Latest KFF Health News Stories
Helping Ex-Inmates Stay Out Of The ER Brings Multiple Benefits
Each year, millions of Americans leave jail and prison. When they do, they’re likely to have a hard time managing their health. Some clinics are trying to provide ex-inmates with better, cheaper care.
Insurers’ Flawed Directories Leave Patients Scrambling For In-Network Doctors
Many consumers find that doctors listed in their plan’s directories aren’t accepting new patients, charge large concierge fees or may not even be in the network. Regulators don’t check.
In House Majority Leader’s Calif. District, Many Depend On Health Law He Wants To Scrap
Some of Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s constituents fear his vow to repeal Obamacare now and replace it later could rob them of coverage.
In California, Planned Parenthood Girds For Potentially Grim Future Under Trump
The CEO of the group’s state organization, Kathy Kneer, says private donations can’t cover the potential loss of federal money for reproductive health services.
Immigrant Health Care Under A Cloud Of Uncertainty
With Trump headed for the White House, many immigrants in California are worried not just about their legal status but about their health care options.
Delivered ‘Like A Pizza’: Why Killer Drug Fentanyl Is So Hard To Stop
Just a few grains of pure fentanyl is enough to kill most users. But law enforcement sources say stopping the supply of the deadly synthetic opioid from China and Mexico is very difficult.
Medicaid Is Balm And Benefit For Victims Of Gun Violence
Young men injured by gunshot wounds often lacked insurance and went for years without proper follow-up care. The health law’s Medicaid expansion, in doubt since the election, changed that in many of the states with the most gun violence.
HSA Balances Climb But Benefits Reward Wealthier Consumers Most
Expanding health savings accounts is a step favored by President-elect Donald Trump and many GOP lawmakers as they contemplate ways to replace the health law.
Estudiantes de California ayudan a hispanos a estar sanos y en forma
Estudiantes de Cal State son instructores en un programa de ejercicio gratuito ofrecido en parques en el Valle de San Fernando, el sur de Los Ángeles, San Francisco y el condado de Stanislaus. Participan latinos, y muchos sufren de diabetes o hipertensión.
Some GOP Voters Skittish On Full Repeal, Poll Finds
Trump backers expressed support for some of the health law’s consumer protections, such as allowing young adults to stay on their parents’ insurance until age 26.
Slowing Down Hospital Discharge Requires Fast Action
Seniors who feel they’re being rushed out of the hospital can file an appeal to halt the process but they need to act fast.
Health Law’s Test Kitchen For Payment Reforms Could Offer Tool For GOP Ideas
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation was charged by the health law with exploring payment reforms that could cut health care costs and possibly improve quality. But its future is hinged to whether GOP lawmakers see value in its work.
Enfermos… ¿y en bancarrota? Consumidores gastarán más en drogas en 2017
En 2017, muchos más planes de salud en los mercados de seguros requerirán que los consumidores paguen una sustancial parte del costo de los medicamentos más caros, dicen, para disuadir a pacientes muy enfermos de elegir sus planes.
Legislation To Improve Mental Health Care For Millions Sails Through House Vote
Sponsors of Congressional action up for vote Wednesday have championed mental health changes since the 2012 Newtown shootings.
Need Pricey Drugs From An Obamacare Plan? You’ll Shoulder More Of The Cost
A Kaiser Health News analysis finds that the portion of federal marketplace plans requiring people to pay a third or more of the cost of specialty drugs have jumped from 37 to 63 percent since 2014.
Push-ups In The Park: Cal State Students Lead Outdoor Exercise In Low-Income Areas
A program to boost physical activity at parks around California can help people lose weight and prevent – or control – chronic conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure.
Tighter Prescribing Rules: An Anti-Abuse Strategy That Could Hurt Patients In Pain
Responding to a national epidemic, many state Medicaid programs are making the coverage rules for these opioid-based medicines tougher so that physicians will think twice before prescribing them. But some worry that legitimate pain patients could suffer.
Trump’s Pick To Run Medicare And Medicaid Has Red State Policy Chops
Seema Verma is a consultant who was Vice President-elect Mike Pence’s health policy advisor when he was governor of Indiana, playing a key role in Medicaid expansion in that state.
Price’s Appointment Boosts GOP Plans To Overhaul Medicare And Medicaid
Privatizing the Medicare program for the elderly and disabled and turning the Medicaid program for the poor back to the states are long-time goals for Republicans in Congress and the White House.
¿Sin anticonceptivos y gastando más?, qué le espera a las mujeres con el Trumpcare
La idea de que las mujeres perderían el acceso gratuito a anticonceptivos si la ley de salud se deroga o reemplaza es sólo la punta del iceberg del problema. Hay otros beneficios para la salud de las mujeres que también están en riesgo.