Ohio Voted on Abortion. Next Year, 11 More States Might, Too.
By Bram Sable-Smith
November 8, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Ohio is the latest state where voters have directly weighed in on abortion, and the next wave of such ballot measures is in the works in at least 11 other states, including Missouri.
Election Outcome Could Bring Big Changes to Medicare
By Stephanie Armour
Updated November 4, 2024
Originally Published November 4, 2024
KFF Health News Original
Democrats and conservatives are divided over whether the federal health program for people over 65 should be run almost entirely by the private sector. If Trump retakes the White House, the shift to Medicare Advantage may accelerate.
Schools, Sheriffs, and Syringes: State Plans Vary for Spending $26B in Opioid Settlement Funds
By Aneri Pattani
November 22, 2022
KFF Health News Original
The cash represents an unprecedented opportunity to derail the opioid epidemic, but with countless groups advocating for their share of the pie, the impact could depend heavily on geography and politics.
Republicans Once Championed Public Health. What Happened?
By Julie Rovner
December 13, 2023
KFF Health News Original
It wasn’t that long ago that Republicans were all-in on boosting public health spending. “The highest investment priority in Washington should be to double the federal budget for scientific research,” former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) wrote in a 1999 op-ed in The Washington Post. Big spending increases for the National Institutes of Health soon […]
7 of 10 States Backed Abortion Rights. But Little To Change Yet.
By Bram Sable-Smith
November 6, 2024
KFF Health News Original
Voters in 10 states weighed in on abortion rights this election. Despite the results supporting abortion rights in seven of those states, much of the abortion landscape on abortion won’t change much immediately, as medical providers navigate the legal hurdles that remain.
Montana Designs New Hurdles for Abortion Clinics Ahead of Vote To Protect Access
By Matt Volz
August 1, 2024
KFF Health News Original
Proposed regulations would require clinics providing abortions in the state to meet sweeping new health standards, despite a likely vote in November on a constitutional amendment to protect abortion access.
Nikki Haley (And Her Opponents) Struggle With a Vaccine Message
By Darius Tahir
November 21, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley portrays herself as a voice of reason in the Republican Party. “Let’s find consensus,” she said about abortion during the first GOP primary debate. “Let’s treat this like a respectful issue.” It’s talk like that — and strong polling in a hypothetical matchup against President Biden — that has […]
A New RSV Shot Could Help Protect Babies This Winter — If They Can Get It in Time
By Amelia Templeton, Oregon Public Broadcasting
November 9, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Supply problems, a high price tag, and bureaucratic obstacles are slowing the distribution of a therapy that can protect infants from the respiratory syncytial virus. That will leave them unnecessarily at risk of hospitalization this winter, pediatricians fear.
A Toddler Got a Nasal Swab Test but Left Before Seeing a Doctor. The Bill Was $445.
By Bram Sable-Smith
November 27, 2024
KFF Health News Original
A mom in Peoria, Illinois, took her 3-year-old to the ER one evening last December. While they were waiting to be seen, the toddler seemed better, so they left without seeing a doctor. Then the bill came.
Republicans Are Eyeing Cuts to Medicaid. What’s Medicaid, Again?
By Renuka Rayasam Sam Whitehead
February 19, 2025
KFF Health News Original
Republicans in Congress have suggested big cuts to Medicaid, the state-federal health insurance program for people with low incomes or disabilities. The complex, multifaceted program touches millions of Americans and has become deeply woven into state budgets and the U.S. health care system.
Closing of Rural Hospitals Leaves Towns With Unhealthy Real Estate
By Taylor Sisk
June 26, 2024
KFF Health News Original
Dozens of small cities and towns across the United States struggle not just with health care access and the loss of jobs, but also with the burden of what to do with big, empty buildings.
As Covid Infections Rise, Nursing Homes Are Still Waiting for Vaccines
By Jordan Rau Tony Leys
September 27, 2023
KFF Health News Original
“People want covid-19 to be in the rearview mirror,” one nursing home official says. Faced with a slow rollout of the updated covid vaccines, and without state mandates for workers to get vaccinated, most skilled nursing facilities are relying on persuasion to boost vaccination rates among staff and residents.
For Pharma, Trump vs. Harris Is a Showdown Between Two Industry Foes
By Stephanie Armour
August 26, 2024
KFF Health News Original
Vice President Kamala Harris is seen as more aggressive than former President Donald Trump in taking on pharmaceutical companies, but Trump allies say he would also make lowering drug costs a top priority.
Ohio Votes on Abortion Rights Today. Eleven States May Follow in 2024.
By Bram Sable-Smith
November 7, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Voters in Ohio are deciding whether to add abortion rights protections to the state’s constitution today. The vote comes on the heels of last year’s string of ballot measure wins for abortion rights in six states: California, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Montana and Vermont. But this is just the start. Next year, 11 more states could see abortion-related […]
Wins at the Ballot Box for Abortion Rights Still Mean Court Battles for Access
By Bram Sable-Smith
June 6, 2024
KFF Health News Original
Michigan and Ohio serve as cautionary tales for states whose voters will decide abortion ballot initiatives this year: Even if the measures pass, it would take time to unwind conflicting laws.
Florida’s RSV Season Has Started, and It’s Coming Soon to the Rest of US. Here’s a Primer.
By Sam Ogozalek, Tampa Bay Times
July 31, 2024
KFF Health News Original
Florida’s RSV season begins earlier and runs longer than anywhere else in the U.S., according to the University of Florida’s Emerging Pathogens Institute. New vaccines can help, but most older adults, who are vulnerable to RSV, haven’t gotten them yet.
Biology, Anatomy, and Finance? More Med Students Want Business Degrees Too
By Samantha Liss
December 11, 2023
KFF Health News Original
A majority of medical schools now offer dual MD-MBA programs, compared with just a quarter two decades ago. The number of medical students seeking a business degree has nearly tripled. This begs the question: Whom will these doctors serve more, patients or shareholders?
Es el momento de revisar el plan de Medicare. Lo nuevo que hay que saber
By Julie Appleby
October 16, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Desde el 15 de octubre y hasta el 7 de diciembre, los afiliados al programa tradicional o a los planes de Medicare Advantage, que ofrecen aseguradoras privadas, pueden cambiar su cobertura.
Voters Backed Abortion Rights but State Judges Have Final Say
By Bram Sable-Smith Katheryn Houghton
Illustration by Oona Zenda
January 14, 2025
KFF Health News Original
Though abortion rights supporters prevailed on ballot measures in seven of the 10 states where abortion was up for a vote on Nov. 5, the state supreme courts voters have elected indicate legal fights to come aren’t clear-cut.
Conservative Justices Stir Trouble for Republican Politicians on Abortion
By Rachana Pradhan
April 16, 2024
KFF Health News Original
Republicans are learning the admonition “be careful what you wish for,” as conservative judges cause them political problems over abortion in a crucial election year.
