Latest KFF Health News Stories
Screening Positive For Depression Doesn’t Mean You’ll Get Treatment, Study Finds
A study in JAMA Internal Medicine suggests that patients known as the “worried well” are actually the highest utilizers of mental health care — and likely to receive antidepressants.
Protecting California’s Seniors From Surprise Hospital, Nursing Home Bills
Lawmakers approve bill to help Medicare patients with “observation care” costs.
FAQ: Hospital Observation Care Can Be Costly For Medicare Patients
A guide to help Medicare patients receiving observation care.
Hospital Surprise: Medicare’s Observation Care
You’re in a hospital and think you’re admitted. Maybe not. Many Medicare beneficiaries are surprised to learn that even after spending a couple of days, they are receiving observation care, which Medicare considers an outpatient service, so the seniors’ costs can be more than expected.
Teaching Medical Teamwork Right From The Start
In a joint project, the Cleveland Clinic and Case Western Reserve University are banking on a new building to kick start efforts to bring health professionals together by introducing collaboration into medical training.
Report For State Insurance Commissioners Offers Options To Improve Drug Access
The report describes steps that states could take to address a number of drug-coverage issues in the commercial insurance market.
‘Mental Health First Aid’ — Chirlane McCray On How N.Y.C. Is Fixing The System
“Every city’s not New York City,” but the Big Apple’s first lady hopes that the city’s efforts to address mental health access issues could be replicated across the country.
In Boston’s ‘Safe Space,’ Surprising Insights Into Drug Highs
As doctors and nurses learn more about what the body goes through during drug use, they are changing the treatment they provide for patients on heroin and other drugs.
Infant Gas Relief Drops, Often Added To Medical Scopes, May Pose Danger
In a small study, Minnesota researchers found that the infant drops used to increase visibility during procedures may create a “perfect habitat” for bacteria and make scopes harder to clean.
Doctors Raise Concerns For Small Practices In Medicare’s New Payment System
The government is laying out plans to use payment incentives to promote higher quality care, but physicians say the new system may be hard on solo practices and small groups.
Giving Birth In Georgia Is Too Often A Deadly Event
The legislature has set up a committee to study why Georgia is among the states with the highest rates of maternal mortality.
Another Reason To Diet: Experts Find Additional Evidence Of Obesity-Cancer Link
A review by the International Agency for Research on Cancer reaffirms earlier findings that excess body fat increases the risks for certain cancers.
Hidden Stroke Victims: The Young
The number of hospitalizations for stroke is rising quickly among young people, even as it drops across the U.S. population as a whole.
California Court Helps Kids By Healing Parents’ Addictions
The opioid epidemic may be fueling a rise in the number of children in foster care. But a special family court is trying to keep families together by treating parents with substance abuse problems.
As The For-Profit World Moves Into An Elder Care Program, Some Worry
PACE, a little-known Medicare program that helps keep older people in their own homes, is allowing for-profit companies in. Tech and venture capital have expressed interest.
Government-Protected ‘Monopolies’ Drive Drug Prices Higher, Study Says
Researchers at Harvard University examined thousands of studies to determine why drug prices have climbed and what might be done about it.
Geriatric ERs Reduce Stress, Medical Risks For Elderly Patients
Overcrowding and chaos in traditional emergency rooms can harm seniors’ health. That’s prompting some hospitals to open ERs designed specifically for the elderly.
Public Health Officials Struggle To Identify Sepsis Before It Becomes Deadly
Consumer campaigns, hospital rules and some new state laws seek to increase awareness about the lethal disease.
CMS Identifies Hospitals Paid Nearly $1.5B In 2015 Medicare Billing Settlement
A year after settling billing disputes with 2,022 hospitals for 68 cents on the dollar, the government has revealed who got paid and how much.
Who’s Affected By Insurers’ Pullbacks And What It Could Mean For The ACA’s Future
Health insurance giant Aetna will stop selling insurance through most state exchanges created by the Affordable Care Act. It’s the third major insurer to pull back from Obamacare. Who’s affected and what this means for the future of the ACA.