Latest KFF Health News Stories
Health Care’s Employment Growth Clouded by Immigration Crackdown, Medicaid Cuts
The health care sector has accounted for nearly half of this year’s U.S. job growth. But economists say immigration crackdowns and Medicaid cuts could create a drag on the sector just as more workers are needed to support a growing population of older Americans.
Where Jobs Are Scarce, Over 1 Million People Could Dodge Trump’s Medicaid Work Rules
Under a new law, many Americans will have to meet a work requirement to obtain and keep their Medicaid coverage. But due to an exemption, millions living in areas of high unemployment could be spared.
Estados apuntan a los alimentos ultraprocesados con iniciativas bipartidistas
Ahora los republicanos piden alimentos sanos en las escuelas, pero antes criticaban las iniciativas que sobre el tema presentaban los demócratas.
In Hepatitis B Vaccine Debate, CDC Panel Sidesteps Key Exposure Risk
At a recent meeting of a key vaccine advisory panel, members debated changes to the timing of hepatitis B vaccination, while largely ignoring the risk of early childhood transmission from day care or household contact. A few days later, President Donald Trump did the same.
States Target Ultraprocessed Foods in Bipartisan Push
States are taking aim at chemicals and additives in foods as Republicans and Democrats alike embrace at least one aspect of the Trump administration’s “Make America Healthy Again” push. It’s a shift for Republicans, who had vilified past Democratic efforts to impose government will on what people eat and drink.
Journalists Recap Coverage on Organ Harvesting, Obamacare, and Medicaid Cuts
KFF Health News journalists made the rounds on national and local media recently to discuss topical stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances.
‘Historic’ White House Announcement on Autism and Tylenol Causes Confusion
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20 Years After Katrina, Louisiana Still Struggles With Evacuation Plans That Minimize Health Risks
As the climate changes, hurricanes are intensifying more quickly, leaving Louisiana’s current mass evacuation plan in limbo. But transportation officials say the price is too high to switch to methods used in Florida and Texas.
Listen: Young Adults Turning 26 Face Health Insurance Cliff
The erosion of the Affordable Care Act has created an insurance cliff for Americans who are turning 26 and don’t have a job that provides medical coverage. Scared off by high price tags and the complexity of picking a policy, some young adults are going without insurance.
Off-Label Drug Helps One Boy With Autism Speak, Parents Say. But Experts Want More Data.
This week, the FDA began the process of approving leucovorin, an inexpensive, generic drug derived from folic acid, to help children diagnosed with autism.
In a rambling news conference that shocked public health experts, President Donald Trump — without scientific evidence — blamed the over-the-counter drug acetaminophen, and too many childhood vaccines, for the increase in autism diagnoses in the U.S. That came days after a key immunization advisory panel, newly reconstituted with vaccine doubters, changed several long-standing recommendations. Former Centers for Disease Control and Prevention official Demetre Daskalakis joins KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss those stories. Meanwhile, Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call and Anna Edney of Bloomberg News join Rovner with the rest of the news, including a threat by the Trump administration to fire rather than furlough federal workers if Congress fails to fund the government beyond the Oct. 1 start of the new fiscal year.
Batalla para proteger a los pacientes de deudas médicas se traslada a los estados
A pesar de algunos avances este año, los recientes reveses en las legislaturas más conservadoras dejan claro lo difícil que es proteger a los pacientes.
La inteligencia artificial pronto influirá en que te aprueben o te nieguen tratamientos en Medicare
Siguiendo el ejemplo del sector privado de seguros, la administración Trump lanzará el próximo año un programa piloto.
Big Loopholes in Hospital Charity Care Programs Mean Patients Still Get Stuck With the Tab
Even if people qualify for financial help with their hospital bills, the care they receive may not be covered.
AI Will Soon Have a Say in Approving or Denying Medicare Treatments
A pilot program testing the use of artificial intelligence to expand prior authorization decisions in Medicare has providers, politicians, and researchers questioning Trump administration promises to curb an unpopular practice that has frustrated patients and their doctors.
As Trump Punts on Medical Debt, Battle Over Patient Protections Moves to States
Some states are enacting medical debt laws as the Trump administration pulls back federal protections. Elsewhere, industry opposition has derailed legislation.
She Had a Broken Arm, No Insurance — And a $97,000 Bill
Deborah Buttgereit knew piecing together the broken bone in her elbow would be expensive. But complications the doctor deemed a surprise, midsurgery, drove the total bill tens of thousands of dollars above the original estimate.
Amid Confusion Over US Vaccine Recommendations, States Try To ‘Restore Trust’
The decisions by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices matter, because insurers and federal programs rely on them, but they are not binding. States can follow the recommendations, or not.
Trump Claims ‘No Downside’ to Avoiding Tylenol During Pregnancy. He’s Wrong.
Doctors say acetaminophen, the main ingredient in Tylenol, is safe to take during pregnancy. Other over-the-counter pain relievers such as aspirin and ibuprofen aren’t recommended because they can harm fetal development. Untreated fever in pregnancy can pose maternal and fetal health risks.
As the Trump Administration and States Push Health Data Sharing, Familiar Challenges Surface
Despite billions of tax dollars and two decades of effort invested in improving health care data sharing, Americans’ medical records often remain siloed, leading to duplicate testing, increased costs, and wasted time for patients and doctors.