Biden Administration’s Rapid-Test Rollout Doesn’t Easily Reach Those Who Need It Most
By Hannah Recht and Victoria Knight
January 20, 2022
KFF Health News Original
Two rapid-testing initiatives the Biden administration released in the past week are inaccessible to some residents of multifamily housing, people who don’t speak English well, or those without internet access.
Medical Providers Still Grappling With UnitedHealth Cyberattack: ‘More Devastating Than Covid’
By Samantha Liss
April 19, 2024
KFF Health News Original
Medical providers say they’re still coping with the Change Healthcare cyberattack disclosed in February even though parent company UnitedHealth Group reported that much is back to normal and its revenue is up over last year.
Untangling Ron DeSantis’ Debate Anecdote About an Improbable Abortion Survival Story
By Samantha Putterman, PolitiFact
August 25, 2023
KFF Health News Original
One woman’s narrative has been used to support state legislation that aims to protect infants that survive an abortion. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis made reference to it during the first Republican primary presidential debate, held this week in Milwaukee.
ER Doctors Vow to Pursue Case Against Envision Despite Bankruptcy
By Bernard J. Wolfson
May 12, 2023
KFF Health News Original
The lawyer for an emergency physicians group says its lawsuit against Envision Healthcare should be allowed to proceed even though the company has filed for Chapter 11 protection.
Covid Vaccine Websites Violate Disability Laws, Create Inequity for the Blind
By Lauren Weber and Hannah Recht
February 25, 2021
KFF Health News Original
A KHN investigation found covid vaccine registration and information websites at the federal, state and local levels are flouting disability rights laws and limiting the ability of people who are blind or visually impaired to sign up for shots.
When Rogue Brokers Switch People’s ACA Policies, Tax Surprises Can Follow
By Julie Appleby
April 15, 2024
KFF Health News Original
Some tax filers’ returns are being rejected because they failed to provide information about Affordable Care Act coverage they didn’t even know they had.
California Pushes to Expand the Universe of Abortion Care Providers
By Laurie Udesky
March 4, 2024
KFF Health News Original
A new California law allows trained physician assistants, also called physician associates, to perform first-trimester abortions without the presence of a supervising doctor. The legislation is part of a broader effort by the state to expand access to abortion care, especially in rural areas. Some doctor groups are wary.
An Arm and a Leg: When Hospitals Sue Patients (Part 2)
By Dan Weissmann
December 28, 2023
Podcast
Why do hospitals sue patients who can’t afford to pay their medical bills? On this episode of “An Arm and a Leg,” host Dan Weissmann investigates such lawsuits and covers new laws and regulations that may change this practice.
‘They See a Cash Cow’: Corporations Could Consume $50 Billion of Opioid Settlements
By Aneri Pattani
December 18, 2023
KFF Health News Original
As opioid settlement dollars land in government coffers, a swarm of businesses are positioning themselves to profit from the windfall. But will their potential gains come at the expense of the settlements’ intended purpose — to remediate the effects of the opioid epidemic?
Health Insurance Price Data: It’s Out There, but It’s Not for the Faint of Heart
By Julie Appleby
July 27, 2022
KFF Health News Original
Health insurers and self-insured employer plans are now required to post their negotiated rates for almost every type of medical service. But navigating through the trove of information is no easy task.
Rapper Fat Joe Says No One Is Making Sure Hospitals Post Their Prices
By Julie Appleby
August 10, 2022
KFF Health News Original
A TV and social media ad offers a reason to check on the enforcement of a sweeping rule that requires hospitals to post information about what they charge insurers and cash-paying patients.
Suzanne Somers’ Legacy Tainted by Celebrity Medical Misinformation
By Liz Szabo
October 18, 2023
KFF Health News Original
The popular actress and author, who died this week, also can be remembered as a progenitor of selling dubious medical information to a trusting public.
Defense Department Health Plan Cuts Its Pharmacy Network by Nearly 15,000 Outlets
By Patricia Kime
November 8, 2022
KFF Health News Original
Many of the pharmacies were small, independent operations that had decided not to participate next year because of the lowered reimbursement being offered. But they were surprised by an early dismissal, and some patients with specialized drug needs could face difficulties in the transition.
More States Legalize Sales of Unpasteurized Milk, Despite Public Health Warnings
By Tony Leys
July 5, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Distrust of public health authorities, who say drinking raw milk is dangerous, fuels demand for unpasteurized milk products, leaders on both sides of the issue say.
Readers and Tweeters Are Horrified by Harm Tied to Dental Device
March 31, 2023
KFF Health News Original
KHN gives readers a chance to comment on a recent batch of stories.
Montana Health Officials Aim to Boost Oversight of Nonprofit Hospitals’ Giving
By Katheryn Houghton
September 28, 2022
KFF Health News Original
Montana is one of the latest states seeking to increase oversight of nonprofit hospitals’ giving to ensure they justify their tax-exempt status.
A Medical Cost-Sharing Plan Left Pastor With Most Of The Cost
By Bram Sable-Smith
December 21, 2022
KFF Health News Original
Jeff and Kareen King joined a medical cost-sharing plan advertised as a “refreshing non-insurance approach” to paying for health care. It had a big proviso: Preexisting conditions like Jeff’s heart condition were not fully covered for the first two years. He needed heart surgery after just 16 months.
What Are Taxpayers Spending for Those ‘Free’ Covid Tests? The Government Won’t Say.
By Christine Spolar
February 11, 2022
KFF Health News Original
Inquiries lead from one federal office to the next, with no clear answers. At one Army Contracting Command, a protocol office employee says that “voicemail has been down for months.” And the email address listed for fielding media inquiries? “The army stopped using the email address about eight years ago.”
America’s Health System Isn’t Ready for the Surge of Seniors With Disabilities
By Judith Graham
January 17, 2024
KFF Health News Original
More than a third of older adults have a disability. Many find it difficult to get the medical care they need. New federal regulations would address that problem.
KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': For ACA Plans, It’s Time to Shop Around
November 2, 2023
Podcast
It’s Obamacare open enrollment season, which means that, for people who rely on these plans for coverage, it’s time to shop around. With enhanced premium subsidies and cost-sharing assistance, consumers may find savings by switching plans. It is especially important for people who lost their coverage because of the Medicaid unwinding to investigate their options. Many qualify for assistance. Meanwhile, the countdown to Election Day is on, and Ohio’s State Issue 1 is grabbing headlines. The closely watched ballot initiative has become a testing ground for abortion-related messaging, which has been rife with misinformation. This week’s panelists are Mary Agnes Carey of KFF Health News, Jessie Hellmann of CQ Roll Call, Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico, and Rachana Pradhan of KFF Health News.