Latest KFF Health News Stories
States Advance Medical Debt Protections as Federal Support Turns to Opposition
Federal officials reversed their stance on medical debt credit reporting, then came a lawsuit in Colorado. As lawmakers in other states forge ahead with attempts to protect consumers from medical debt, some are reconsidering how they go about it.
Guns Marketed for Personal Safety Fuel Public Health Crisis in Black Communities
During the covid pandemic, gun marketers told many Americans they needed firearms to defend against criminals and protesters. Then firearm deaths mounted rapidly in racially segregated and low-income neighborhoods, according to federal data.
Hay aproximadamente 5.100 personas sin hogar en Washington, D.C., incluyendo aquellas en albergues temporales, según un conteo realizado a inicios de 2025.
A casi dos semanas de iniciada la operación llamada Catahoula Crunch, que comenzó el 3 de diciembre, profesionales de salud y defensores comunitarios en Louisiana y Mississippi reportan un aumento inusual de pacientes inmigrantes que se han salteado citas médicas.
Worried About Health Insurance Costs? There May Be Cheaper Options — But With Trade-Offs
As the clock ticks down on the 2026 Obamacare open enrollment season, frustrated consumers may have to make sacrifices on coverage to get a price they can stomach. But cheaper alternatives come with risks.
Call 911 or Risk Losing the Baby? Raids Force Some Immigrants To Avoid Care
More immigrants in New Orleans and Mississippi are skipping important health care appointments and experiencing heightened stress amid federal immigration raids.
Washington’s Homeless Hide in Plain Sight, Growing Sicker and Costing Taxpayers More
The White House says encampment sweeps have enhanced the capital, but city leaders estimate nearly 700 homeless people roam by day and bed down outdoors by night. Some have scattered to the suburbs while others avoid detection, making it hard for medical providers to care for them.
In the Vast Expanses of Indian Country, Broadband Gaps Create Health Gaps, Too
On Idaho’s remote Fort Hall Reservation, thousands live without reliable high-speed internet, which supports health care, education, and daily life. Facing delays and wavering federal policy, Frances Goli is determined to spend more than $22 million in federal grant money before she runs out of time.
Oregon Hospital Races To Build a Tsunami Shelter as FEMA Fights To Cut Its Funding
Columbia Memorial Hospital near Oregon’s coastline planned to add a tsunami shelter, counting on a FEMA grant. After the Trump administration cut the funding, hospital officials are building anyway, saying waiting is too risky. A judge ruled Dec. 11 that the administration unlawfully ended the program without congressional approval.
One Big Beautiful Bill Act Complicates State Health Care Affordability Efforts
The federal budget bill President Donald Trump signed into law in July is creating uncertainty for states trying to rein in health care spending. In California, a lawsuit by the hospital industry challenging state spending caps cites the law, which will slash Medicaid spending, as one of many financial pressures.
Readers Make Their Wish Lists, Checking Up on Health Care
KFF Health News gives readers a chance to comment on a recent batch of stories.
Disability Rights Lawyers Threatened With Budget Cuts, Reassignments
The Trump administration wants deep funding cuts for state-based legal services for disabled people, as rights advocates say the Justice Department pushed out many of its lawyers who worked on such issues.
FDA cuestiona uso de antidepresivos en el embarazo, pero médicos dicen que son esenciales
A expertos médicos les preocupa que una mesa redonda convocada en julio por la Administración de Alimentos y Medicamentos pueda provocar más casos de depresión no tratada.
Qué significa la decisión sobre la vacuna contra la hepatitis B para la gente
Un comité de los Centros para el Control y Prevención de Enfermedades votó para poner fin a la recomendación universal de aplicar la vacuna contra la hepatitis B a los recién nacidos.
FDA Panelists Questioned Antidepressants in Pregnancy. But Doctors Call Them a Lifeline.
Participants in an FDA panel discussion warned the public about risks from using antidepressants in pregnancy. But mental health issues, including suicide and overdoses, are the leading cause of maternal death in the United States. Antidepressants are a safe, well-studied way to help prevent those deaths, medical experts say.
Nueva tarifa de $100.000 por visa impuesta por Trump afecta a trabajadores de salud rurales
El sistema de salud en Estados Unidos depende del personal nacido en el extranjero para cubrir plazas como médicos, enfermeros, técnicos y otros profesionales, especialmente en zonas rurales.
Journalists Talk Increasing Insurance Costs, From Marketplace Plans to Employer Coverage
KFF Health News journalists made the rounds on national and local media recently to discuss topical stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances.
Rural Health Providers Hit by $100K Trump Visa Fee
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Seguros con deducibles altos ponen en aprietos a pacientes con afecciones crónicas
os planes con deducibles altos —es decir, la cantidad que los pacientes deben abonar por la mayoría de los servicios médicos antes que el seguro se haga cargo— se han vuelto cada vez más comunes.
Vaccine Panel’s Hepatitis B Vote Signals Further Turbulence for Immunization Policy, Public Trust
Clinicians and epidemiologists warn the decision to no longer recommend the birth dose of the hepatitis B vaccine could unravel decades of progress and expose newborns to a deadly, preventable disease.
