Health Industry

Latest KFF Health News Stories

Quick Genetic Test Offers Hope for Sick, Undiagnosed Kids. But Few Insurers Offer to Pay.

KFF Health News Original

A new, rapid genetic test shows promise in increasing diagnoses and improving treatment for some children with rare genetic conditions. Many insurers won’t cover it, but Florida’s Medicaid program is among those that see benefits — and, potentially, savings.

Pruebas genéticas rápidas a bebés pueden salvar vidas, pero muchas aseguradoras no las cubren

KFF Health News Original

Que Medicaid cubra la prueba puede expandir significativamente el acceso para los bebés; el programa de salud federal gerenciado por los estados que asegura a las familias de bajos ingresos y que cubre a más del 40% de los niños en su primer año de vida.

Biden Pick to Lead NIH Finally Has Her Day, but Still Gets Caught Up in Drug Price Debate

KFF Health News Original

Monica Bertagnolli, the president’s choice to head the National Institutes of Health, appeared before a Senate committee this week. Her confirmation has been held up by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), who has demanded President Joe Biden work more aggressively to lower prescription drug prices.

For People With Sickle Cell Disease, ERs Can Mean Life-Threatening Waits

KFF Health News Original

When patients with sickle cell disease have a health crisis — crescent-shaped red blood cells blocking blood flow — their condition can quickly lead to a fatal stroke or infection. But, despite efforts to educate doctors, research shows that patients are waiting hours in ERs and are often denied pain medication.

A Third of Schools Don’t Have a Nurse. Here’s Why That’s a Problem.

KFF Health News Original

School nurses treat children daily for a wide range of illnesses and injuries, and sometimes serve as a young patient’s only health provider. They also function as a point person for critical public health interventions. Yet many states don’t require them, and school districts struggle to hire them.

California prohíbe el controversial diagnóstico de “delirio excitado”

KFF Health News Original

El gobernador demócrata Gavin Newsom firmó un proyecto de ley el 8 de octubre para prohibir que los forenses, doctores, y examinadores médicos incluyeran el síndrome de “delirio excitado” en certificados de defunción o informes de autopsias.

KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': Health Funding in Question in a Speaker-Less Congress

Podcast

A bitterly divided Congress managed to keep the federal government running for several more weeks, while House Republicans struggle — again — to choose a leader. Meanwhile, many people removed from state Medicaid rolls are not finding their way to Affordable Care Act insurance, and a major investigation by The Washington Post attributes the decline in U.S. life expectancy to more than covid-19 and opioids. Lauren Weber of The Washington Post, Victoria Knight of Axios, and Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet join KFF Health News chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews physician-author-playwright Samuel Shem about “Our Hospital,” his new novel about the health workforce in the age of covid.

California Bans Controversial ‘Excited Delirium’ Diagnosis

KFF Health News Original

California is the first state to ban the controversial diagnosis known as “excited delirium,” which has been used increasingly to justify excessive force by law enforcement. A human rights advocate described the law, signed this week by Gov. Gavin Newsom, as a “watershed moment” in criminal justice.

‘I’m So Burned Out’: Fighting to See a Specialist Amplified Pain for Riverside County Woman

KFF Health News Original

Teresa Johnson has been in extreme pain for more than a year after what she believes was a severe allergic reaction to iodine. Her Medi-Cal plan approved her referral to a specialist, but it took her numerous phone calls, multiple complaints, and several months to book an appointment.

Mothers of Color Can’t See if Providers Have a History of Mistreatment. Why Not?

KFF Health News Original

Many women, especially Black women, have reported discrimination in maternity care, but expectant mothers lack tools to see where this happens. Funding and regulations to measure disparities have been slow in arriving, but some innovators are trying to fill the void.

Trump Misplaced Blame When He Said Drug Shortages Were Biden’s Fault

KFF Health News Original

Former President Donald Trump, who’s running for another term in the White House, recently blamed drug shortages on his successor, President Joe Biden. Our findings don’t align with Trump’s claims; by some measures, drug shortages increased more on Trump’s watch than on Biden’s.

What Mobile Clinics in Dollar General Parking Lots Say About Health Care in Rural America

KFF Health News Original

Dollar General’s pilot mobile clinic program has been touted by company officials, rural health experts, and analysts as a model that could help solve rural America’s primary care shortage. But its Tennessee launch has been met with local skepticism.

These Appalachia Hospitals Made Big Promises to Gain a Monopoly. They’re Failing to Deliver.

KFF Health News Original

Ballad Health, the only hospital system across a large swath of Tennessee and Virginia, has fallen short of quality-of-care and charity care obligations — even as it’s sued thousands of patients for unpaid bills.

New Medicare Advantage Plans Tailor Offerings to Asian Americans, Latinos, and LGBTQ+

KFF Health News Original

As more seniors opt for Medicare Advantage, a few small insurers have begun offering plans that provide culturally targeted benefits for cohorts including Asian Americans, Latinos, and LGBTQ+ people. The approach, policy researchers say, has potential and perils.