Latest KFF Health News Stories
Taking A Page From Pharma’s Playbook To Fight The Opioid Crisis
Doctors and pharmacists in Northern California are emulating drug company sales reps with a fresh purpose in mind: They visit medical offices in the hardest-hit counties to change their peers’ prescribing habits and curtail the use of painkillers.
Vaccine Shortage Complicates Efforts To Quell Hepatitis A Outbreaks
The two FDA-approved manufacturers of the vaccine, hit by an unexpected spike in demand, have had difficulty keeping pace. In San Diego County, home to the deadliest outbreak in the nation, officials are postponing a campaign to give at-risk residents the second of two doses.
Breathing Fire: Health Is A Casualty Of Climate-Fueled Blazes
As the planet warms, wildfires such as the latest disastrous blazes in Northern California have increased in frequency and scope. Beyond the environmental effects, people suffer health repercussions that can be disabling and even deadly.
California Cracks Down On Weed Killer As Lawsuits Abound
California has listed the active ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup as a cancer-causing agent and will require warning labels on it starting next year. The company says that the listing is unjustified and that science is on its side.
Enriched By The Poor: California Health Insurers Make Billions Through Medicaid
Medicaid is rarely associated with getting rich. But some insurance companies are reaping spectacular profits off the taxpayer-funded program in California, even when the state finds their patient care is subpar.
Health Companies Race To Catch UnitedHealth As Amazon Laces Up
UnitedHealth, a health industry goliath, has its hand in doctors’ offices, surgery centers, technology services and prescription drugs. It is the industry model, and CVS and Aetna, says one expert, are ‘wannabes.’
Big Premium Hike? Blame It On The Kids
Premiums are rising for many reasons next year, and one is that insurers are charging a lot more for teenagers.
Federal Judge Denies Bid To Force Feds To Resume ACA Subsidies
U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria said the vast majority of states have already prepared for the termination of the payments and already devised responses that give consumers better coverage.
Una enfermera por cada 4.000 alumnos = no parece el mejor acuerdo
La escasez de enfermeras diplomadas en escuelas pone en riesgo a estudiantes con condiciones médicas que requieren de atención diaria.
One Nurse Per 4,000 Pupils = Not The Healthiest Arrangement
School districts in California and around the country face a long-standing shortage of nurses, mostly because of tight budgets. But some districts are finding creative ways to reduce the problem.
Hospitals Step In To Help House The Homeless. Will It Make A Difference?
They say it will help reduce unnecessary ER visits and ensure better follow-up care. It’s also good P.R., and helps them meet their obligations to provide benefits to the community in exchange for significant tax breaks.
Anthem Eases Up On Premium Hikes After State Scrutiny
After regulators questioned Anthem’s forecast for medical costs, the company agreed to reduce rate hikes on its individual and small-business health plans next year, saving customers an estimated $114 million.
California Slaps Surcharge On ACA Plans As Trump Remains Coy On Subsidies
Covered California authorized a 12.4 percent average surcharge on silver-tier plans, the second-least expensive option sold on the exchange. It brings the total average premium increase on those plans to nearly 25 percent next year.
¿Las redes sociales dañan la mente de nuestros jóvenes? Tal vez no…
Nuevos estudios muestran que las redes sociales no impactan de manera negativa, sino por el contrario, muchas veces ayudan a encontrar apoyo y a elevar la autoestima.
Social Media Is Harming The Minds Of Our Youth, Right? Maybe Not.
The harmful effects of all those hours on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are well-documented. But lesser-known research shows that social media use may also provide mental health benefits.
Your Grandma’s Guide To Grass: Calif. Rolls Out Website To Cut Through Cannabis Haze
Many Californians have been using pot for years, legally and illegally. But newbies, even Grandma, might benefit from a website that contains warnings about the risks.
UCLA Offers Depression Screening To Thousands Of Incoming Students
Hoping to head off mental health crises, university officials say they will provide free online treatment to those who need it. The officials believe theirs is the largest effort of its kind in the country.
California Scrambles To Contain ‘Unprecedented’ Hepatitis A Outbreaks
Hundreds of people, most of them homeless, have been infected. In San Diego County, where 17 people have died, critics fault authorities for being slow to act.
To Wage War On Superbugs, FDA Clears Way For Scope With A Disposable Piece
Agency says a removable cap will lower the risk of antibiotic resistant infections but some experts see it as a modest step in curbing the sort of deadly outbreaks that occurred a few years ago.
High On Drugs? Anthem Cites Soaring Drug Costs To Justify 35% Rate Hike in California
The company’s drug spending prediction, far above other insurers in the individual market, has experts scratching their heads. Anthem cites market volatility.
