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Latest KFF Health News Stories

Trump Claims ‘No Downside’ to Avoiding Tylenol During Pregnancy. He’s Wrong.

KFF Health News Original

Doctors say acetaminophen, the main ingredient in Tylenol, is safe to take during pregnancy. Other over-the-counter pain relievers such as aspirin and ibuprofen aren’t recommended because they can harm fetal development. Untreated fever in pregnancy can pose maternal and fetal health risks.

As the Trump Administration and States Push Health Data Sharing, Familiar Challenges Surface

KFF Health News Original

Despite billions of tax dollars and two decades of effort invested in improving health care data sharing, Americans’ medical records often remain siloed, leading to duplicate testing, increased costs, and wasted time for patients and doctors.

States Are Cutting Medicaid Provider Payments Long Before Trump Cuts Hit

KFF Health News Original

North Carolina and Idaho are cutting their Medicaid programs to bridge budget gaps, raising fears that providers will stop taking patients and that hospitals will close even before the brunt of a new federal tax-and-budget law takes effect.

Mercury in Your Hot Dog? Vaccine Skeptics Face Their Limits at Crucial CDC Meeting

KFF Health News Original

A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention meeting on vaccines pitted scientific expertise against vaccine skepticism. An often confusing debate ended with critics of the current vaccine schedule tabling a vote to remove one of its cornerstones.

Listen: The Surprising Power of Pushback When Health Insurance Won’t Pay

KFF Health News Original

Denied coverage for preventive care? You’re not powerless. In this new episode of NPR’s “Life Kit” podcast, KFF Health News reporter Jackie Fortiér explores why denials happen and how to avoid common pitfalls.

Kennedy’s Take on Vaccine Science Fractures Cohesive National Public Health Strategies

KFF Health News Original

A lack of faith in the soundness of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s new direction has led states to explore enacting their own vaccine policies. A patchwork of divergent recommendations and requirements could result.

KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': Ousted CDC Officials Clap Back at RFK Jr.

Podcast

Fired less than a month after being confirmed as head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Susan Monarez appeared at a dramatic Senate hearing this week alongside another ousted CDC official and directly contradicted Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy’s earlier testimony about why she was fired. Monarez told the Health, […]

Ticks Are Migrating, Raising Disease Risks if They Can’t Be Tracked Quickly Enough

KFF Health News Original

Doctors need to know when to screen for tick-borne diseases in their communities. But it’s getting harder for local health departments to get funding for tick surveys as federal public health grants from agencies like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention dry up.

Health Care Cuts Threaten Homegrown Solutions to Rural Doctor Shortages

KFF Health News Original

In a rural, largely Republican region of California, homegrown efforts to bolster the medical workforce face an uphill battle, in part because of federal health care cuts approved by the GOP Congress and signed by President Donald Trump in July, as well as a state budget deficit.

Las garrapatas migran y aumentan los riesgos de enfermedades si no se las rastrea con rapidez

KFF Health News Original

El cambio climático provocado por los humanos ha acortado los inviernos, lo que hace que las garrapatas pasen menos tiempo en hibernación y tengan más meses de actividad para engancharse a animales y personas.

Watch: Fired CDC Chief Says RFK Jr. Demanded She Roll Back Vaccine Policies Without Evidence

KFF Health News Original

Susan Monarez and former Centers for Disease Control and Prevention chief medical officer Debra Houry described turmoil in an agency dominated by anti-vaccine political officials nominated by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Projected Surge in Uninsured Will Strain Local Health Systems

KFF Health News Original

In South Texas’ Rio Grande Valley, many people go without health insurance, and the health system struggles as a result. Similar communities dot the nation, and more could face such difficulties under President Donald Trump’s tax-and-spending law.