Latest KFF Health News Stories
For Hospitals, Sleep And Patient Satisfaction May Go Hand In Hand
As hospitals try to improve their consumer ratings, many are revisiting nighttime policies to help patients maximize their chances to get some rest.
California’s Plan To Absorb Medically Fragile Children Into Managed Care Proves Controversial
State officials say Medi-Cal managed care plans will better coordinate treatment for children needing highly specialized care. Parents and pediatric medical centers say it’s a bad idea.
Business Leaders, GOP Question HHS’ Change On Families’ Out-Of-Pocket Limits
The Obama administration has announced a change in how the out-of-pocket health spending limits will be calculated for families, but employers object that it will leave them holding the bill.
How Much Is That Eye Exam? Study Probes The Elusive Quest For Health Care Prices
A study done in Massachusetts highlights the difficulties consumers face in trying to find out how much health care services cost.
Achieving Mental Health Parity: Slow Going Even In ‘Pace Car’ State
California regulators have tried harder than most to make mental health parity laws work but it’s been tough to enforce the rules and gain the cooperation of insurers.
‘Defunding’ Planned Parenthood Is Easier Promised Than Done
Republican candidates on the campaign trail say they have defunded Planned Parenthood in their states already. But a lot depends on how they define “defund.”
California: Más Personas Con Seguro Médico… Y Conformes
Un esfuerzo más concertado, incluso a través de los medios de comunicación en español, parece estar funcionando. Una encuesta de la Kaiser Family Foundation realizada en California halló que los blancos no hispanos y los hispanos que fueron elegibles para el Obamacare ganaron cobertura a un ritmo similar. Y la mayoría está conforme con su nuevo seguro.
VIH: Promueven Píldora Preventiva Entre Hispanos
La medicación, que se usa como “Profilaxis de Pre Exposición” (PrEP), conocida comercialmente como Truvada fue aprobada por la Administración de Drogas y Alimentos (FDA, por sus siglas en inglés) en el 2012 para prevenir el VIH, y ha demostrado ser más de un 90 por ciento efectiva, cuando se la usa correctamente. Pero los trabajadores de salud están encontrando barreras culturales y económicas entre muchos latinos.
Large Employers Look To Tighten Control Of Costs For Expensive Drugs
Spending for high-priced specialty drugs for diseases such as cancer, HIV and hepatitis C is expected to rise dramatically next year, and large companies hope to put controls in place to help keep their costs down, according to a new survey.
To Address Doctor Shortages, Some States Focus on Residencies
Some states are spending millions of dollars to train medical students, only to see them leave because of a shortage of residency positions.
The Battle Over Planned Parenthood
Kaiser Health News correspondent Julie Rovner discusses the efforts to defund Planned Parenthood on NPR’s On Point with Tom Ashbrook.
Women In Combat Zones Can Face Difficulty Getting Some Contraceptives
Tricare, the military’s health plan for active and retired servicemembers, covers most contraceptives approved by the Food and Drug Administration. But women who are deployed can have trouble refilling specific types of birth control.
Oscar Wants To ‘Revolutionize’ Health Care. But Will It Even Survive Covered California?
Covered California made it official last week: After two years in the wilderness, UnitedHealthcare will return to the state’s individual insurance market and begin selling health plans on California’s exchange later this year. Not much can overshadow news about the nation’s largest insurer — except maybe a story about one of the smallest. Hi, Oscar. […]
For Marginalized Patients, BOOM!Health Is ‘A Great Model’
Incentives advanced by state-based health reforms and the federal health law have created new opportunities for nonprofit organizations like Boom!Health, says Robert Cordero, the integrated clinic’s ougoing president.
Study Casts Doubt On Assumptions About Hospital ‘Frequent Fliers’
New research finds that patients who repeatedly use costly hospital and emergency room services, known often as super-utilizers or frequent fliers, generally don’t seek such intense care for a lifetime but instead for a short period of time.
Patients In Iowa Worry About Private Management Of Medicaid
Many in Iowa get Medicaid — the state-federal health program for poorer Americans — especially after the state expanded the program under the federal health law. But a plan to switch administration of the program to private health care companies has patients worried that their care will suffer.
Telephone Therapy Helps Older People In Underserved Rural Areas, Study Finds
Counseling by mental health professionals over the phone was effective in reducing anxiety and depressive symptoms, according to researchers.
Pain Patients Say They Can’t Get Medicine After Crackdown On Illegal Rx Drug Trade
People who suffer from intense maladies and injuries say they can no longer get all the pain medicine their doctors prescribe from pharmacies.
Hospitals Seeking An Edge Turn To Unlikely Adviser: A Car Maker
Toyota, which bills itself as a model of efficiency in auto manufacturing, is sharing its strategies with public and nonprofit hospitals competing for newly insured patients.
Lack Of Cooperation Among Health Facilities Mars Antibiotic Resistance Fight, CDC Says
Infected patients often move from hospitals to nursing homes and long-term care facilities, and coordination could help keep those infections from spreading.