Latest KFF Health News Stories
Even in the Most Depressed County in America, Stigma Around Mental Illness Persists
An estimated 32% of adults in Logan County, West Virginia, have been diagnosed with depression, the highest rate in the United States, according to a recent CDC report.
No existen normas federales para proteger a los trabajadores cuando los días son excesivamente calurosos. Y sin el apoyo bipartidista del Congreso, incluso con la atención urgente de la administración Biden, es posible que el alivio no llegue en años.
NPR and KFF Health News Share the Story of Two Health Heroes Who Helped Stop Smallpox
Regina G. Barber from NPR’s “Shortwave” podcast speaks with physician-epidemiologist Céline Gounder about two men who were among the public health heroes who helped wipe out a 3,000-year-old virus, and the lessons that victory offers for the next public health emergency.
Workers Pay the Price While Congress and Employers Debate Need for Heat Regulations
Studies suggest official numbers vastly underestimate heat-related injuries and illness on the job. To institute protections, the government must calculate their cost — and the cost of inaction.
Mississippi’s Cervical Cancer Deaths Indicate Broader Health Care Problems
Mississippi has among the highest cervical cancer mortality rates in the U.S. When low-income women can’t afford regular preventive care, much less gynecological visits, this highly preventable and treatable cancer becomes a killer.
Biden Administration Proposes New Standards to Boost Nursing Home Staffing
The proposal would require major hiring at the most sparsely staffed homes. But the proposal is already badly received by the nursing home industry, which claims it can’t boost wages enough to attract workers.
La publicación fue escrita por el activista anti-vacunas Steve Kirsch, quien ha hecho otras afirmaciones sobre las vacunas que han sido desacreditadas por PolitiFact y otros verificadores de datos.
Activist Misuses Federal Data to Make False Claim That Covid Vaccines Killed 676,000
Anti-vaccine tech entrepreneur Steve Kirsch, whose wild assertions have been repeatedly debunked, wrongly attributes deaths following vaccination to the vaccines themselves. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which runs the database, calls that inaccurate and irresponsible.
When Temps Rise, So Do Medical Risks. Should Doctors and Nurses Talk More About Heat?
The medical dangers of heat are real. But people often ignore public heat alerts or don’t realize how vulnerable they are. A new alert system prompts clinicians to talk about heat with patients.
How Far Will Montana’s Push to Remove Lead from School Drinking Water Go?
Montana has earmarked $3.7 million to address widespread high levels of lead in school drinking water. But it likely isn’t enough to solve the problem.
5 Things to Know About the New Drug Pricing Negotiations
The Biden administration unveiled the first 10 drugs subject to price negotiations, taking a swipe at the pharmaceutical industry. But what does it mean for patients?
A Move to Cut Drug Prices Has Patients With Rare Diseases Worried
A Colorado board has named five drugs it will review for affordability and potential cost caps. But patients with cystic fibrosis worry they will lose access to a life-changing therapy.
Artificial Intelligence May Influence Whether You Can Get Pain Medication
To contain the opioid crisis, health and law enforcement agencies have turned to technology to monitor doctor and patient prescription data. Experts have raised questions about how these systems work and worry about their accuracy and potential biases. Some patients and doctors say they’re being unfairly targeted.
Exclusive: CMS Study Sabotages Efforts to Bolster Nursing Home Staffing, Advocates Say
Research commissioned by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services analyzed only staffing levels below what experts have previously called ideal. Patient advocates have been pushing for more staff to improve care.
Californians Headed to HBCUs in the South Prepare for College Under Abortion Bans
As high school graduates prepare to leave states like California that protect abortion rights for historically Black colleges in states where abortion is banned, they’re getting ready to safeguard their reproductive health during college.
She Paid Her Husband’s Hospital Bill. A Year After His Death, They Wanted More Money.
A widow encountered a perplexing reality in medical billing: Providers can come after patients to collect well after a bill has been paid.
More Cities Address ‘Shade Deserts’ as Extreme Heat Triggers Health Issues
Where trees are growing — and who has access to their shade — affects health and well-being, especially in one of the hottest states in the country.
A Nanoengineer Teamed Up With Rihanna’s Tattoo Artist to Make Smarter Ink
Tattoos are more popular than ever. About a third of Americans have at least one. A scientist-entrepreneur, together with a celebrity tattoo artist, believes that ink could be doing a lot more.
Journalists Track Hospitals’ Delivery of Charity Care and the Menace of ‘Forever Chemicals’
KFF Health News and California Healthline staff made the rounds on national and local media this week to discuss their stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances.
Untangling Ron DeSantis’ Debate Anecdote About an Improbable Abortion Survival Story
One woman’s narrative has been used to support state legislation that aims to protect infants that survive an abortion. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis made reference to it during the first Republican primary presidential debate, held this week in Milwaukee.
