive director’s resignation in the wake of conflict of interest allegations.
Resources Are Expanding for Older Adults on Their Own
Aging alone, without a spouse, a partner, or children, requires careful planning. New programs for this growing population offer much-needed help.
Expanden los recursos para las personas mayores que viven solas
Todos estos recursos abordan la necesidad de estos adultos mayores de relacionarse con otras personas, evitar el aislamiento y prepararse para un futuro en el que podrían tener menos energía, más problemas de salud y necesitar más ayuda.
Journalists Dig Into Vaccine Debate and America’s Obesity Rates
KFF Health News staff made the rounds on national and local media in recent weeks to discuss topical stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances.
Georgia Said It Would Fix Care for the Disabled Years Ago. It’s Still Not Done.
In recent decades, the Justice Department has sued several states for unnecessarily confining people with disabilities in places such as state psychiatric hospitals, nursing homes and segregated workspaces. Such treatment violates a key part of the Americans With Disabilities Act — as affirmed in the 1999 Olmstead decision from the Supreme Court: that people with […]
How Measles, Whooping Cough, and Worse Could Roar Back on RFK Jr.’s Watch
Inoculation campaigns that protect children and adults from dangerous diseases rely on a delicate web of state and federal laws and programs. If senior officials cast doubt on vaccine safety, the whole system might collapse, especially in red states.
Six Years Into an Appalachia Hospital Monopoly, Patients Are Fearful and Furious
Ballad Health, with the largest state-sanctioned hospital monopoly in the nation, has failed for years to meet many quality-of-care goals, leaving some patients afraid of their local hospitals but with no other nearby options.
Por qué el sarampión, la tos ferina y otras enfermedades graves podrían resurgir con RFK Jr.
Expertos afirman que una confluencia de factores podría causar el resurgimiento de epidemias mortales de enfermedades como el sarampión, la tos ferina y la meningitis, o incluso de polio.
How Potential Medicaid Cuts Could Play Out in California
As Donald Trump prepares to reenter the White House with a Republican-controlled Congress, health officials and community advocates in California worry that large-scale Medicaid cuts could be enacted as soon as next year. More than 60% of California’s $161 billion Medi-Cal budget comes from Washington.
Georgia’s Work Requirement Slows Processing of Applications for Medicaid, Food Stamps
Georgia’s ability to process applications for Medicaid and other public benefits has lagged since the launch of Republican Gov. Brian Kemp’s “Pathways” Medicaid work requirement, leaving Georgia with persistently slow Medicaid application processing times.
9 States Poised To End Coverage for Millions if Trump Cuts Medicaid Funding
About 3.7 million people are at immediate risk of losing health coverage should the federal government cut funding for Medicaid expansions, as some allies of President-elect Donald Trump have proposed. Coverage could be at risk in the 40 states that have expanded Medicaid.
Nursing Homes Fell Behind on Vaccinating Patients for Covid
Last winter, only 4 in 10 nursing home residents got an updated covid vaccine. The low uptake leaves a fragile population vulnerable. Some industry watchdogs say it could be a sign of eroding trust between nursing home residents and providers.
Si Trump recorta fondos, millones de personas en nueve estados podrían perder Medicaid
Los estados son Arizona, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Montana, New Hampshire, Carolina del Norte, Utah y Virginia.
Nursing Home Industry Wants Trump To Rescind Staffing Mandate
A Biden administration rule that imposed minimum rules on nursing levels may not survive, even though many homes lack enough workers to maintain residents’ care.
California Falling Short of Enrollment Goal as Mental Health Courts Roll Out Statewide
California’s goal was to help 2,000 seriously mentally ill people by the end of this year, but data shows fewer than 600 petitions have been filed. As the CARE program expands to every county, officials say it sometimes takes months to locate eligible adults and get them in treatment plans.
With Trump on the Way, Advocates Look to States To Pick Up Medical Debt Fight
Patient and consumer advocates fear a new Trump administration will scale back federal efforts to expand financial protections for patients and shield them from debt.
Who Gets Obesity Drugs Covered by Insurance? In North Carolina, It Helps If You’re on Medicaid
GLP-1 agonist medications such as Ozempic accounted for 10% of the North Carolina state employee health plan’s prescription drug spending, so the state is no longer covering them for weight loss alone. Still, it did decide to cover them for Medicaid patients’ weight loss. A look inside the state’s coverage calculus.
Homebound Seniors Living Alone Often Slip Through Health System’s Cracks
There is a large population of older adults with physical problems that prevent them from leaving home. Many have significant medical and practical needs that go unmet.
¿Podrían los nuevos medicamentos para bajar de peso estar disponibles para todos?
Los medicamentos agonistas GLP-1, conocidos por los nombres comerciales Ozempic, Trulicity y Wegovy, han demostrado ser efectivos para la pérdida de peso y para el manejo de la diabetes tipo 2.
Journalists Dish on New Weight Loss Drugs, RFK Jr.’s Fluoride Claims, and Reproductive Health
KFF Health News staffers and contributors made the rounds on national and local media this week to discuss their stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances.
