Latest KFF Health News Stories
Trump Vowed To End Surprise Medical Bills. The Office Working on That Just Got Slashed.
The Trump administration’s first round of sweeping staff cuts to federal agencies eliminated dozens of positions at the Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight, which is tasked with implementing the No Surprises Act.
Home Improvements Can Help People Age Independently. But Medicare Seldom Picks Up the Bill.
A small program celebrated by its proponents helps people modify their homes and safely live independently as they age. But most insurers won’t pay for it, including Medicare.
States Facing Doctor Shortages Ease Licensing Rules for Foreign-Trained Physicians
Amid doctor shortages, several states have stopped requiring foreign-trained providers to repeat residencies before they’re fully licensed. Critics say patients could be harmed because of the loosened training requirements.
Para enfrentar la escasez, estados buscan facilitar que médicos extranjeros ejerzan en el país
Alrededor del 26% de los médicos que ejercen en el país nacieron en otro lugar, según el Instituto de Política Migratoria. Necesitan visas para vivir en Estados Unidos, además de licencias estatales para ejercer la medicina.
Fires Undercut L.A.’s Headway on Homelessness
As Los Angeles recovers from historic wildfires, both previously unsheltered and chronically homeless people are facing even greater instability. Some lawmakers and providers argue now is the time to put in even more resources to maintain the progress the county and state have made in fighting the crisis.
Los Angeles County Has Cut Homelessness, but Wildfires Threaten To Erase That Gain
As Los Angeles recovers from historic wildfires, both previously unsheltered and chronically homeless people are facing even greater instability. Some lawmakers and providers argue now is the time to put in even more resources to maintain the progress the county and state have made in fighting the crisis.
Health Clinic Workers Brush Up on Constitutional Protections as Immigration Raids Loom
Clinic administrators describe anxiety about President Donald Trump’s move to allow immigration arrests inside health centers.
Desde el regreso de Donald Trump a la Casa Blanca, el temor a las deportaciones masivas llevadas a cabo por el Servicio de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas de Estados Unidos (ICE) se ha apoderado de las comunidades inmigrantes.
Opioid Cash Grab: As Federal Funding Dries Up, States Turn to Settlement Money
Nevada’s budget debate highlights how uncertainty over funding for federal safety net programs may lead some officials to turn to opioid settlement dollars to make up the difference.
With RFK Jr. in Charge, Supplement Makers See Chance To Cash In
The FDA is already limited in policing claims of health benefits by makers of supplements and herbal remedies — a $70 billion industry. Get ready for even less regulation.
Can Medicaid’s Popularity Shield It From the Budget Ax?
Republicans in Congress have suggested big cuts to Medicaid, the state-federal health insurance program for people with low incomes or disabilities. The complex, multifaceted program touches millions of Americans and has become deeply woven into state budgets and the U.S. health care system.
An Ice Rink To Fight Opioid Crisis: Drug-Free Fun vs. Misuse of Settlement Cash
A decision about how to spend settlement funds in Carter County, Kentucky, which was hit hard by the opioid epidemic, offers a window into the choices that surround this windfall.
Deny and Delay? California Seeks Penalties for Insurers That Repeatedly Get It Wrong
A state lawmaker wants health insurers to disclose denial rates and explain those denials as anger grows over rising costs and uncovered medical care. If the bill is signed into law, health experts say, it could be one of the boldest attempts in the nation to rein in denials.
Pain Clinics Made Millions From ‘Unnecessary’ Injections Into ‘Human Pin Cushions’
Pain MD, which once ran as many as 20 clinics across three states, gave chronic-pain patients about 700,000 total injections near their spines, according to court documents. Last year, federal prosecutors proved at trial that the shots were medically unnecessary and part of an extensive fraud scheme.
Iowa Medicaid Sends $4M Bills to Two Families Grieving Deaths of Loved Ones With Disabilities
States are required to claw back health care costs from the estates of many Medicaid recipients. Some, including Iowa, are particularly aggressive in their pursuit.
Urgent CDC Data and Analyses on Influenza and Bird Flu Go Missing as Outbreaks Escalate
Delays in urgent CDC analyses of seasonal flu and bird flu, and the agency’s silence, will harm Americans as outbreaks escalate, doctors and public health experts warn.
As States Mull Medicaid Work Requirements, Two With Experience Scale Back
As Republicans consider adding work requirements to Medicaid, Georgia and Arkansas — two states with experience running such programs — want to scale back the key parts supporters have argued encourage employment and personal responsibility.
A Dose of Love: The Winning Health Policy Valentines
KFF Health News shares our favorite reader-submitted health policy valentines. One struck us in the heart and inspired an original cartoon.
Top California Democrats Clash Over How To Rein In Drug Industry Middlemen
Frustrated by spiraling drug costs, California lawmakers want to increase oversight of pharmaceutical industry intermediaries known as pharmacy benefit managers. It’s unclear whether they can persuade Gov. Gavin Newsom to get on board.
Montana Looks To Regulate Prior Authorization as Patients, Providers Decry Obstacles to Care
Patients and providers say health insurers’ preapproval requirements lead to delays and denials of needed medical treatments. Insurers argue that prior authorization keeps costs down.
