In Boston’s ‘Safe Space,’ Surprising Insights Into Drug Highs
By Martha Bebinger, WBUR
August 26, 2016
KFF Health News Original
As doctors and nurses learn more about what the body goes through during drug use, they are changing the treatment they provide for patients on heroin and other drugs.
For Seniors, Teeth Need Care — But Insurance Coverage Is Rare
By Michelle Andrews
October 25, 2016
KFF Health News Original
Traditional Medicare does not cover most dental needs and the private Medicare Advantage plans often have limited coverage, leaving most seniors struggling to pay for dental care out of pocket.
Rehab For Addiction Usually Lasts 28 Days. But Why?
By Ben Allen, WITF
October 7, 2016
KFF Health News Original
A month’s stay in a rehab facility became the standard of care for alcoholism. But there’s little research to support that length of stay for people addicted to opioids.
CBO Score Of Revised GOP Health Bill: Over Next Decade, 23M Would Be Left Uninsured, Deficit Reduced By $119B
May 24, 2017
Morning Briefing
The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office issues its latest report on the American Health Care Act.
As Marijuana Legalization Initiative Heads For Calif. Ballot, Health Groups Weigh In
By Ana B. Ibarra
June 30, 2016
KFF Health News Original
Health experts remain divided on legalizing marijuana for recreational use.
Why Tobacco Companies Are Spending Millions To Boost A Cigarette Tax
By Alex Smith, KCUR
November 3, 2016
KFF Health News Original
R.J. Reynolds has put $12 million into an effort to raise tobacco taxes in Missouri. But the proposed 60-cents per pack tax, still among the lowest in the nation, is not likely to make many smokers quit.
California Insurance Commissioner Weighs In Against Aetna-Humana Deal
By Ana B. Ibarra
June 23, 2016
KFF Health News Original
Commissioner says $37 billion deal would stifle market competition, raise health insurance rates and reduce access to care.
Back To The Future: Insurance Pools For High-Risk Patients Could Be Revived
By Pauline Bartolone
November 23, 2016
KFF Health News Original
Trump and leading Republicans like the idea. Some policymakers and experts say it wasn’t viable in the first place.
Sounds Like A Good Idea? Regulating Drug Prices
By Julie Rovner Francis Ying
July 11, 2016
KFF Health News Original
Presidential candidates from both parties have proposals they say would help lower the cost of prescription drugs. But most experts say that efforts to regulate prices might not end up saving much money.
California’s Glaring Shortage Of School Nurses
By Ana B. Ibarra
May 31, 2016
KFF Health News Original
A new national pediatric guideline proposes that every school have a nurse on staff. In California, 57 percent of school districts do not employ nurses.
Trump Suggests Surprise $1.2B Cut To NIH, But GOP Lawmaker Says It’s A Nonstarter
March 29, 2017
Morning Briefing
“You can’t come in at the last minute in a budget, to be fair, you weren’t a part of, and negotiate these kinds of changes,” Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.) said in response to the proposal. “I just don’t think it’s doable.
Uninsured In Coal Country: Desperate Americans Still Turn To Volunteer Clinics
By Sarah Varney
November 7, 2016
KFF Health News Original
Dire dental needs and other health problems keep Remote Area Medical’s pop-up free clinics busy in states like Virginia that haven’t expanded Medicaid.
Suspension Of Accelerated H-1B Visa Program Leaves Hospitals Scrambling To Secure Entry For Foreign Residents
April 3, 2017
Morning Briefing
In other Trump administration news, as deep budget cuts to the National Institutes of Health are floated, one lawmaker says the move would strengthen the agency. And financial disclosure forms reveal that White House senior counselor Kellyanne Conway consulted for the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Would California’s Proposed Tobacco Tax Hike Reduce Smoking?
By April Dembosky, KQED
October 5, 2016
KFF Health News Original
When New York increased its cigarette tax, smoking rates declined. California’s proposed increase of $2 a pack may, too, say researchers. The higher the tax, the more likely people are to quit.
Calif. Senate Nixes Bill Requiring Disclosures From Disciplined Doctors
By Ana B. Ibarra
June 7, 2016
KFF Health News Original
The proposal would have required physicians and other medical clinicians to tell their patients if they were on probation for serious offenses.
Details On Death Certificates Offer Layers Of Clues To Opioid Epidemic
By Jeff Cohen, WNPR
June 3, 2016
KFF Health News Original
Deaths from opioid overdoses are on the rise, and we know that because of data on death certificates. States determine who fills them out and what information they record. And that can vary widely.
Psychotherapists Gravitate Toward Those Who Can Pay
By April Dembosky, KQED
July 15, 2016
KFF Health News Original
It goes back to the byzantine way health care — and health insurance — developed in the U.S. in the wake of World War II.
California Aims To Limit Surprise Medical Bills
By Stephanie O'Neill, KPCC
September 16, 2016
KFF Health News Original
The problem, known as balance billing, happens when patients are treated by an out-of-network professional at an in-network facility. Gov. Jerry Brown is expected to sign the legislation.
The Ads Say ‘Get Your Flu Shot Today,’ But It May Be Wiser To Wait
By Julie Appleby
September 15, 2016
KFF Health News Original
The flu vaccine is available for longer windows of time. Experts say to weigh convenience and science in deciding when to roll up your sleeve.
Medicare Releases Draft Proposal For Patient Observation Notice
By Susan Jaffe
June 15, 2016
KFF Health News Original
Although there is widespread agreement on the need to let people know if they haven’t been admitted, the language proposed by federal officials hasn’t satisfied everyone.
