Latest KFF Health News Stories
Controversies Made Preventive Services Panel Stronger, Says Retired Leader
Dr. Michael LeFevre, who has stepped down as chairman of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force after 10 years, describes how the health law changed the group’s work and the need to improve communication about it.
Medicare Slow To Adopt Telemedicine Due To Cost Concerns
Less than 1 percent of beneficiaries use the technology because Congress has put tight restrictions on it.
California Law Will Allow Pharmacists To Prescribe Birth Control
As soon as this fall, pharmacists in California will be able to prescribe birth control. While some doctors’ groups are skeptical, lawmakers say pharmacists can fill a need for primary care providers, especially in rural areas.
Organ Donation: State Efforts Have Done Little To Close The Supply Gap
A study published in JAMA Internal Medicine found that most state-based policies to encourage organ donation in the United States have fallen flat.
Insurer Uses Patients’ Personal Data To Predict Who Will Get Sick
A Philadelphia health insurance company analyzes its clients’ health data and other factors to find the frailest and assign them health coaches. That may improve health, but is it a breach of privacy?
Study: Highest-Charging U.S. Hospitals Are For-Profits, Concentrated In Florida
Most of the 50 hospitals with the highest charges are in the South and about half are owned by for-profit Community Health Systems.
Bill To Speed FDA Approvals Includes Rewards For Drugs Designed For Kids
The 21st Century Cures bill now being considered by Congress would extend a program that promotes pediatric drug research.
New Preventive Health Services Approved For No-Cost Coverage
Two new procedures have been added to the list of what should be covered by insurance without charge to consumers under provisions of the health law.
California Sees Housing As Significant Investment In Health Care
The state is proposing to use federal Medicaid dollars to usher ill homeless people into housing, arguing the policy saves taxpayers money.
When Your Doctor Leaves Your Health Plan, You Likely Can’t Follow
KHN’s consumer columnist answers readers’ questions about options when physicians leave an insurer’s network, the lack of coverage for hearing aids and penalties linked to insurance subsidies.
EHealth Sees Once-Thriving Business Decline Due To Health Law Exchanges
The nation’s largest online broker lost thousands of customers, but some analysts suggest that if the Supreme Court strikes down subsidies on the federal exchange, some may return to the company.
What Patients Gain By Reading Their Doctor’s Notes
Doctors are increasingly making their records available to patients. Advocates say the concept makes the doctor-patient relationship less paternalistic and can lead to better patient outcomes and satisfaction. But there could be downsides, too.
Patient Finds Shopping For Low-Priced CT Scan Doesn’t Pay Off
Despite efforts to keep costs down, Douglas White gets a bill nearly three times what he expected.
A Top Medical School Revamps Requirements To Lure English Majors
At Mount Sinai Medical School in New York City, many of the medical students majored in things like English or history, and they never took the MCAT. The institution sees that diversity as one of its biggest strengths.
Improved Economy, Obamacare Boost Demand For Travel Nurses
Rising admissions are driving up the need for nurses willing to travel across the country to work in hospitals.
Tanning Beds And College Campuses – A Public Health Concern
Public health advocates increasingly view tanning beds as a cancer “delivery device” and are stepping up efforts to make them less available to young people.
Second Opinions Often Sought But Value Is Not Yet Proven
Medical reviews are recommended for patients facing serious illnesses and some individuals glean important advice, but researchers do not have much data showing whether they lead to better outcomes.
The Gray Areas Of Assisted Suicide
In bizarre, veiled conversations, some doctors vaguely hint to dying patients and their families how to hasten death. But overwhelmed families are left with profound questions and the feeling that there is no one who can answer them.
KHN Video: Filling In The Gaps
This video features specially trained paramedic Ryan Ramsdell, who is part of an ambitious plan in Reno, Nevada, to overhaul the 911 system to improve patient care and cut costs.
Paramedics Steer Non-Emergency Patients Away From ERs
In Reno and around the country, community paramedics are providing more care themselves and taking non- emergency patients to facilities other than emergency rooms.
