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Latest KFF Health News Stories

The Air Ambulance Billed More Than His Surgeon Did For A Lung Transplant

KFF Health News Original

After Tom Saputo underwent double lung transplant surgery in 2018, he was stunned by a surprise bill of more than $11,000 for the 27-mile air ambulance ride to the hospital. State and federal proposals would crack down on extreme air ambulance charges, including a new California law that will limit how much some patients pay for air ambulance rides.

California Air Quality: Mapping The Progress

KFF Health News Original

The Trump administration has revoked California’s unique authority to set its own standards for vehicle tailpipe emissions, a move the state is fighting in court. A historical analysis of air quality data shows that the state’s strict standards have made a difference for counties across California.

As States With Legal Weed Embrace Vaping Bans, Black-Market Risks Linger

KFF Health News Original

Many cases of vaping-related injury seem to involve THC, health officials say. That’s led some states to take another look at the safety of the regulated cannabis market, as well as the black market.

Aumento récord de casos de enfermedad del Legionario

KFF Health News Original

Jacuzzis, hoteles y hospitales en todo el país siguen siendo focos de esta enfermedad potencialmente letal, que las personas contraen luego de inhalar vapor o gotas de agua contaminadas.

Record Number Of Legionnaires’ Cases In 2018 Risk Lives, Cause Cleanup Headaches

KFF Health News Original

Legionnaires’ disease cases hit an all-time high in 2018, with eight times more cases than 20 years ago. Even though many facilities in Missouri and elsewhere have water management plans in place to deal with the potentially deadly disease, they are still finding the underlying bacteria that causes it in their water.

Warren’s Plan On ‘Medicare For All’ Could Raise Concerns Among Health Providers

KFF Health News Original

KHN’s Julie Rovner was featured on NPR’s “Weekend Edition” and MSNBC’s “Kasie DC” show over the weekend to talk about Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren’s plan to fund “Medicare for All.”

Return To Sender: A Single Undeliverable Letter Can Mean Losing Medicaid

KFF Health News Original

Colorado, like a number of states, is struggling to deal with returned mail sent out by its Medicaid, SNAP and other aid programs. Now people could lose benefits after just a single piece of returned mail.

Cigarettes Vs. Vaping: That’s The ‘Wrong Comparison,’ Says Inhalation Researcher

KFF Health News Original

Ilona Jaspers, an inhalation toxicologist at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, believes the common notion of comparing e-cigarettes with traditional, combustible cigarettes is the wrong analogy because the vaping products expose consumers to chemicals in a fundamentally different way.