Furloughed Feds’ Health Coverage Intact, But Shutdown Still Complicates Things
Some federal employees face insurance paperwork glitches that affect their health coverage and add pressure to the stress of going without pay.
The independent source for health policy research, polling, and news.
6,341 - 6,360 of 15,453 Results
Some federal employees face insurance paperwork glitches that affect their health coverage and add pressure to the stress of going without pay.
Patients are often forced into using brand names because drug formularies favor them over cheaper competitors.
As drugmakers hike prices, interest to rein them in grows on Capitol Hill. Next week marks the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court’s abortion decision, and both the House, whose leaders back abortion rights, and the Senate, controlled by abortion foes, are holding statement votes. And the government shutdown is still affecting health programs. Joanne Kenen of Politico, Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times and Alice Ollstein of Politico join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues.
Whether because of illness or inactivity, many seniors need to up their protein game to maintain strength and mobility.
Although many device makers at the annual Consumer Electronics Show targeted real health issues, some are looking to solve problems that people didn’t realize needed solving.
Hospitals and medical practices are battling outdated stereotypes and sometimes their own doctors to hire certified nurse midwives. Research shows that women cared for by certified nurse midwives have fewer cesarean sections, which can produce significant cost savings for hospitals.
Medical fundraisers account for 1 in 3 of the website's campaigns and bring in more money than any other GoFundMe category. Americans' confidence they can afford health care is slipping, some say.
Fundraising for medical expenses leads this crowdfunding website and, according to its chief executive, highlights a deep national need to address the high costs of health care.
California Attorney General Xavier Becerra scores a win for California and other states in his effort to block Trump administration birth control rules. It is one of many suits he has filed to defend the Affordable Care Act from efforts to erode it.
Some doctors and clinics are proactively informing patients about a proposed policy that could jeopardize the legal status of immigrants who use public benefit programs such as Medicaid. Others argue that because this “public charge” proposal isn’t final — and may never be adopted — disseminating too much information could create unnecessary alarm and cause some patients to drop benefits.
As of Jan. 1, hospitals must post price lists — known as chargemasters — online. These massive compendiums include the costs set by each hospital for every service or drug a patient might encounter.
While headlines continue to focus on the nation’s opioid crisis, a growing toll of overdoses and deaths related to methamphetamine use suggests this drug is making an under-the-radar comeback.
Newsletter editor Brianna Labuskes wades through hundreds of health articles from the week so you don’t have to.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom made health care a priority in his proposed state budget, asking lawmakers to authorize state-funded financial aid for health insurance, impose a penalty on uninsured Californians and expand Medicaid coverage to unauthorized immigrants.
The length of the shutdown will dictate how furloughed and unpaid workers will be affected.
Kaiser Health News gives readers a chance to comment on a recent batch of stories.
In a recent study of patients treated by emergency medical responders in Oregon, black patients were 40 percent less likely to get pain medicine than their white peers. Why?
Democratic governors and mayors are unveiling new ideas to control costs and expand coverage. The federal government shutdown has spared most health agencies, but not all. And learn the latest on that lawsuit out of Texas, which is threatening the Affordable Care Act once again. Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times, Anna Edney of Bloomberg News and Rebecca Adams of CQ Roll Call join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and, for “extra credit,” provide their favorite health policy stories of the week. Rovner also interviews KHN’s Jordan Rau about the latest “Bill of the Month.”
Dr. Gabor Maté of British Columbia recently visited Sacramento and laid out his theories in an interview with California Healthline.
Loretta Boesing is on a mission to make sure prescription drugs delivered by mail are safe and effective. The life of her son — and others who order medicine by mail — could depend on it, she says.
© 2026 KFF