Latest KFF Health News Stories
Democratic Senators Ask Watchdog Agency To Investigate Georgia’s Medicaid Work Rule
A group of Democratic senators asked the Government Accountability Office to examine a Georgia program that requires some Medicaid enrollees to work, study, or volunteer 80 hours a month for coverage. They cited KFF Health News’ reporting, which has documented the program’s high costs and low enrollment.
How a Duty To Spend Wisely on Worker Benefits Could Loosen PBMs’ Grip on Drug Prices
As criticism of pharmacy benefit managers heats up, fear of lawsuits is driving some big employers to drop the “Big Three” PBMs — or force them to change.
Rage Has Long Shadowed American Health Care. It’s Rarely Produced Big Change.
The outpouring of anger at health insurers following the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson continues a cycle of rage that dates back decades.
New Colorado Gun Law Aims To Shore Up Victim Services
A new tax on guns and ammunition in Colorado is set to take effect in the spring. Voters approved the tax, with most of the proceeds going to support services for crime victims and other social programs.
Trump’s Picks for Top Health Jobs Not Just Team of Rivals but ‘Team of Opponents’
The president-elect’s choices to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, as well as agencies such as the National Institutes of Health, FDA, and CDC, hold positions on issues including abortion and vaccination that are often at odds.
Trump Threat to Immigrant Health Care Tempered by Economic Hopes
Donald Trump’s second term is reigniting mistrust in health services among California immigrants, making it harder for community health workers to get people enrolled in Medi-Cal. Yet the president-elect is also seen as someone who could improve their lives with a better economy, even if that means forgoing health care.
Inmigrantes temen por su salud bajo Trump, pero tienen esperanzas en la economía
Los inmigrantes sin papeles han temido durante mucho tiempo que participar en programas gubernamentales los convierta en blanco fácil de las autoridades migratorias, y la elección de Trump ha exacerbado estas preocupaciones, según defensores comunitarios.
Native American Patients Are Sent to Collections for Debts the Government Owes
Federal law says Native Americans aren’t liable for medical bills the Indian Health Service promises to pay. Some are billed anyway as a result of backlogs or mistakes from the agency, financial middlemen, or health systems.
How Are States Spending Opioid Settlement Cash? We Built a Database of Answers
From addiction treatment to toy robot ambulances, we uncovered how billions in opioid settlement funds were used by state and local governments in 2022 and 2023. Find out where the money went.
Helicopters Rescued Patients in ‘Apocalyptic’ Flood. Other Hospitals Are at Risk, Too.
The helicopter evacuation of 70 people from a Tennessee hospital during Hurricane Helene is considered a success story. The building was destroyed by floodwaters, but no one died. In hindsight, why was it built next to a river?
California’s ‘Care Courts’ Are Falling Short
California’s controversial experiment to order mental illness and drug treatment for some of its sickest residents is rolling out statewide, but the latest data shows the new initiative is falling far short of early objectives. The Community Assistance, Recovery and Empowerment Act — known as Care — recently expanded from 11 pilot counties to all […]
Removing a Splinter? Treating a Wart? If a Doctor Does It, It Can Be Billed as Surgery
Minor interventions are increasingly being rebranded and billed as surgery, for profit. This means a neurologist spending 40 minutes with a patient to tease out a diagnosis can be paid less for that time than a dermatologist spending a few seconds squirting a dollop of liquid nitrogen onto the skin.
More Californians Are Freezing to Death. Experts Point to More Older Homeless People.
Hypothermia deaths have risen in California and across the nation. Experts point to the growing number of older, unsheltered homeless people as a key factor in the trend.
Más californianos están muriendo por el frío. Gran parte son personas mayores sin techo
La hipotermia causada por la exposición a bajas temperaturas fue la causa principal, o que contribuyó, a la muerte de 166 californianos el año pasado, más del doble que hace una década
KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': A Killing Touches Off Backlash Against Health Insurers
The shocking shooting death of UnitedHealthcare’s chief executive in Midtown Manhattan prompted a public outcry about the problems with the nation’s health care system, as stories of delayed and denied care filled social media. Meanwhile, President-elect Donald Trump continues to avoid providing specifics about his plans for the Affordable Care Act and other health issues. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call, and Rachel Cohrs Zhang of Stat join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Francis Collins, who was the director of the National Institutes of Health and a science adviser to President Joe Biden.
Watch: ‘Going It Alone’ — A Conversation About Growing Old in America
Judith Graham, KFF Health News’ “Navigating Aging” columnist, talks with older adults who live alone by choice or circumstance. They share what it means to thrive in later years.
As Rural America Grows More Diverse, Language Access Is Slow To Take Hold
The share of people who are Hispanic or Latino has grown to a little more than a quarter of the population in Elko, Nevada, a small city in the remote northeastern corner of the state. That growth in diversity has also led to an increasing number of people who speak a language other than English […]
Patients Couldn’t Pay Their Utility Bills. One Hospital Turned to Solar Power for Help.
Doctors in Boston got tired of writing letters to utility companies asking for assistance for their medically vulnerable patients who need power and heat to stay healthy. So a hospital decided to share the power its solar panels generate with patients who needed help with their electricity and gas bills.
Faltan iniciativas de gobiernos rurales para comunicarse con los residentes que no dominan el inglés
A pesar de la creciente demanda para que los gobiernos rurales locales se comuniquen con los residentes en idiomas distintos al inglés, los legisladores estatales en Nevada excluyeron a los condados más pequeños de una ley estatal de acceso lingüístico que se promulgó recientemente.
Former Montana Health Staffer Rebukes Oversight Rules as a Hospital ‘Wish List’
The push-pull in Montana reflects a national tension as states try to decide what counts as fair checks on tax-exempt hospitals and industry players weigh in. The debate centers on whether nonprofit hospitals do enough good to earn their charitable status.