Latest KFF Health News Stories
Health Risks To Farmworkers Increase As Workforce Ages
Harvesting U.S. crops has been left to an aging population of farmworkers whose health has suffered from decades of hard labor. Older workers have a greater chance of getting injured and of developing chronic illnesses.
Treating The New Hep C Generation On Their Turf
One Northern California physician is a foot soldier in the fight against a surge of hepatitis C, mainly among young drug users who share infected needles.
Dangling A Carrot For Patients To Take Healthy Steps: Does It Work?
Many medical groups and state Medicaid programs are offering gift cards, cash and other rewards to low-income patients if they agree to get preventive screenings and make healthier lifestyle choices.
Whistleblower: Medicaid Managed-Care Firm Improperly Denied Care To Thousands
An explosive report prepared by a SynerMed executive alleges the California firm, which oversaw care for 1.2 million patients, fabricated documents and violated state and federal regulations for years. The state says it left low-income patients on Medicaid managed care in “imminent danger.”
Hospitals With History Get A Second Life
The number of hospitals across the country has plummeted, but many old buildings are being resuscitated as apartments and condos.
Teaching Teens The Perils Of Pot As Marketplace Grows
The legalization of recreational marijuana in California and other states poses an added challenge for drug education programs targeting youths.
California Fines Anthem $5 Million For Failing to Address Consumer Grievances
The Department of Managed Health Care cited one example in which consumers and advocates had to call the insurer 22 times to contest a decision. Still, the complaint still was not resolved until the department became involved.
California Firm Running Physician Practices Is Closing Down as Scrutiny Ramps Up
State regulators and insurers are looking into SynerMed, which medical groups depend upon to handle their finances and business operations. The groups, serving 1 million patients, fear a messy fallout.
Can Apps Slay The Medical Bill Dragon?
A handful of Silicon Valley start-ups are trying to usher medical billing into the 21st century by creating smartphone apps to help consumers navigate their health insurance paperwork.
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.
Sip Wine And Chat About Postponing Motherhood — At An ‘Egg Social’
Fertility doctors around the country are hosting soirees to pitch to mostly affluent women the benefits of preserving their eggs.
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.
Beyond Stigma And Bias, Many Transgender People Struggle With Mental Health
New data show transgender people are more likely to have suicidal thoughts and to attempt suicide. Public hostility toward them, including efforts to ban them from public bathrooms and military service, is making things worse, researchers say.
Sickle Cell Patients Suffer Discrimination, Poor Care — And Shorter Lives
People with the genetic blood disorder that mainly afflicts African-Americans can live into their 60s with competent care. So why is life expectancy slipping down to around age 40?
Insurer Tries A Soft Touch — Puppies! — For This Year’s Hard Sell Of Obamacare Plans
Open enrollment for health insurance on the Affordable Care Act exchanges started last week. Across the country, municipalities, insurers and grass-roots groups are working hard to help folks navigate the hoops.
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.
Seeking A Peaceful Death Amid The Flames
During Northern California’s recent wildfires, dozens of hospice patients who had hoped to spend their last days in the comfort of their homes had to be relocated to evacuation shelters, assisted living facilities and relatives’ homes instead.
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.
