Latest KFF Health News Stories
Many Hospitals Don’t Follow Guidelines For Child Abuse Patients, Study Finds
The researchers found wide disparities in how hospitals handled young patients believed to have been abused. About half of those younger than 2 who were identified as abused were not checked out for other injuries.
Small Business Health Insurance Exchanges Are Off To A Rocky Start
Only 10,700 employers nationwide have enrolled their workers in coverage through the Small Business Health Options Program, or SHOP exchanges.
Maryland Revamps Its In Vitro Coverage Mandate To Accommodate Same-Sex Couples
Requirements to prove infertility for two years and to use sperm from the husband have been eliminated for same-sex couples.
The App Will See You Now, But May Not Get The Diagnosis Right
A third of adults say they have gone online to get help diagnosing symptoms, but a study shows the results are often inaccurate.
An Explicit Contract Makes Surrogacy Viable For An Oregon Woman
The agreement sets up expectations for the woman and covers a wide variety of contingencies to help protect her from unexpected problems.
Montana Could Face Tough Bargaining With Federal Officials On Medicaid Expansion Plan
The state is proposing to require people to pay a premium of up to 2 percent of their income, but the Obama administration has generally insisted that people earning under the poverty level not be charged a fee.
Patrick Kennedy On Moving Mental Health Policy Out Of ‘The Dark Ages’
This former member of Congress wants to change how the nation views mental illness – both in terms of streamlining research for new treatments and improving the mental health care system.
Texas Hopes to Attract More Mental Health Care Workers
The new loan forgiveness program seeks to alleviate the state’s shortage of mental health professionals by luring them to communities that might otherwise be unattractive to new graduates.
Want A Good Laugh? Head To The Hospital
Across the country, hospitals are offering seniors social activities and other benefits to help them stay healthy and out of the hospital, while also encouraging them to come back to visit.
Lacking Votes, Calif. Assembly Shelves Aid-In-Dying Bill
Supporters said they will continue to work with Assembly members to build support for the bill, which would allow doctors to write lethal prescriptions for some terminally ill patients with less than six months to live.
Birth Control Coverage Saves Women Significant Money
The health law requires insurers to cover most prescription contraceptives with no additional out-of-pocket costs, which may spur some women to use more effective methods.
Calif. Advocates Hail Coverage Of Children In State Illegally, Seek Inclusion Of Adults
The budget deal announced by Gov. Jerry Brown last month grants Medicaid coverage to young Californian immigrants who are in the state without legal permission. Now comes the push for coverage of their parents and other adults.
‘A Terrible Way To End Someone’s Life’
Doctors often opt to forego aggressive care for terminal illnesses but fail to talk to their patients about their preferences.
Implementation Of Obamacare Remains A Work In Progress
With the Supreme Court decision, it appears the Affordable Care Act will stand, but that doesn’t mean the law’s troubles are over. NPR’s Renee Montagne talks to KHN’s Julie Rovner.
LA Police Unit Works To Get Treatment For Mentally Ill Instead Of Jail Time
When officers in Los Angeles encounter people who may be mentally ill, they call in a specialized unit that offers help on the spot.
States Limiting Patient Costs For High-Priced Drugs
More states are stepping in to cushion the financial pain for patients who need medicine that can cost up to hundreds of thousands of dollars a year.
Study Finds Doctors Order Fewer Preventive Services For Medicaid Patients
Researchers report in the journal Health Affairs that doctors are less likely to include some preventive care services in appointments with women covered by Medicaid than in those with women who are privately insured.
After Court Victory, Obama Asks GOP To Work With Him To Improve Health Care
In a visit to Nashville, Tenn., the president calls for health law critics to drop their opposition and begin the work of improving the law and health care delivery.
Study Predicts Huge Toll Of Hepatitis C Drugs On California Budget
Highly effective drugs for Hepatitis C patients in California’s Medicaid program, prisons and hospitals could cost the state billions, an insurance-industry sponsored study found.
California’s Tough New Law Overcomes Decades-Old Distrust Of Vaccines
California went from being a state with relatively lax vaccination rules to one of the most strict in the country. But opposition to vaccines is far from new.