How Are States Spending Opioid Settlement Cash? We Built a Database of Answers
By Aneri Pattani
Data visualizations by Lydia Zuraw
December 16, 2024
KFF Health News Original
From addiction treatment to toy robot ambulances, we uncovered how billions in opioid settlement funds were used by state and local governments in 2022 and 2023. Find out where the money went.
Native American Patients Are Sent to Collections for Debts the Government Owes
By Katheryn Houghton Arielle Zionts
December 16, 2024
KFF Health News Original
Federal law says Native Americans aren’t liable for medical bills the Indian Health Service promises to pay. Some are billed anyway as a result of backlogs or mistakes from the agency, financial middlemen, or health systems.
Helicopters Rescued Patients in ‘Apocalyptic’ Flood. Other Hospitals Are at Risk, Too.
By Lauren Sausser Holly K. Hacker
December 16, 2024
KFF Health News Original
The helicopter evacuation of 70 people from a Tennessee hospital during Hurricane Helene is considered a success story. The building was destroyed by floodwaters, but no one died. In hindsight, why was it built next to a river?
Download the Data: Opioid Settlement Expenditures
By Lydia Zuraw
December 16, 2024
Page
We encourage any news organization to use the data and localize it for your own reporting.
California’s ‘Care Courts’ Are Falling Short
By Christine Mai-Duc
December 13, 2024
KFF Health News Original
California’s controversial experiment to order mental illness and drug treatment for some of its sickest residents is rolling out statewide, but the latest data shows the new initiative is falling far short of early objectives. The Community Assistance, Recovery and Empowerment Act — known as Care — recently expanded from 11 pilot counties to all […]
Morning Briefing for Friday, December 13, 2024
December 13, 2024
Morning Briefing
Abortion pills, childhood vaccines, CMS ratings, off-label drug usage, minor procedures billed as surgery, and more. Plus, your weekend reads.
Trump States He Will Not Block Access To Abortion Pills
December 13, 2024
Morning Briefing
In other reproductive health news: President-elect Donald Trump appoints an anti-abortion activist to a top job at OMB; South Carolina introduces a bill defining abortion as homicide; abortion access gets tougher as more clinics close; and more.
RFK Jr. Adviser Sought To Have FDA Retract Approval Of Polio Vaccine
December 13, 2024
Morning Briefing
Aaron Siri, a lawyer who is helping to vet candidates for top health positions, has a history of challenging vaccine policies in courts. Candidates to fill roles in the incoming administration are specifically asked about their vaccine views, sources say.
Man Accused Of Killing CEO Was Not A Member Of UnitedHealthcare
December 13, 2024
Morning Briefing
Neither suspect Luigi Mangione nor his mother are customers, the insurance giant said. Many people have speculated whether Mangione was a customer who had been denied a medical claim.
Short-Term Deal To Avert Holiday Government Shutdown Is Close
December 13, 2024
Morning Briefing
Lawmakers are “making good progress” on a spending patch to keep the government lights on until March, according to House Appropriations Chair Tom Cole. Other news stories from Capitol Hill report on an investigation of CVS Caremark, funding for Medicaid, Medicare pay rates, and more.
Revised CMS Scores Yield Extra $200M In Bonus Payments For Centene
December 13, 2024
Morning Briefing
Centene told investors Tuesday that the company would get additional bonus payments after CMS updated its Medicare Advantage Star Ratings. More health industry news stories report on legal settlements, layoffs, private equity investments, and more.
Ohio Bill Would Force Hospitals To Administer Off-Label Drugs
December 13, 2024
Morning Briefing
Meanwhile, two Minnesota autism treatment centers are under FBI investigation; North Carolina seeks heat protections for workers; California’s older homeless population is at risk of hypothermia; and more.
Longer Looks: Interesting Reads You Might Have Missed
December 13, 2024
Morning Briefing
Each week, KFF Health News finds longer stories for you to enjoy. Today’s selections are on radiation biology, Neanderthals, fertility, pornography, and more.
First Edition: Friday, Dec. 13, 2024
December 13, 2024
Morning Briefing
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Removing a Splinter? Treating a Wart? If a Doctor Does It, It Can Be Billed as Surgery
By Elisabeth Rosenthal
December 13, 2024
KFF Health News Original
Minor interventions are increasingly being rebranded and billed as surgery, for profit. This means a neurologist spending 40 minutes with a patient to tease out a diagnosis can be paid less for that time than a dermatologist spending a few seconds squirting a dollop of liquid nitrogen onto the skin.
More Californians Are Freezing to Death. Experts Point to More Older Homeless People.
By Phillip Reese
December 13, 2024
KFF Health News Original
Hypothermia deaths have risen in California and across the nation. Experts point to the growing number of older, unsheltered homeless people as a key factor in the trend.
Más californianos están muriendo por el frío. Gran parte son personas mayores sin techo
By Phillip Reese
December 13, 2024
KFF Health News Original
La hipotermia causada por la exposición a bajas temperaturas fue la causa principal, o que contribuyó, a la muerte de 166 californianos el año pasado, más del doble que hace una década
KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': A Killing Touches Off Backlash Against Health Insurers
December 12, 2024
Podcast
The shocking shooting death of UnitedHealthcare’s chief executive in Midtown Manhattan prompted a public outcry about the problems with the nation’s health care system, as stories of delayed and denied care filled social media. Meanwhile, President-elect Donald Trump continues to avoid providing specifics about his plans for the Affordable Care Act and other health issues. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call, and Rachel Cohrs Zhang of Stat join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Francis Collins, who was the director of the National Institutes of Health and a science adviser to President Joe Biden.
Watch: ‘Going It Alone’ — A Conversation About Growing Old in America
December 12, 2024
KFF Health News Original
Judith Graham, KFF Health News’ “Navigating Aging” columnist, talks with older adults who live alone by choice or circumstance. They share what it means to thrive in later years.
