Latest Morning Briefing Stories

How And When Immigrants’ Use Of Government Benefits Might Affect Their Legal Status

KFF Health News Original

Confusion about a new federal rule to restrict legal immigration based on the use of public benefits may dampen sign-ups for health care, housing and food aid even among immigrants not directly targeted by the rule. Here are some answers to frequently asked questions that will help clear up some of the misunderstanding.

Doctors Fight Legislation Prompted By Sex Abuse Scandals

KFF Health News Original

In response to recent high-profile sex abuse cases, some California lawmakers want doctors to give patients more information about pelvic exams, and then get a signature proving they did. Doctors in the Golden State and beyond are pushing back.

Dialysis Industry Spends Big To Protect Profits

KFF Health News Original

Dialysis companies are fighting a bill in the California legislature that could disrupt their business model. Their weapons: campaign cash and a sophisticated public relations campaign.

Shopping Abroad For Cheaper Medication? Here’s What You Need To Know

KFF Health News Original

Americans routinely skirt federal law by crossing into Canada and Mexico or tapping online pharmacies abroad to purchase prescription medications at a fraction of the price they would pay at home. Is it safe? Not necessarily. Here’s some advice.

¿Buscas medicamentos más baratos en el exterior? Esto es lo que debes saber

KFF Health News Original

Los estadounidenses eluden la ley federal cruzando a Canadá y México, o recurriendo a farmacias en línea en el extranjero para comprar medicamentos recetados a una fracción del precio que pagarían en casa.

Tecnología casera ofrece más libertad a los pacientes para controlar su diabetes

KFF Health News Original

La diabetes tipo 1 es una condición crónica que requiere un estricto control de la glucosa y la administración de la cantidad de insulina precisa. Pacientes crearon un sistema para mantener ese equilibrio vital.

DIY Tech Gives People More Freedom In Managing Diabetes

KFF Health News Original

People with diabetes say they’ve been waiting for years for better technology to manage their chronic condition. Tired of waiting, some tech-savvy, do-it-yourselfers are constructing their own devices using open-source programming instructions.

Despite Failed Promises, Stem Cell Advocates Again Want Taxpayers To Pony Up Billions

KFF Health News Original

California’s stem cell agency, created by a $3 billion bond measure 15 years ago, is almost out of money. Its supporters plan to ask voters for even more funding next year, even though no agency-funded treatments have been approved for widespread use.

Going Down Fighting: Dying Activist Champions ‘Medicare For All’

KFF Health News Original

Presidential hopeful Elizabeth Warren tried to tell the story of Ady Barkan in the latest Democratic debate. He’s one of the most prominent advocates for “Medicare for All” and is spending his remaining time alive doing everything he can to make the case that all Americans need affordable health coverage.

As States Strive To Stabilize Insurance Marketplaces, Insurers Return

KFF Health News Original

States increasingly expect to see insurers enter or re-enter ACA marketplaces next year. That’s a critical sign that these exchanges are growing less risky for insurers despite ongoing political and legal battles over the ACA.

Charity Care Spending By Hospitals Plunges

KFF Health News Original

The proportion of money that California hospitals spent on free and discounted care for low-income people dropped by more than half from 2013 to 2017 — even for nonprofit hospitals. Hospitals say there’s less demand for charity care because more people now have health insurance, but consumer advocates counter that people still need help.

Cómo el movimiento #MeToo está cambiando la educación sexual en las escuelas

KFF Health News Original

La temporada legislativa de 2019 ha generado una cosecha de proyectos de ley que planean, o ya han modificado, la forma de hablar sobre educación sexual en las escuelas, tanto en estados azules como rojos.

How #MeToo Is Changing Sex Ed Policies — Even In Red States

KFF Health News Original

Liberalized sex education policies are being considered in more states, even traditionally conservative ones, as more female lawmakers take office and legislators react to the #MeToo movement.

Dealing With The Lingering Effects Of A Mass Shooting

KFF Health News Original

Veronica Kelley, head of San Bernardino County’s Department of Behavioral Health, knows firsthand that the mental health effects from mass shootings linger. Nearly four years after her community was devastated by a massacre of 14 people, Kelley has advice for Gilroy, El Paso, Dayton and other communities reeling from recent carnage.

Incendios modernos presentan nuevos riesgos de salud para los bomberos

KFF Health News Original

Los bomberos se enfrentan a una peligrosa combinación: la exposición al intenso calor producido por la quema de vegetación, y a los combustibles y carcinógenos más comunes en los incendios urbanos.