‘Heart’ of Little Shell: Newest Federally Recognized Tribe to Open First Clinic
By Katheryn Houghton
January 20, 2022
KFF Health News Original
The Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians of Montana plans to open the nation’s newest Indian Health Service clinic in Great Falls on Jan. 31 — marking the first time the tribe will have its culture reflected in health care offerings.
Pandemic-Fueled Shortages of Home Health Workers Strand Patients Without Necessary Care
By Judith Graham
February 3, 2022
KFF Health News Original
Home health and hospice agencies are experiencing extreme worker shortages, which means they can’t provide services to all the patients seeking care.
Biden’s No-Jab-No-Job Order Creates Quandary for Nursing Homes
By Jordan Rau Andy Miller
August 20, 2021
KFF Health News Original
Nursing home operators acknowledge that large numbers of staff members are not getting the shots but fear a federal vaccination mandate could drive away workers in a tight labor market.
Trump Releases Doctor’s Letter Saying He Is In ‘Excellent’ Health
November 21, 2023
Morning Briefing
Dr. Bruce Aronwaldt’s one-page report — made public by Donald Trump on his potential election rival Joe Biden’s 81st birthday — does not provide any data from an exam or lab tests but says that the former president has lost weight due to “improved diet” and daily exercise.
Vaccine-or-Test Requirements Increase Work and Costs for Governments
By Amanda Michelle Gomez Phil Galewitz
November 19, 2021
KFF Health News Original
But state and local officials embrace the requirement because it creates a safer workplace while allowing employees to continue working.
Schools, Pediatricians Look to Make Up Lost Ground on Non-Covid Vaccinations
By Kate Ruder
November 18, 2021
KFF Health News Original
Health officials hope the rollout of covid shots for young children and other initiatives will boost routine vaccine rates that dropped during the pandemic and narrow socioeconomic disparities.
Cómo Pfizer le ganó a la pandemia, alcanzando influencia y ganancias descomunales
By Arthur Allen
July 5, 2022
KFF Health News Original
Su éxito en el desarrollo de medicamentos contra covid le ha dado a la farmacéutica un peso inusual en la determinación de la política de salud de Estados Unidos. Algo que preocupa a expertos.
Nurses in Crisis Over Covid Dig In for Better Work Conditions
By Christine Spolar Mark Kreidler Rae Ellen Bichell
December 16, 2021
KFF Health News Original
In tough labor negotiations across the nation, here’s what nurses don’t want: “appreciation that is lip service,” “marketing campaigns” and “shiny new buildings.” And this year might well prove to be a turning point in efforts to organize health care’s essential workers.
Unabomber’s Death Brings Closure For Some With Physical, Emotional Scars
June 12, 2023
Morning Briefing
Convicted terrorist Ted Kaczynski, 81 and suffering from late-stage cancer, died Saturday after being found unresponsive in his prison cell in North Carolina. A relative of one of his mail-bombing victims said, “I was glad to hear the news.” Kaczynski sowed fear for two decades, admitting to 16 bombings from 1978 and 1995 that killed three people and injured 23 others.
Fauci Says He’s Calling It Quits By 2025
July 19, 2022
Morning Briefing
America’s best-known infectious-disease expert will retire by the end of President Joe Biden’s current term, but it may be “sooner rather than later,” the 81-year-old said.
KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': The Supreme Court and the Abortion Pill
March 28, 2024
Podcast
The Supreme Court this week heard its first abortion case since overturning Roe v. Wade in 2022, about an appeals court ruling that would dramatically restrict the availability of the abortion pill mifepristone. But while it seems likely that this case could be dismissed on a technicality, abortion opponents have more challenges in the pipeline. Meanwhile, health issues are heating up on the campaign trail, as Republicans continue to take aim at Medicare, Medicaid, and the Affordable Care Act — all things Democrats are delighted to defend. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet, and Lauren Weber of The Washington Post join KFF Health News chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews KFF Health News’ Tony Leys, who wrote a KFF Health News-NPR “Bill of the Month” feature about Medicare and a very expensive air-ambulance ride. Plus, for “extra credit,” the panelists suggest health policy stories they read this week they think you should read, too.
KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': Alabama Court Rules Embryos Are Children. What Now?
February 22, 2024
Podcast
In a first-of-its-kind ruling, the Alabama Supreme Court has determined that embryos created for in vitro fertilization procedures are legally people. The decision has touched off massive confusion about potential ramifications, and the University of Alabama-Birmingham has paused its IVF program. Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump is reportedly planning to endorse a national 16-week abortion ban, while his former administration officials are planning further reproductive health restrictions for a possible second term. Lauren Weber of The Washington Post, Rachana Pradhan of KFF Health News, and Victoria Knight of Axios join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Plus, for “extra credit,” the panelists suggest health policy stories they read this week that they think you should read, too.
Opioid Distributors Win In West Virginia Lawsuit Over Pill Epidemic
July 5, 2022
Morning Briefing
In a bench trial lawsuit, a federal judge ruled that McKesson, Cardinal Health and AmerisourceBergen did not create a public nuisance in a West Virginia county where 81 million opioid pills were distributed over 8 years.
Snag a Vaccine Appointment, Then Face the Next Hurdle: How to Get There?
By Rae Ellen Bichell
April 19, 2021
KFF Health News Original
For some, a vaccine appointment a few hours away is no biggie. For others, it’s a major barrier to gaining protection from the coronavirus.
KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': Florida Limits Abortion — For Now
April 4, 2024
Podcast
The Florida Supreme Court handed down dual abortion rulings this week. One said voters will be allowed to decide in November whether to create a state right to abortion. The other ruling, though, allows a 15-week ban to take effect immediately — before an even more sweeping, six-week ban replaces it in May. Meanwhile, President Joe Biden is doubling down on his administration’s health care accomplishments as he kicks off his general election campaign. Lauren Weber of The Washington Post, Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins University schools of nursing and public health, and Tami Luhby of CNN join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews health care analyst Jeff Goldsmith about the growing size and influence of UnitedHealth Group in the wake of the Change Healthcare hack.
Aiding Her Dying Husband, a Geriatrician Learns the Emotional and Physical Toll of Caregiving
By Judith Graham
May 18, 2021
KFF Health News Original
When the covid pandemic hit, Dr. Rebecca Elon was thrust into a new role, primary caregiver for her severely ill husband and her elderly mother. “Reading about caregiving of this kind was one thing. Experiencing it was entirely different,” she says.
After Nearly 60 Years of Marriage, This Missouri Couple Stayed Together to the End
By Cara Anthony
February 8, 2021
KFF Health News Original
Arthur and Maggie Kelley of St. Louis died 30 days apart. Maggie died of complications of dementia in November. Arthur, who had moved into her nursing home to be with her, died a month later of covid. Their family held a double funeral.
Long Drives, Air Travel, Exhausting Waits: What Abortion Requires in the South
By Sarah Varney
August 3, 2021
KFF Health News Original
Restrictive abortion regulations enacted across the South require women to drive across state lines to find safe services. With the U.S. Supreme Court set to hear a challenge to Roe v. Wade, abortion rights defenders say long drives and wait times could become the norm across much of America.
Positive For Covid, Fauci Has ‘Mild’ Symptoms
June 16, 2022
Morning Briefing
Almost inevitably, covid’s influence has touched the White House’s chief medical adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci, 81. He’s fully vaccinated and double-boosted. Axios reports new omicron variants are “gaining ground” and evading protections, and NBC News notes reinfections are “here to stay.”
KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': Senators Have Mental Health Crises, Too
February 23, 2023
Podcast
When U.S. Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania checked himself into the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for treatment of depression this month, he got an unusual reaction from his colleagues in Congress: compassion. It’s a far cry from how politicians once kept their mental health issues under wraps at all costs. Meanwhile, GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley is stirring up controversy by proposing that all politicians over age 75 be required to pass a mental competency test to hold office. Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico, Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet, and Rachel Roubein of The Washington Post join KHN chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Plus, for “extra credit,” the panelists suggest health policy stories they read this week that they think you should read, too.
