Chorus or Cacophony? Cicada Song Hits Some Ears Harder Than Others
Cicadas are the song of the summer, but this year’s large broods may be especially irritating for people on the autism spectrum who have hearing sensitivity.
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Battleground Wisconsin: Voters Feel Nickel-and-Dimed by Health Care Costs
In the swing state of Wisconsin, the cost and availability of health care have emerged as key issues. Voters there say prescriptions, procedures, and health insurance policies are too expensive, and must be addressed by the next president, whether Republican or Democrat.
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Rate of Young Women Getting Sterilized Doubled After ‘Roe’ Was Overturned
A recent study found that the rate of women 18 to 30 getting tubal ligations doubled in the 16 months following the Dobbs decision. The number of young men getting vasectomies also shot up, but men still get sterilized much less often than women.
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US Judge Finds California in Contempt Over Prison Mental Health Staffing
A federal judge has found top California officials in contempt for failing to hire enough mental health professionals to adequately treat tens of thousands of incarcerated people with serious mental disorders. The judge ordered the state to pay $112 million in fines.
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Closing of Rural Hospitals Leaves Towns With Unhealthy Real Estate
Dozens of small cities and towns across the United States struggle not just with health care access and the loss of jobs, but also with the burden of what to do with big, empty buildings.
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California’s $25 Health Care Hourly Wage Relies on Federal Boost, State Worker Exemption
California’s nation-leading $25 minimum wage for health workers relies on a significant boost in federal funding. It also leaves out thousands of state employees under an agreement that is expected to win approval from state lawmakers and Gov. Gavin Newsom in the coming days.
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Los Angeles County Approves Medical Debt Relief for Residents
The most populous county in the U.S. is buying up and retiring millions of dollars in residents’ medical debt as part of its plan to tackle a $2.9 billion burden. But some health experts worry the initiative could incentivize hospitals to pursue debtors rather than boost financial assistance to patients.
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Meet the Middleman’s Middleman
Why are patients facing bigger bills than they expect for out-of-network care? In this episode of “An Arm and a Leg,” the show explains the hidden mechanics of MultiPlan, a data firm that helps health insurers set these rates and make bigger returns.
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Therapists Learn How To Help Farmers Cope With Stress Before It’s Too Late
Many farmers have traditionally handled their own problems, whether it’s a busted tractor or debilitating anxiety. “With the older generation, it’s still, ‘Suck it up and get over it,’” says an Iowa mental health advocate and farmer.
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US Surgeon General Declares Gun Violence ‘a Public Health Crisis’
Gun violence is the No. 1 cause of death for children and teens in America. Vivek Murthy says the toll extends beyond deaths, as survivors deal with “a lifetime of physical and mental health impacts” and those who witness shootings become traumatized.
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Young Gay Latinos See Rising Share of New HIV Cases, Leading to Call for Targeted Funding
Since being diagnosed with HIV in 2022, Fernando Hermida has had to move three times to access treatment. A KFF Health News-Associated Press analysis found gay and bisexual Latino men account for a fast-growing proportion of new diagnoses and infections, showing they are falling behind in the fight against HIV.
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Medicaid for Millions in America Hinges on Deloitte-Run Systems Plagued by Errors
The technology has generated notices with errors, sent Medicaid paperwork to the wrong addresses, and been frozen for hours at a time, according to state audits, court documents, and interviews. While it can take months to fix problems, America’s poorest residents pay the price.
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It’s Called an Urgent Care Emergency Center — But Which Is It?
Suffering stomach pain, a Dallas man visited his local urgent care clinic — or so he thought, until he got a bill 10 times what he’d expected.
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Journalists Discuss Bird Flu, Tick-Borne Illnesses, and Lessons From Covid Response
KFF Health News and California Healthline staff made the rounds on national and local media in recent weeks to discuss topical stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances.
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Live From Aspen: Health and the 2024 Elections
Health policy may not be the top issue in this year’s presidential and congressional elections, but it’s likely to play a key role. President Joe Biden and Democrats intend to hold Republicans responsible for the Supreme Court’s unpopular ruling overturning the right to abortion, and former President Donald Trump aims to take credit for government efforts to lower prescription drug prices — even in cases in which he played no role. Meanwhile, some critical health care issues, such as those involving Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act, are unlikely to get discussed much, even though the party in power after the elections would control the future of those programs. This week, in an episode taped before a live audience at the Aspen Ideas: Health festival in Aspen, Colorado, Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times and Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more.
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Super Bowl Parade Shooting Survivors Await Promised Donations While Bills Pile Up
Families of the people hurt during the Feb. 14 mass shooting are carrying what one expert calls “victimization debt.” In the third story of our series “The Injured,” we learn about the strain of paying small and large medical bills and other out-of-pocket costs.
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California Leaders Tussle With Health Industry Over Billions of New Dollars for Medi-Cal
Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to pull funds earmarked for new investment in Medi-Cal to help plug California’s $45 billion deficit. A state budget passed June 13 by the legislature largely endorsed Newsom’s plan. Voters could settle the matter in an industry-backed initiative that has qualified for the November ballot.
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A Tale of Two States: Arizona and Florida Diverge on How To Expand Kids’ Health Insurance
Both Florida and Arizona want to expand eligibility for the Children’s Health Insurance Program, known as CHIP, but their approaches to charging low-income families premiums for the coverage showcase the nation’s ideological divide on helping the disadvantaged.
