Pot Boom Wakes Sleepy Dinosaur, Colorado
By Markian Hawryluk
September 25, 2023
KFF Health News Original
A small town close to the Colorado-Utah state line strikes it rich with marijuana sales.
Asian Health Center Tries Unconventional Approach to Counseling
By Sarah Kwon
October 9, 2024
KFF Health News Original
Facing a dire shortage of bilingual and culturally attuned therapists, an Oakland, California, community clinic serving Asian immigrants has trained staffers in a victim support unit to provide lay counseling.
Preparing to Hang Up the Car Keys as We Age
By Judith Graham
January 24, 2024
KFF Health News Original
As cognitive skills erode with age, driving skills weaken, but an aging driver may not recognize that. Advance directives on driving are one way to handle this challenge.
Una decisión difícil: cuando los adultos mayores tienen que dejar de conducir
By Judith Graham
January 24, 2024
KFF Health News Original
Los riesgos para los conductores mayores aumentan con la edad y el desarrollo de afecciones como la artritis, el glaucoma y el Parkinson. Y cuando ocurren accidentes, son más propensos a sufrir heridas graves o morir porque son físicamente más vulnerables.
The Rate of Older Californians Dying of Malnutrition Has Accelerated
By Phillip Reese
April 13, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Californians 85 and older are especially susceptible to malnutrition. They accounted for almost three in five malnutrition deaths in the state last year.
Medicare Plan Finder Likely Won’t Note New $35 Cap on Out-of-Pocket Insulin Costs
By Susan Jaffe
November 15, 2022
KFF Health News Original
In August, Congress approved a $35 cap on what seniors will pay for insulin, but that change came too late to add to the online tool that helps Medicare beneficiaries compare dozens of drug and medical plans. Federal officials say beneficiaries who use insulin will have the opportunity to switch plans after open enrollment ends Dec. 7.
Aumenta el número de californianos mayores que muere por desnutrición
By Phillip Reese
April 13, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Las muertes atribuidas a la desnutrición aumentaron más del doble, de unas 650 en 2018 a aproximadamente 1,400 en 2022, según datos preliminares de certificados de defunción del Departamento de Salud Pública estatal.
The Painful Pandemic Lessons Mandy Cohen Carries to the CDC
By Fred Clasen-Kelly Rachana Pradhan Holly K. Hacker
August 23, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Mandy Cohen, the new director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, earned praise for her leadership and communication as the face of North Carolina’s response to covid-19. People in the state’s most vulnerable communities tell a more complicated story.
Medi-Cal’s Reliance on Prisoners to Make Cheaper Eyeglasses Proves Shortsighted
By Colleen DeGuzman
July 11, 2022
KFF Health News Original
In California, where inmates manufacture glasses for Medi-Cal, enrollees and providers can wait months for their orders. Now, state lawmakers are considering allowing clinics to order from private labs as well.
ER Visits Rise 420% Among Kids Who Accidentally Ate Melatonin
March 8, 2024
Morning Briefing
The Wall Street Journal reports on federal data showing a four-fold rise from 2009 to 2020. Also in the news: domestic violence and brain damage; the effects of daylight saving time on heart health; a new report on female genital mutilation; and more.
Arkansas Has Dropped Over 420,000 From Medicaid Rolls Over Six Months
October 11, 2023
Morning Briefing
Over 427,000 residents (Arkansas has a population of around 3 million) have been dropped in the past six months, causing concern among health care advocates. Meanwhile, in Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration faces a lawsuit alleging Florida didn’t provide data before purging Medicaid rolls.
Families Complain as States Require Covid Testing for Nursing Home Visits
By Judith Graham
January 20, 2022
KFF Health News Original
Relatives say it is important they be allowed to go into nursing homes because staff shortages are affecting care. And many are still upset about lengthy separations from loved ones during lockdowns earlier in the pandemic.
It Was Already Hard to Find Evusheld, a Covid Prevention Therapy. Now It’s Even Harder.
By Hannah Recht
March 17, 2022
KFF Health News Original
At least 7 million immunocompromised people could benefit from the monoclonal antibody injections designed to prevent covid-19. The government says it has enough doses for a fraction of those in need ― and it doesn’t have the money to buy more.
Estados exigen prueba negativa de covid para visitas a hogares de adultos mayores. Familias se quejan
By Judith Graham
January 20, 2022
KFF Health News Original
Muchos familiares dicen que no pueden conseguir las pruebas ante la enorme demanda y la escasez de suministros, lo que les impide ver a sus seres queridos.
A Hospital Charged $722.50 to Push Medicine Through an IV. Twice.
By Rae Ellen Bichell
June 28, 2021
KFF Health News Original
A college student never got an answer for what caused her intense pain, but she did get a bill that totaled $18,736 for an ER visit. She and her mom, a nurse practitioner, fought to understand all the charges.
Cien millones de vacunas contra covid en 100 días no nos hará volver a la normalidad
By Victoria Knight
February 3, 2021
KFF Health News Original
Los epidemiólogos estiman que es necesario inocular al menos al 70% de la población para que se alcance la inmunidad colectiva, para poder frenar la pandemia.
With GOP Back at Helm, Montana Renews Push to Sniff Out Welfare Fraud
By Katheryn Houghton
February 25, 2021
KFF Health News Original
Montana is one of the latest states looking to aggressively check welfare eligibility to cut costs. Supporters of such steps say it’s about what’s fair — weeding out those who don’t qualify for assistance — while opponents say it will cut loose enrollees who actually need help.
Hospital Suppliers Take To The Skies To Combat Dire Shortages Of COVID-19 Gear
By Christina Jewett Lauren Weber
March 25, 2020
KFF Health News Original
As the coronavirus sweeps the nation, a new survey reveals widespread medical gear shortages while hospitals give up on a fractured supply chain and take matters into their own hands with planes sprinting past cargo ships.
Women Shouldn’t Get A Bill For An IUD … But Sometimes They Do
By Shefali Luthra
February 7, 2020
KFF Health News Original
The Affordable Care Act requires that insurers cover birth control with no out-of-pocket costs, but the enforcement mechanism is weak and a pending court case could add further complications.
Los suministros para combatir a COVID-19 en hospitales están llegando desde el cielo
By Christina Jewett Lauren Weber
March 25, 2020
KFF Health News Original
Hospitales están recurriendo a distribuidores privados y al Ejército de los Estados Unidos para transportar por vía aérea millones de máscaras protectoras y otros suministros hospitalarios desde China.
