Health Industry Archives - KFF Health News

The MAHA Metamorphosis

Episode 465

Oct. 1, 2026

The “Make America Healthy Again” movement held a shindig in Washington, D.C., this week. But rather than moms arguing to get chemicals out of their kids’ food, the room was full of Trump administration officials and industry representatives looking to promote health-related products. Meanwhile, the administration for the second year in a row is refusing to spend money Congress appropriated. Shefali Luthra of The 19th, Rachana Pradhan of KFF Health News, and Rachel Roubein of The Washington Post join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also, Rovner interviews Aaron Carroll of AcademyHealth.

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A human-made, hand-drawn illustration of a woman holding her hands up to a floating, disintegrating hospital bill that has been pressed with a stamp that says "PAID."

Hidden Help

Hospitals Have a Little-Known Tool To Prevent Medical Debt. Here’s How It Works.

Getting financial assistance from hospitals often involves filling out cumbersome forms. Some states now require hospitals to identify and automatically enroll patients eligible for charity care.

By Melanie Evans, Tradeoffs

Oct. 1, 2026

A man stands in front of an altar inside a church.

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.

By Ali Swenson, The Associated Press, Sarah Jane Tribble, and Linley Sanders, The Associated Press

Sept. 30, 2026

The area in front of a building is flooded and a freestanding sign reads "New Richland Care Center, Caring and Sharing, Since 1973."

These 100 Nursing Homes Face Perilous Flood Risk. Minnesota Shows What Can Happen.

Staff raced against rising floodwater to evacuate 36 residents from a nursing home in New Richland, Minnesota. It’s one of 100 facilities KFF Health News identified as facing some of the nation’s worst flood risk.

By Brett Kelman, Holly K. Hacker, Daniel Chang, Frankie McLister, WCCO | CBS News Minnesota, and Jason Rantala, WCCO | CBS News Minnesota

Sept. 30, 2026

A senior woman is lying on her back in bed and looking up at the camera.

Memory Gaps

Drugs Are Widely Used To Sedate Dementia Patients. Her Sons Wanted To Keep Her Off Them.

Potent sedating medications are often used on agitated people with dementia in long-term care facilities despite federal efforts to discourage their use. A clash over whether to drug a Michigan woman illuminates the wrenching decisions families and guardians face.

By Jordan Rau

Sept. 30, 2026

A woman sits at a table for a portrait, holding a copy of her medical bill.

Bill of the Month

She Left After Waiting Hours in the Emergency Room. The ER Billed Her Anyway.

Autumn Daniels went to the hospital with a severe migraine. After four hours in the waiting room, she left to try a different facility — but the ER still charged her.

By Michelle Andrews

Sept. 29, 2026

A photo of a sign outside the Riverbend Maximum Security Institution.

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.

By Catherine Sweeney, WPLN

Sept. 29, 2026

A shopper examines the back of a bagged salad kit at a grocery store.

Food Safety Finds a Place Among ‘Kitchen-Table’ Political Issues

Recent outbreaks of foodborne illness and high-profile recalls have made this issue a concern of voters.

By Stephanie Armour

Sept. 28, 2026

A photo of a couple seated at a table. Amye Joseph holds a piece of paper.

Common Ground

Republicans and Democrats Find a Unifying Target: Pharmacy Benefit Managers

Some states have considered barring companies that own a PBM from also owning brick-and-mortar pharmacies, as CVS does. Two states have followed through. A similar proposal at the federal level has gained prominent sponsors, aligning conservative, business-friendly Republicans with Democrats traditionally more open to government regulation.

By Blake Farmer, Nashville Public Radio

Sept. 28, 2026

The Week in Brief

Healthcare Workers Have To Pay for Insurance, Too. And They’re Also Feeling the Pinch.

Get our weekly newsletter, The Week in Brief, featuring a roundup of our original coverage, Fridays at 2 p.m. ET.

By Hayat Norimine

Sept. 25, 2026

A photo of a yard sign that reads, "NO on 3. End Missouri's abortion ban." The "NO" on the sign is in duct tape.

Abortion Is on the Ballot Again as Post-Roe Policies Continue To Evolve

Four states will vote on abortion-related ballot measures in November, marking the fourth time in five years that millions of Americans will weigh in on their states’ abortion rules. The measures follow the Supreme Court’s “Dobbs” decision, which upended federal abortion protections.

By Bram Sable-Smith and Jazmin Orozco Rodriguez

Sept. 25, 2026

A photo of an memorial for the workers killed in the Hawks Nest Tunnel disaster.

Black Lung Disease Remains a Threat, but Federal Officials Delay Effort To Address It

The disease has long been a risk of coal mining, an industry the Trump administration is trying to reinvigorate.

By Taylor Sisk

Sept. 24, 2026

The New Old Age

Nursing Home Beds Are Becoming More Scarce

As the oldest baby boomers turn 80, researchers worry there won’t be enough room in nursing facilities for a rapidly graying nation.

By Paula Span

Sept. 23, 2026

Insurance Coverage Lags as Cancer Science, Treatment Move Forward

“Brain cancer” or “H4 G34-mutant”? As knowledge about genetics advances, some doctors say cancers should be defined by their mutations, not the tissues where they manifest.

By Arthur Allen

Sept. 22, 2026

A woman and man sit indoors in an office.

Priced Out

As Health Insurance Costs Soar, Healthcare Workers Also Feel the Pinch

Like many Americans, Joshua and Ashley Durham saw their health insurance premiums rise by hundreds of dollars a month this year. Despite being healthcare practitioners all too aware of the risks, they chose to go uninsured. Others, though, can’t afford to go without.

By Hayat Norimine

Sept. 22, 2026

A photo of Paul Nestadt speaking to an audience.

Eleven Minutes

It’s Hard To Predict Who Will Be Suicidal. It’s Easier To Ensure People Can’t Shoot Themselves.

Some mental health experts favor suicide prevention steps that are applied broadly, with protections that aren’t tied to an individual’s specific risk.

By Aneri Pattani

Sept. 21, 2026

The Drugs and Devices Have Been on the Market for Years. But FDA-Ordered Studies Still Aren’t Done.

To get drugs and devices out faster, the FDA lets companies conduct studies of safety or efficacy after the products are approved. In many cases, such “postmarket” studies are behind schedule or overdue, records show.

By David Hilzenrath

Sept. 18, 2026

What the Health? From KFF Health News

The Health Risks of AI

Episode 463

Sept. 17, 2026

Reports from a top AI company that it found and stopped attempted uses of its product to manufacture a potential bioweapon caught the attention of lawmakers in Washington this week. Meanwhile, President Trump wants to send $500 checks to about a million Obamacare enrollees. Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, Tami Luhby of CNN, and Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Sabrina Corlette of the Georgetown University Center on Health Insurance Reforms.

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A close up of an elderly woman's hand showing a few pills.

The New Old Age

3 Common Drugs Older Adults Might Be Overusing

Not all older people need benzodiazepines, antibiotics, or daily aspirin — and taking them can carry increased risks.

By Paula Span

Sept. 17, 2026

An aerial photo of rural farmland in Vacherie, Louisiana.

Rural Health Payout

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.

By Sarah Jane Tribble

Sept. 16, 2026

Trump 2.0

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