Latest KFF Health News Stories
Kentucky And Feds Near Possible Collision On Altering Medicaid Expansion
By Aug. 1, Republican Gov. Matt Bevin is expected to ask the Obama administration to approve significant changes on many Medicaid enrollees, including monthly premiums and a work requirement.
Gov’t Task Force Finds Evidence Lacking to Support Visual Skin Cancer Screenings
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force concluded that insufficient evidence exists regarding the benefits and harms of visual skin cancer exams.
Para muchos en la creciente comunidad latina de Baltimore, el cuidado de salud es un desafío
Los latinos, con o sin seguro, enfrentan muchos desafíos cuando se trata de encontrar cuidado médico.
Insurers May Share Blame For Some Generics’ Price Hikes
News reports have led many consumers to blame drugmakers for the rapidly rising costs of some commonly used generic drugs. But changes made by insurers often play a major role, too.
CDC Urges Doctors To Aggressively Test Pregnant Women For Zika
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also directs that all pregnant women in the U.S. and its territories should be “assessed for possible Zika virus exposure” whenever they get a prenatal care visit.
Surgeon Says Apps May Turn Organ Donation Support Into ‘Concrete Action’
Dr. Thomas Fishbein of the Medstar Georgetown Transplant Institute is optimistic that efforts by hospitals like his, advocacy groups and app makers, such as Tinder, will increase the number of organ donors.
Olympus Told U.S. Executives No Broad Scope Warning Needed Despite Superbug Outbreaks
Newly released court documents show that after Tokyo-based Olympus Corp. alerted customers in Europe in 2013, it told its U.S. operation not to warn U.S. doctors and hospitals. Since then, at least 35 patients have died after being sickened in outbreaks.
Medicare Prepares To Go Forward With New Hospital Quality Ratings
The government will soon give hospitals one to five stars to sum up their quality. Some safety hospitals and teaching hospitals won’t fare as well as other facilities.
Diabetes Linked To Risk Of Mental Health Hospitalization In Young Adults: Study
The rate of hospital treatment for mental health conditions or substance abuse problems was four times higher for people with diabetes aged 19 through 25 than for those without the disease.
Montana’s ‘Pain Refugees’ Leave State To Get Prescribed Opioids
With rising awareness of opioid abuse, some pain patients say doctors are less likely to prescribe them. One Montana sufferer goes to great lengths to get his prescription — he flies to California.
How A Caribbean Island Became Prime Source Of U.S. Zika Cases
Many Dominican Republic immigrants in Florida and New York City brought Zika home after visiting the island, one of many destinations outside the U.S. where Zika has been active, say public health officials.
Mike Pence’s Health Policy Record Is A Mixed Bag
As governor of Indiana, Mike Pence expanded Medicaid with conservative tweaks, responded to an HIV outbreak with a limited needle-exchange program and signed one of the most restrictive abortion laws in the country.
Frustrated You Can’t Find A Therapist? They’re Frustrated, Too
Low payments and high hassles make many therapists shun insurance companies.
California is the first state to begin building an up-to-date database to improve the diagnosis and treatment of cancer.
Study: Medicare Beneficiaries May Face ‘Treatment Gap’ For Painkiller Abuse, Misuse
The incidence of opioid use disorder is growing rapidly within the Medicare population.
For Surgeons, Talking About Adverse Events Can Be Difficult: Study
Research suggests surgeons might be better off if they learn to quickly and directly explain what went wrong to the patient.
New Funding Seeks To Help Clinics Swamped By Demand For Dental Care
HHS awarded $156 million to 420 health centers around the country in the first grants ever specifically geared to dental care.
Anti-Abortion Forces Regroup In Wake Of Supreme Court Decision
The setback prompts some to change direction, others to stay the course.
What Do Covered California’s Big Rate Hikes Mean For You?
We answer some key questions to help consumers make sense of the news about large premium increases in the state’s Obamacare exchange.
Covered California Health Plan Rates To Jump 13.2 Percent In 2017
A double-digit increase, which follows two years of moderate rate hikes, is likely to resonate across the country in debate over Obamacare.