Timing and Cost of New Vaccines Vary by Virus and Health Insurance Status
By Julie Appleby
August 24, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Flu. Covid. RSV. When and how to get vaccinated against them can be confusing. Here are some of the most important things to know.
Most States Ban Shackling Pregnant Women in Custody, Yet Many Report Being Restrained
By Renuka Rayasam
Illustration by Oona Zenda
November 17, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Advocates for pregnant people in police custody say repeated incidents show prohibitions on handcuffs and other restraints are little more than lip service.
Rescate desde el cielo: cómo los drones pueden reducir el tiempo de respuesta a una emergencia
By Michelle Andrews
July 22, 2024
KFF Health News Original
Cada año más de 356,000 personas sufren un paro cardíaco fuera de un hospital. Cada minuto que pasa sin intervención médica disminuye las probabilidades de supervivencia en un 10%.
A New Medicare Proposal Would Cover Training for Family Caregivers
By Judith Graham
August 18, 2023
KFF Health News Original
The federal government is proposing having Medicare pay professionals to train family caregivers how to perform tasks like bathing and dressing their loved ones, and properly use medical equipment.
The Pill Club Reaches $18.3 Million Medicaid Fraud Settlement With California
By Don Thompson
February 7, 2023
KFF Health News Original
The online women’s pharmacy agreed to pay $15 million to the state Department of Justice and $3.3 million to the Department of Insurance over claims it overbilled Medi-Cal.
Distribuyen $2 millones entre víctimas del tiroteo del Super Bowl y grupos comunitarios
By Peggy Lowe, KCUR Bram Sable-Smith
June 28, 2024
KFF Health News Original
Desde el tiroteo, algunas víctimas y sus familias han recibido facturas médicas por miles de dólares, por tratamientos en salas de emergencia, viajes en ambulancia, atención médica continua por las heridas de bala o consejería de salud mental.
A More Aggressive FTC Is Starting to Target Drug Mergers and Industry Middlemen
By Arthur Allen
May 22, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Industry analysts are skeptical that Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan can win her first fight against a drug industry merger. It will be reviewed by a judge appointed by then-President Donald Trump.
From Book Stacks to Psychosis and Food Stamps, Librarians Confront a New Workplace
By Rachel Scheier
August 23, 2022
KFF Health News Original
As public libraries morph into support hubs for homeless people with mental illness or addiction, librarians are struggling to reconcile their shifting roles.
New Weight Loss Drugs Carry High Price Tags and Lots of Questions for Seniors
By Judith Graham
July 25, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Although nearly 40% of Americans 60 and older are obese, Medicare doesn’t cover weight loss medications. Meanwhile, studies haven’t thoroughly examined new drugs’ impact on older adults.
What One Hospital’s Slow Recovery From a Cyberattack Means for Patients
By Farah Yousry, Side Effects Public Media
June 16, 2023
KFF Health News Original
U.S. hospitals have seen a record number of cyberattacks over the past few years. Getting hacked can cost a hospital millions of dollars, expose patient data, and even jeopardize patient care.
Exposed to Agent Orange at US Bases, Veterans Face Cancer Without VA Compensation
By Hannah Norman Patricia Kime
April 29, 2024
KFF Health News Original
The Department of Veterans Affairs has long given vets who served in Vietnam disability compensation for illness connected to Agent Orange harm. But those exposed at U.S. bases are still waiting for the same benefits.
Doctors Are as Vulnerable to Addiction as Anyone. California Grapples With a Response.
By Bernard J. Wolfson
January 4, 2024
KFF Health News Original
The Medical Board of California, which licenses MDs, is developing a program to evaluate, treat, and monitor doctors with alcohol and drug problems. But there is sharp disagreement over whether those who might volunteer for the program should be subject to public disclosure and over how much participants should pay.
Ask Voters Directly, and Abortion Rights Wins Most Ballot Fights
By Julie Rovner
January 13, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Anti-abortion candidates have fared well in recent elections. But decades of ballot initiatives — including a half-dozen measures considered after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last June — show that when voters are asked directly, they usually side with preserving abortion rights.
Doctors Hesitate to Ask About Patients’ Immigration Status Despite New Florida Law
By Daniel Chang
August 17, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Florida’s new immigration law requires hospitals to ask patients about their immigration status at admission and in emergency rooms, and report that information plus the cost of care for residents without legal status. Doctors and nurses who oppose the policy seem reluctant to criticize lawmakers for fear of political retribution.
Cardiovascular Disease Is Primed to Kill More Older Adults, Especially Blacks and Hispanics
By Judith Graham
May 30, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Cardiovascular disease is the biggest killer of older Americans, with Black and Hispanic people at higher risk. Despite medical advances, researchers say, disparities are expected to worsen in the coming decades.
Hongos misteriosos son el centro de brote de intoxicación alimentaria
By Keely Larson
December 18, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Según el Código Alimentario de la FDA, la gran mayoría de las más de 5,000 especies de hongos carnosos que crecen naturalmente en América del Norte no han sido sometidas a pruebas de toxicidad.
Be Aware: Someone Could Steal Your Medical Records and Bill You for Their Care
By Michelle Andrews
July 31, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Consumers should know that this type of fraud can happen, whether from a large-scale breach or theft of an individual’s data. The result could be thousands of dollars in medical bills.
More Communities Are Giving Flavored Tobacco the Boot. Will California Follow?
By Zinnia Finn
August 19, 2022
KFF Health News Original
San Jose and Sacramento this summer joined scores of other California cities and counties that have banned the sale of flavored tobacco products such as menthol cigarettes and candy-flavored e-cigs. In November, California voters will decide whether to allow a statewide ban to take effect.
A Move to Cut Drug Prices Has Patients With Rare Diseases Worried
By Markian Hawryluk
August 30, 2023
KFF Health News Original
A Colorado board has named five drugs it will review for affordability and potential cost caps. But patients with cystic fibrosis worry they will lose access to a life-changing therapy.
Out for Blood? For Routine Lab Work, the Hospital Billed Her $2,400
By Rachana Pradhan
November 21, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Convenient as it may be, beware of getting your blood drawn at a hospital. The cost could be much higher than at an independent lab, and your insurance might not cover it all.
