Latest KFF Health News Stories
Boot Camp After 60: 10 Steps To Turn Around Unhealthy Habits
Older men and women often struggle to find the motivation to embrace a healthy lifestyle. We talk to experts about how to make the changes and how to keep them.
Fish Oil And Vitamin D Pills No Guard Against Cancer Or Serious Heart Trouble
And new study finds no reason to get routine vitamin D tests, researchers say.
Like Clockwork: How Daylight Saving Time Stumps Hospital Record-Keeping
One of the most popular electronic health records software systems used by hospitals, Epic Systems, can delete records or require cumbersome workarounds when clocks are set back for an hour, prompting many hospitals to opt for paper records for part of the night shift.
Pricey Precision Medicine Often Financially Toxic For Cancer Patients
Medical treatments targeting the DNA in tumor cells are celebrated, but insurers often won’t cover the skyrocketing cost.
Influential Leapfrog Group Jumps In To Rate 5,600 Surgery Centers
In the wake of a KHN/USA Today Network investigation, Leapfrog will check the safety and quality of outpatient centers.
Medicare Advantage Riding High As New Insurers Flock To Sell To Seniors
The private health plans that are an alternative to government-run Medicare continue to grow despite the Affordable Care Act’s cuts of billions of dollars in funding.
Who Knew? Life Begins (Again) At 65
Turning 65 is far more life-changing than turning 21 ever was.
Doctors Give Medicare’s Proposal To Pay For Telemedicine Poor Prognosis
Federal officials are proposing that Medicare pay doctors for a 10-minute “check-in” call with beneficiaries. But many doctors already do this for free, and the plan would require a cost-sharing charge of many patients.
Threat To The ACA Turns Up The Heat On Attorney General Races
As Republican and Democratic attorneys general square off on a Texas case that threatens to dismantle consumer protections in the federal health law, campaigns across the country for states’ highest legal officer get hotter.
States Looking To Tax Opioids Pin Hopes On November Elections
At least 11 states are going to try to tax opioids despite pushback from pharmaceutical companies.
For Nursing Home Patients, Breast Cancer Surgery May Do More Harm Than Good
A new study of 6,000 older patients shows little gain from surgeries for breast cancer.
Wisconsin Reinstates Coverage Of Transgender Treatment For State Workers
The Group Insurance Board reversed a decision made last year to bar coverage of transgender hormone therapy and surgery for public workers.
Energy-Hog Hospitals: When They Start Thinking Green, They See Green
Some hospitals have taken steps to be more energy-efficient. Though at times these changes barely represent rounding errors in their budgets, comprehensive efforts are beginning to make a difference.
Lax Oversight Leaves Surgery Center Regulators And Patients In The Dark
A Kaiser Health News and USA Today Network investigation finds that a hodgepodge of state rules governing outpatient centers allow some deaths and serious injuries to go unexamined. And no rule stops a doctor exiled by a hospital for misconduct from opening a surgery center down the street.
Medicare Reconsiders Paying For Seniors’ Spine Operations At Surgery Centers
After a USA Today Network-Kaiser Health News investigation, Medicare announced last week that it is re-evaluating whether these procedures “pose a significant safety risk” to patients.
Feel Like The Last Friend Standing? Here’s How To Cultivate New Buds As You Age.
Seniors who outlive their friends — and sometimes family members — know it’s tough to make new friends. But they also know it’s essential to well-being.
Unwieldy Health Costs Often Stand Between Teachers And Fatter Paychecks
Cash-strapped school boards, cities and legislatures scrounge to cover pay raises and pricey benefits and turn to teachers to fork over more of their shrinking take-home pay.
Kate Spade’s Death Ignites Concern About Rising Suicide Rate
At least 45,000 Americans commit suicide every year, often tied to mental health issues or substance abuse.
Bubble Pop? Brownie Batter? Vapes’ Added Flavors Fuel E-Cig Debate
Vaping is becoming increasingly popular in the United States, especially among young people. This fact is triggering an unexpected divide within the public health community and complicating efforts to regulate the industry.
Pfizer Settles Kickback Case Related To Copay Assistance For $24M
The drugmaker agreed to a settlement with the Justice Department over allegations that it funneled copay assistance money through a foundation to Medicare patients.
