Health Industry Archives - Page 2 of 203

Early Voting Begins

Episode 467

Oct. 15, 2026

As early voting begins in some states, the Trump administration is working to keep its crackdown on healthcare fraud, waste, and abuse in the headlines. Also, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has unveiled a new initiative to identify vaccine injuries. Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Sandhya Raman of Bloomberg Law, and Paige Winfield Cunningham of The Washington Sun join KFF Health News’ Mary Agnes Carey to discuss these stories and more. Also, KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner interviews Dan Weissmann, host of the podcast “An Arm and a Leg.”

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Hidden Help

7 Takeaways From an Investigation Into Financial Aid at Texas Hospitals

Hospitals can prevent medical debt by preemptively wiping out a patient’s bill. But a Tradeoffs analysis finds that few nonprofit facilities in Texas use this tool to the maximum benefit of patients.

By Melanie Evans, Tradeoffs, Jo Craven McGinty, Tradeoffs, and Ryan Levi, Tradeoffs

Oct. 15, 2026

A woman with brown hair, wearing a green shirt, sits at a table in a park

Hidden Help

What Texas Reveals About the Obstacles to Getting Hospital Financial Aid

Hospitals can prevent medical debt by offering financial help before sending big bills. A Tradeoffs investigation found that nearly half of nonprofit facilities in Texas say they will bill patients before screening them for aid. And most will not offer refunds to patients who pay and are later found to qualify for free care.

By Melanie Evans, Tradeoffs

Oct. 15, 2026

High angle view of an anonymous female caregiver helping her elderly patient with online paperwork in his home.

The New Old Age

Aging Life Care Managers Can Be a ‘Godsend’ for Families

These service providers, formerly known as geriatric care managers, can arrange a move to a senior living facility, deal with Medicare and Medicaid, recommend doctors, drive a client to the dentist, and much more.

By Paula Span

Oct. 14, 2026

A stack of 100-dollar-bills and a stethoscope rest on top of a California resident tax sheet.

California’s Billionaire Tax Promises Healthcare Relief. The Fine Print Is Murkier.

An initiative on the California ballot would levy the nation’s first wealth tax on billionaires. Supporters say the proceeds would help offset President Donald Trump’s sweeping healthcare cuts. But critics argue that the temporary infusion of cash is a giveaway to politicians.

By Jackie Fortiér

Oct. 14, 2026

HealthQ

The Sometimes-Awkward Art of Asking for a Second Opinion

A doctor has recommended a course of action that is invasive, expensive, or somehow different from what you'd prefer. Is it OK to get a second opinion? The answer is yes. Here’s how to make the ask a little less awkward.

By Cara Anthony and Blake Farmer, Nashville Public Radio

Oct. 13, 2026

A photo illustration shows a syringe and capsules. Surrounding it are comments, "BPC absolutely wrecked my nervous system," "Panic attacks, anxiety, insomnia, muscle twitching, headaches," "My vision became blurry," "Burning skin all over my body," "Severe brain fog, severe cognitive issues."

People Say These Peptides Hurt Them. Their Stories Are Muffled in MAHA’s Push for Medical Freedom.

People who have taken experimental peptides, such as BPC-157, complain of migraines, eye pain, fatigue, and more. Learning whether these popular but unproven drugs are to blame may become harder if Robert F. Kennedy Jr. fulfills a promise to make them more accessible.

By Amy Maxmen

Oct. 13, 2026

A photo of President Donald Trump, Mehmet Oz — holding up a cell phone — and Amy Gleason seated at an event in the White House.

Data Grab

AI, Tech Leaders Are Lobbying Trump Health Officials in a Government-Run Chat Room

A Slack workspace managed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has served as an extraordinary war room for AI industry insiders and Trump administration officials to launch a rapid campaign aimed at persuading Americans to manage their healthcare and medical records on apps.

By Amanda Seitz, Maia Rosenfeld, and Darius Tahir

Oct. 9, 2026

A doctor in a white coat with a stethoscope stands in front of a staircase and a sign that reads "Monrovia Health Center"

Hidden Help

Medical Debt Is Crushing Hospital Patients in Los Angeles. Health Officials May Have a Fix.

In Los Angeles County, the nation’s most populous, a new system could screen hospital patients for financial aid, preventing hundreds of thousands from getting bills they can’t pay.

By Noam N. Levey

Oct. 8, 2026

A photo of a group of reporters standing behind a podium at night. Two photos of Christa Pike's victims are seen on stands behind the reporters.

Perspective

Witnessing the Failed Execution of Christa Pike: ‘We Could All Hear Her Breathing’

Catherine Sweeney was one of the reporters in the witness room during the attempted execution of Christa Pike in Tennessee. The journalists knew that a recent execution hadn’t gone according to plan and that Pike’s lawyers had predicted failure because of a health condition. They’d even asked for her to be hanged instead.

By Catherine Sweeney, WPLN

Oct. 6, 2026

HealthQ

Before Saying Yes to the Medical Test, Know the Risks and Benefits

Tests like full-body scans marketed directly to consumers are pitched as a way to detect diseases early and establish a baseline of health markers. But there are financial, physical, and psychological risks to all medical tests — and in some cases, not getting a test could be better for your health.

By Blake Farmer, Nashville Public Radio, Cara Anthony, and Katherine Ruppelt, Nashville Public Radio

Oct. 6, 2026

An Arm and a Leg

Medicare Is More Broken Than We Thought

Season 16, Episode 2

Oct. 5, 2026

At least 2 million seniors will receive notice this fall that their Medicare Advantage plans will disappear at year’s end, some without a comparable alternative. Here’s a look at this increasingly common problem with Medicare Advantage, and what it says about Medicare as a whole.

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The Week in Brief

They Resisted Giving Their Mom Sedating Drugs. Her Memory Care Facility Said She Had To Leave.

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

By Jordan Rau

Oct. 2, 2026

A photo of a man standing in the woods seen on a laptop.

Denied

Patient Dies by Suicide After ‘Insurance Issue’ Delayed Medicine for Lung Disease Flare-Ups

Hours after experiencing a flare-up related to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Kenney Blewett of Kyle, Texas, died by suicide in June. A medication his doctor prescribed days earlier to ease his breathing problems hadn’t been filled due to an “insurance issue,” his pharmacy explained via email.

By Lauren Sausser

Oct. 2, 2026

What the Health? From 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

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

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 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

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