Rising Complaints of Unauthorized Obamacare Plan-Switching and Sign-Ups Trigger Concern
By Julie Appleby
April 8, 2024
KFF Health News Original
Federal and state regulators are mulling what they can do to thwart this growing problem.
Florida Defies CDC in Measles Outbreak, Telling Parents It’s Fine to Send Unvaccinated Kids to School
By Amy Maxmen
February 23, 2024
KFF Health News Original
The state’s surgeon general grants parents permission to send unvaccinated children to school during a measles outbreak, risking their health and that of others.
The Horrors of TMJ: Chronic Pain, Metal Jaws, and Futile Treatments
By Brett Kelman and Anna Werner, CBS News
April 4, 2024
KFF Health News Original
TMJ disorders affect as many as 1 in 10 Americans and yet remain poorly understood and ineffectively treated. Many common treatments used by dentists lack scientific evidence.
These Appalachia Hospitals Made Big Promises to Gain a Monopoly. They’re Failing to Deliver.
By Brett Kelman and Samantha Liss
September 29, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Ballad Health, the only hospital system across a large swath of Tennessee and Virginia, has fallen short of quality-of-care and charity care obligations — even as it’s sued thousands of patients for unpaid bills.
Exclusive: CMS Study Sabotages Efforts to Bolster Nursing Home Staffing, Advocates Say
By Jordan Rau
August 29, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Research commissioned by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services analyzed only staffing levels below what experts have previously called ideal. Patient advocates have been pushing for more staff to improve care.
Bold Changes Are in Store for Medi-Cal in 2024, but Will Patients Benefit?
By Bernard J. Wolfson
December 22, 2023
KFF Health News Original
California’s Medicaid program is undergoing major changes that could improve health care for residents with low incomes. But they are happening at the same time as several other initiatives that could compete for staff attention and confuse enrollees.
CDC Tells Pharmacies to Give 4th Covid Shots to Immunocompromised Patients
By Liz Szabo
January 26, 2022
KFF Health News Original
The health agency and the White House acted in the wake of a KHN story about pharmacists refusing to give shots to patients with moderate to severe immune suppression.
An Arm and a Leg: Wait, Is Insulin Cheaper Now?
By Dan Weissmann
February 28, 2024
Podcast
Did the price of insulin go down? It’s not quite that simple. On this episode of “An Arm and a Leg,” producer Emily Pisacreta explores recent changes to the cost of the diabetes medication.
The $18,000 Breast Biopsy: When Having Insurance Costs You a Bundle
By Lauren Sausser
August 23, 2022
KFF Health News Original
An online calculator told a young woman that a procedure to rule out cancer would cost an uninsured person about $1,400. Instead, the hospital initially charged almost $18,000 and, with her high-deductible health insurance, she owed more than $5,000.
Start Shopping: Enrollment Begins Nov. 1 for Most Obamacare Insurance Plans
By Julie Appleby
October 31, 2023
KFF Health News Original
More than 16 million Americans who buy their own health insurance through state and federal marketplaces have until Jan. 15 to compare prices, change their coverage, or enroll for the first time.
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.
Federal Rules Don’t Require Period Product Ingredients on Packaging Labels. States Are Stepping In.
By Erica Zurek
May 3, 2023
KFF Health News Original
New York and California have passed laws requiring disclosure of ingredients on menstrual product packaging. Advocates want more transparency across the U.S.
A Government Video Would Explain When Abortion Is Legal in South Dakota
By Arielle Zionts
February 27, 2024
KFF Health News Original
South Dakota allows doctors to terminate a pregnancy only if a patient’s life is in jeopardy. Lawmakers say a government-created video would clarify what that exception actually means.
Without Medicare Part B’s Shield, Patient’s Family Owes $81,000 for a Single Air-Ambulance Flight
By Tony Leys
February 27, 2024
KFF Health News Original
Sky-high bills from air-ambulance providers have sparked complaints and federal action in recent years. But a rural Tennessee resident fell through the cracks of billing protections — and a single helicopter ride could cost much of her estate’s value.
‘Dr. Google’ Meets Its Match: Dr. ChatGPT
By Andrew Leonard
September 12, 2023
KFF Health News Original
With the rise of generative AI, people who once turned to “Dr. Google” to check on medical symptoms are now turning to chatbots. Researchers say the bots are often more accurate, but urge caution in the absence of any regulations.
There’s a New Covid-19 Variant and Cases Are Ticking Up. What Do You Need to Know?
By Julie Appleby
January 8, 2024
KFF Health News Original
The covid-19 virus is continually changing, and a recent subvariant, the JN.1, is rapidly climbing the charts.
Grassroots College Networks Distribute Emergency Contraceptives on Campus
By Michelle Andrews
December 6, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Peer-to-peer efforts can meet a clear need among students whose colleges may not make sexual health products accessible or affordable.
Explosive DeSantis-Newsom Debate Reflects Nation’s Culture Wars
By Angela Hart and PolitiFact Staff
December 1, 2023
KFF Health News Original
The two governors exchanged heated verbal barbs when they faced off in a wide-ranging debate that covered various health-related topics, from abortion to gun violence.
Proposed Rule Would Make Hospital Prices Even More Transparent
By Julie Appleby
August 14, 2023
KFF Health News Original
A Biden administration proposal would help standardize the data on prices that hospitals provide to patients, increase its usefulness to consumers, and boost enforcement. Previous rules gave hospitals too many loopholes.
‘Conscience’ Bills Let Medical Providers Opt Out of Providing a Wide Range of Care
By Carly Graf
August 3, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Opponents of the wave of state legislation say the measures place health providers’ preferences over patients’ rights.