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Latest KFF Health News Stories

Scooter Madness In Austin Puts Safety Concerns In High Gear

KFF Health News Original

As Austin and other cities across the USA deal with the invasion of e-scooters, injuries mount — along with calls for regulations. The findings from a CDC study may shed light on solutions.

For California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, Resistance Is Personal

KFF Health News Original

Xavier Becerra, the state’s first Latino attorney general, is one of President Donald Trump’s most relentless adversaries. He attributes his legal values — and his opposition to the current administration — to his upbringing as the son of Mexican immigrants.

Transparent Hospital Pricing Exposes Wild Fluctuation, Even Within Miles

KFF Health News Original

A new federal rule requires hospitals to post their prices online. These lists reveal the wildly different charges for basic procedures and services, but consumers will have a hard time putting this information to use.

Task Force Outlines Strategy To Address California’s Shortfall Of Health Workers

KFF Health News Original

A new report by a coalition of health, education and labor leaders concludes that the state must build a larger and more culturally diverse pool of medical, mental health and home care professionals to meet the needs of a growing population. The findings point to a big challenge for Gov. Gavin Newsom as he seeks to extend health insurance to many of California’s nearly 3 million uninsured residents.

Patients Suffer When Health Care Behemoths Quarrel Over Contracts

KFF Health News Original

The latest example is Sutter Health and Anthem Blue Cross, whose failure to seal a deal is causing Anthem members to worry they may not have access to one of the dominant hospital chains in Northern California. Across the U.S., the stakes in such contract fights have risen, as health systems and insurers battle to increase their market share.

Nonprofit Dental Insurer Under Scrutiny For ‘Flagrant’ Spending

KFF Health News Original

Delta Dental of California, with more than 36 million enrollees across the country, is looking to buy a stake in a for-profit insurance company based in Oregon. Consumer advocates are calling on regulators to scrutinize the transaction, arguing that it is just the latest questionable move by the nonprofit dental insurer whose corporate practices may be out of step with its tax-exempt status.

Podcast: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’ Live From D.C.: A Look Ahead At Health Policy In 2019

KFF Health News Original

Congress and President Donald Trump are starting to wrestle with health policy issues, and health is already a key debate point in the early run-up to the 2020 Democratic presidential primaries. Might any major health policy legislation be passed and signed this year? Joanne Kenen of Politico, Anna Edney of Bloomberg News and Kimberly Leonard of The Washington Examiner, along with special guest Tom Miller of the American Enterprise Institute, join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and take questions from a live studio audience.