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Latest KFF Health News Stories

Pagar primero, parir después: algunos servicios piden a las embarazadas que paguen fortunas antes del parto

KFF Health News Original

Es difícil saber con qué frecuencia ocurre porque se considera una transacción privada entre el proveedor y el paciente. Por lo tanto, los pagos no se registran en los datos de reclamos de seguros y, por ende, los expertos no los analizan.

KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': Readying for Republican Rule

Podcast

With Republicans now set to control the White House, Senate, and House of Representatives starting in January, their health agenda remains unclear. What is clear, however, is that just about anything could be on the table, from Medicare, Medicaid, and the Affordable Care Act, to drug prices and public health. Meanwhile, anti-abortion groups are preparing to fight the implementation of abortion rights ballot measures just passed by voters in seven states. Rachel Roubein of The Washington Post, Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, and Lauren Weber of The Washington Post join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Plus, for “extra credit,” the panelists suggest health policy stories they read this week that they think you should read, too.

Scientists Fear What’s Next for Public Health if RFK Jr. Is Allowed To ‘Go Wild’

KFF Health News Original

As federal health scientists await a potential takeover by RFK Jr. and other medical skeptics in the second Trump administration, some are preparing résumés or retirement papers.

Qué le depara a la salud pública si se confirma Robert F. Kennedy Jr. como secretario de Salud

KFF Health News Original

Científicos de las agencias federales de salud esperan la segunda administración de Donald Trump con incertidumbre y temor, preguntándose cómo el presidente electo conciliará filosofías radicalmente diferentes entre los líderes de su equipo.

After Congress Ended Extra Cash Aid for Families, Communities Tackle Child Poverty Alone

KFF Health News Original

The child tax credit passed by Congress at the height of covid has expired, but states and localities are trying to fill the gap with their own programs and funding. In Michigan, Rx Kids already covers every family with a new baby in Flint. Now, other communities aim to follow.

As California Taps Pandemic Stockpile for Bird Flu, Officials Keep Close Eye on Spending

KFF Health News Original

California health officials began providing protective clothing to farmworkers months before the state’s first bird flu transmission to humans was announced in October. It’s a reminder of the state’s struggle to remain prepared for health threats amid multibillion-dollar deficits.

California pone gafas, guantes y máscaras a 10.000 trabajadores agrícolas para protegerlos de la gripe aviar

KFF Health News Original

Hasta el momento, se ha confirmado la presencia de gripe aviar en más de 270 granjas lecheras en el centro de California. También detectaron rastros del virus en un sitio de muestreo de aguas residuales en el condado de Los Ángeles.

Tribal Leaders Ask Feds To Declare Syphilis Outbreak a Public Health Emergency

KFF Health News Original

For Native American communities in the Great Plains, data paints a clear picture of the devastation caused by an ongoing syphilis outbreak. According to the South Dakota Department of Health, 649 cases of syphilis have been documented this year. Of those, 546 were diagnosed among Native Americans, who make up only 9 percent of the […]

Maryland Is Training More Health Workers To Offer Abortion Care

KFF Health News Original

After the fall of “Roe v. Wade,” thousands of out-of-state patients traveled to Maryland for abortion care. The state is trying to diversify who can offer that care. Providers in the first training class say their new skills are especially needed in rural areas.

Hospitals Adjust as Rates of Maternal High Blood Pressure Spike

KFF Health News Original

Health researchers are noticing a growing problem in American pregnancies: more cases of blood pressure so high it can be deadly for the parent and baby. U.S. rates of newly developed and chronic maternal high blood pressure skyrocketed from 2007 through 2019, and researchers say they haven’t slowed down. Hospitals are working to adjust their […]

Older Americans Living Alone Often Rely on Neighbors or Others Willing To Help

KFF Health News Original

Diverse networks of friends, former co-workers, neighbors, and extended family are often essential sources of support for older adults living alone. Often it is the elderly caring for the elderly.

California Dengue Cases Prompt Swift Response From Public Health Officials

KFF Health News Original

With the arrival in California of dengue, a dangerous mosquito-borne disease present mainly in more tropical climates, public health authorities are deploying a range of strategies to beat back the Aedes mosquitoes that spread the virus.

Oficiales de salud en California responden rápido a los casos de dengue

KFF Health News Original

En lo que va del año, las autoridades han identificado al menos 13 casos de dengue de transmisión local, frente a dos en 2023, con 11 en el condado de Los Ángeles y dos en el área de San Diego.

KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': Trump 2.0

Podcast

As Donald Trump readies for his return to the White House — with the backing of a GOP majority in the Senate and, possibly, the House — the entire health care industry is waiting to see what happens next. Clearly on the agenda: the future of abortion and reproductive rights, Medicare, Medicaid, the Affordable Care Act, and public health’s infrastructure. Rachel Cohrs Zhang of Stat and Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews KFF Health News’ Jackie Fortiér, who reported and wrote the latest KFF Health News-Washington Post “Bill of the Month” feature, about a 2-year-old who had a very expensive run-in with a rattlesnake.

Voters in These Red States Okay Paid Sick Leave

KFF Health News Original

Voters in Missouri and Nebraska approved ballot measures Tuesday that guarantee paid leave for sick workers. Alaska voters seem poised to pass a similar measure that has a wide lead. These two Republican-led states join 15 others and D.C. — largely Democratic-controlled places — in requiring some employers to provide workers with paid sick leave. Proponents cheered […]

California Expanded Medi-Cal to Unauthorized Residents. The Results Are Mixed.

KFF Health News Original

California this year completed its Medi-Cal expansion to include income-eligible residents regardless of their immigration status. This final installment of the “Faces of Medi-Cal” series profiles three of those newly eligible patients and how coverage has affected their health.