Latest KFF Health News Stories
KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': A Colorful Cast Could Lead Key Health Agencies
President-elect Donald Trump has made his choices to fill some top jobs at the Department of Health and Human Services. They include controversial figures who were vocal critics of the Biden administration’s handling of the covid pandemic and have proposed sweeping changes to the agencies they would lead. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court heard its first two health-related cases of the term, challenging a Tennessee law barring transgender medical care for minors and, separately, challenging the FDA’s handling of e-cigarettes. Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins University and Politico, Shefali Luthra of The 19th, and Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews KFF Health News’ Bram Sable-Smith, who reported and wrote the latest KFF Health News-Washington Post Well+Being “Bill of the Month” feature, about an emergency room bill for a visit that didn’t get past the waiting room.
Georgia’s Work Requirement Slows Processing of Applications for Medicaid, Food Stamps
Georgia’s ability to process applications for Medicaid and other public benefits has lagged since the launch of Republican Gov. Brian Kemp’s “Pathways” Medicaid work requirement, leaving Georgia with persistently slow Medicaid application processing times.
How Potential Medicaid Cuts Could Play Out in California
As Donald Trump prepares to reenter the White House with a Republican-controlled Congress, health officials and community advocates in California worry that large-scale Medicaid cuts could be enacted as soon as next year. More than 60% of California’s $161 billion Medi-Cal budget comes from Washington.
An Arm and a Leg: New Lessons in the Fight for Charity Care
Host Dan Weissmann checks back in on the fight for hospital charity care, with lessons from Dollar For and a savvy listener.
Nursing Homes Fell Behind on Vaccinating Patients for Covid
Last winter, only 4 in 10 nursing home residents got an updated covid vaccine. The low uptake leaves a fragile population vulnerable. Some industry watchdogs say it could be a sign of eroding trust between nursing home residents and providers.
9 States Poised To End Coverage for Millions if Trump Cuts Medicaid Funding
About 3.7 million people are at immediate risk of losing health coverage should the federal government cut funding for Medicaid expansions, as some allies of President-elect Donald Trump have proposed. Coverage could be at risk in the 40 states that have expanded Medicaid.
Si Trump recorta fondos, millones de personas en nueve estados podrían perder Medicaid
Los estados son Arizona, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Montana, New Hampshire, Carolina del Norte, Utah y Virginia.
With Trump on the Way, Advocates Look to States To Pick Up Medical Debt Fight
Patient and consumer advocates fear a new Trump administration will scale back federal efforts to expand financial protections for patients and shield them from debt.
California Falling Short of Enrollment Goal as Mental Health Courts Roll Out Statewide
California’s goal was to help 2,000 seriously mentally ill people by the end of this year, but data shows fewer than 600 petitions have been filed. As the CARE program expands to every county, officials say it sometimes takes months to locate eligible adults and get them in treatment plans.
Nursing Home Industry Wants Trump To Rescind Staffing Mandate
A Biden administration rule that imposed minimum rules on nursing levels may not survive, even though many homes lack enough workers to maintain residents’ care.
Homebound Seniors Living Alone Often Slip Through Health System’s Cracks
There is a large population of older adults with physical problems that prevent them from leaving home. Many have significant medical and practical needs that go unmet.
Who Gets Obesity Drugs Covered by Insurance? In North Carolina, It Helps If You’re on Medicaid
GLP-1 agonist medications such as Ozempic accounted for 10% of the North Carolina state employee health plan’s prescription drug spending, so the state is no longer covering them for weight loss alone. Still, it did decide to cover them for Medicaid patients’ weight loss. A look inside the state’s coverage calculus.
¿Podrían los nuevos medicamentos para bajar de peso estar disponibles para todos?
Los medicamentos agonistas GLP-1, conocidos por los nombres comerciales Ozempic, Trulicity y Wegovy, han demostrado ser efectivos para la pérdida de peso y para el manejo de la diabetes tipo 2.
Journalists Dish on New Weight Loss Drugs, RFK Jr.’s Fluoride Claims, and Reproductive Health
KFF Health News staffers and contributors made the rounds on national and local media this week to discuss their stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances.
Your Next Hospital Stay Could Involve Fewer IV Fluid Bags. Here’s Why.
When Hurricane Helene struck in late September, it flooded the largest IV fluid factory in the United States. The Baxter International facility in western North Carolina had been producing 1.5 million IV bags a day, 60 percent of the nation’s supply. The company immediately began rationing its products, and the shortage sent ripples through the […]
Trump Doesn’t Need Congress To Make Abortion Effectively Unavailable
President-elect Donald Trump vowed on the campaign trail not to sign a nationwide abortion ban. But he wouldn’t need to do so to make abortion difficult, or illegal, writes KFF Health News’ chief Washington correspondent, Julie Rovner.
A Toddler Got a Nasal Swab Test but Left Before Seeing a Doctor. The Bill Was $445.
A mom in Peoria, Illinois, took her 3-year-old to the ER one evening last December. While they were waiting to be seen, the toddler seemed better, so they left without seeing a doctor. Then the bill came.
KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': Public Health and the Dairy Cow in the Room
Public health, one of the more misunderstood concepts in the health world, is about the health of entire populations, rather than individuals. As a result, public health is closely tied to things like the environment, nutrition, and safety. With major concerns such as bird flu looming, President-elect Donald Trump’s priorities could translate into efforts that undermine those of public health workers. In this special episode of KFF Health News’ “What the Health?”, chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner is joined by Healthbeat editor-in-chief Charlene Pacenti, KFF Health News public health correspondent Amy Maxmen, and Healthbeat New York City reporter Eliza Fawcett.
Efforts To Curb ACA Enrollment Fraud Face Real-World Test
The current Affordable Care Act open enrollment season is the first big test of new federal guardrails against fraud. The rules aim to head off unauthorized ACA plan enrollments or switches by rogue agents and entities looking to make money via enrollment commissions. Such sign-ups triggered more than 274,000 consumer complaints through August this year. […]
Make America Healthy Again: An Unconventional Movement That May Have Found Its Moment
Nonmainstream doctors and leaders in health business are wielding serious muscle in shaping the incoming Trump administration’s health policies and challenging prevailing thinking on public health, disease prevention, and chronic illness.