Health Care Helpline
Health Care Helpline helps you navigate the hurdles between you and good care. This crowdsourced project is from NPR and KFF Health News.
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HealthQ
HealthQ is a health series from reporters Cara Anthony and Blake Farmer, approachable guides to an unapproachable health care system. It’s a collaboration between Nashville Public Radio and KFF Health News.
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1-20 of 391 results
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Listen to the Latest ‘KFF Health News Minute’
The "KFF Health News Minute" brings original healthcare and health policy reporting from our newsroom to the airwaves each week.
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Expecting a Baby? Five Tips To Help You Prepare for Pregnancy Costs
The cost of having a baby is frustratingly difficult to predict. The actual amount families pay varies widely. Here are five tips to help you prepare for the often-unexpected costs of pregnancy and giving birth.
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In California and Other States, Dads Are Now Even With Moms in Paid Leave Claims
The U.S. has no law guaranteeing paid parental leave. But in states with their own programs, more dads are using the benefit, surpassing moms in some states. The growth in popularity comes as Americans increasingly say raising children is unaffordable.
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Remember This Acronym Next Time You’re Facing a Big Medical Decision: B.R.A.I.N.
If your doctor recommends a big test or procedure, this tool can help you talk through options collaboratively. It works at a routine checkup or in high-stakes medical situations like childbirth.
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GOP Congressman in California Swing-District Race Defends Vote for Medicaid Cuts
In a race that could help decide control of Congress, Republican U.S. Rep. David Valadao is trying to hold on to his swing-district seat. The congressman didn’t mention healthcare at a recent campaign rally in Bakersfield, but voters can't stop talking about it.
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Medicaid at Risk for Hundreds of Thousands of Lawfully Present Immigrants
Hundreds of thousands of lawfully present immigrants could lose government health coverage. This change stems from healthcare cuts in a GOP budget law. KFF Health News’ Andrew Jones tells WAMU’s “Health Hub” which Medicaid enrollees are affected and shares resources for newly uninsured people in the Washington, D.C., area.
By Andrew Jones -
Hidden Help
States Are Forcing Hospitals To Offer More People Financial Aid. In Oregon, It’s Working.
Oregon passed a law to require hospitals to proactively screen patients to see if they qualify for financial aid. Patients got immediate relief. Hospitals pushed to roll back the law following federal cuts to Medicaid and Affordable Care Act subsidies.
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More Medications, More Risks. If You’re Worried, Start a Deprescribing Discussion.
As people take a greater number of medications across years or decades, experts say the risk for adverse drug interactions increases. One way to advocate for yourself? Keep a list of your meds handy.
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Hidden Help
What Texas Reveals About the Obstacles to Getting Hospital Financial Aid
Hospitals can prevent medical debt by offering financial help before sending big bills. A Tradeoffs investigation found that nearly half of nonprofit facilities in Texas say they will bill patients before screening them for aid. And most will not offer refunds to patients who pay and are later found to qualify for free care.
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California’s Billionaire Tax Promises Healthcare Relief. The Fine Print Is Murkier.
An initiative on the California ballot would levy the nation’s first wealth tax on billionaires. Supporters say the proceeds would help offset President Donald Trump’s sweeping healthcare cuts. But critics argue that the temporary infusion of cash is a giveaway to politicians.
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The Sometimes-Awkward Art of Asking for a Second Opinion
A doctor has recommended a course of action that is invasive, expensive, or somehow different from what you'd prefer. Is it OK to get a second opinion? The answer is yes. Here’s how to make the ask a little less awkward.
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Before Saying Yes to the Medical Test, Know the Risks and Benefits
Tests like full-body scans marketed directly to consumers are pitched as a way to detect diseases early and establish a baseline of health markers. But there are financial, physical, and psychological risks to all medical tests — and in some cases, not getting a test could be better for your health.
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Doctors Should Keep an Eye on Your Mix of Medication. If They Don’t, You Should.
There’s a term for reducing unnecessary or harmful drugs: “deprescribing.” Especially as patients age, experts say, it’s important to regularly review the medications they’re taking.
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Rural MAHA Followers Say Trump Health Policies Haven’t Reached Their Communities
President Donald Trump has championed sprawling health policy changes under the Make America Healthy Again movement, but a KFF-Associated Press survey of rural voters found people aren’t seeing the initiatives reach their communities.
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After Failed Execution, Health Workers Say State’s Rules Flout Medical Ethics
The death penalty is legal in 27 states, and lethal injection is the primary method. That means involving medical professionals to store, test, and inject the drugs. After a botched execution in Tennessee, doctors and nurses there say medical professionals need to be removed from the process completely.
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Cost-Saving Medicaid Meal Deliveries Threatened by Cuts, Policy Uncertainty
An experiment to provide meals to some Medicaid recipients shows food can be cost-effective medicine. But even as federal officials tout the power of nutrition, Medicaid budget cuts could lead states to think twice about covering healthy food for sick residents. One has already reconsidered.
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Sticker Shock at the Doctor’s Office Could Motivate Midterm Voters
Steep jumps in health insurance premiums and deductibles are top of mind for many voters heading into midterm elections. KFF Health News chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner explains how rising costs may shape competitive races. She also distills plans from candidates on both sides of the aisle to bring costs down.
By Julie Rovner -
States Bet Big on Rural Health Startups, With a Silicon Valley Twist
States are spending rural health dollars on tech startups, betting that untested companies will succeed where doctors have vanished and hospitals have collapsed. Louisiana’s call for innovative technology drew more than 200 pitches, seeking from $250,000 to $3 million in seed money.
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A NY Hospital Tried To Close Its Birthing Center. This City United To Fight Back.
Democrats and Republicans in Troy, New York, joined together to challenge a national Catholic health system determined to close the last birthing center in the county.
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A Camp for Children With Brain Injuries Zips Ahead, Despite Federal Uncertainty
Federal programs that support brain injury research and services are in flux, with lapsed legislation and a diminished injury-tracking workforce. Still, in rural Pennsylvania, children with acquired brain injuries gathered for a summer camp that emphasized community, confidence, and fun.