Latest KFF Health News Stories
Never-Ending Costs: When Resolved Medical Bills Keep Popping Up
A bill one family considered paid wrongfully resurfaced, resurrecting painful memories. It’s a scenario that’s not uncommon but grievously unsettling.
Why Nurses Are Raging and Quitting After the RaDonda Vaught Verdict
The former Tennessee nurse faces prison time for a fatal error. Reaction from her peers was swift and fierce on social media and beyond ― and it isn’t over.
Tennessee Offers to Expand Dental Schools as Medicaid Coverage Stretches Need
As states expand Medicaid’s dental benefits, they’re running up against a shortage of dentists willing to work on those patients, especially in rural communities. So Tennessee is helping dental schools expand and offering to pay off student loans for those who work in high-need areas.
Reaction to the RaDonda Vaught Verdict: KHN Wants to Hear From Nurses
KHN is asking nurses and other medical professionals to weigh in on the conviction of RaDonda Vaught, a former Tennessee nurse who administered the wrong drug to a patient, killing her.
Big Pharma Is Betting on Bigger Political Ambitions From Sen. Tim Scott
The South Carolina senator led the congressional pack in pharma campaign contributions for the second half of 2021. There are clear reasons.
Nurse Convicted of Neglect and Negligent Homicide for Fatal Drug Error
RaDonda Vaught, a former nurse at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, could spend years in prison after being convicted of two felonies in Nashville, Tennessee, on Friday.
KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: The ACA Turns 12
Although its fate was in doubt more than a few times, the Affordable Care Act turned 12 this week. Year 13 could be pivotal in determining how many Americans receive ACA health insurance, and at what price. Meanwhile, three leading credit bureaus agreed to stop using most medical debt to measure U.S. consumers’ creditworthiness. Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, Rachel Cohrs of Stat, and KHN’s Mary Agnes Carey join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more.
In Nurse’s Trial, Investigator Says Hospital Bears ‘Heavy’ Responsibility for Patient Death
Nashville nurse RaDonda Vaught is charged with reckless homicide for giving the wrong medication to a patient at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
A KFF Health News database tracks campaign donations from drugmakers over the past 10 years.
As a Nurse Faces Prison for a Deadly Error, Her Colleagues Worry: Could I Be Next?
Former nurse RaDonda Vaught is on trial for reckless homicide, and her case raises consequential questions about how nurses use computerized medication-dispensing cabinets.
Money Flows Into Addiction Tech, But Will It Curb Soaring Opioid Overdose Deaths?
Experts are concerned that flashy Silicon Valley technology won’t reach those most in need of treatment for substance use disorders.
Covid’s ‘Silver Lining’: Research Breakthroughs for Chronic Disease, Cancer, and the Common Flu
Billions of dollars invested in mRNA vaccines and covid research could yield health care dividends for decades to come.
Missouri Tried to Fix Its Doctor Shortage. Now the Fix May Need Fixing.
Five states have created “assistant physician” licenses that allow medical school graduates to practice without completing residency training. But a federal indictment in Missouri of one assistant physician has some original supporters trying to rein in the medical specialty.
‘An Arm and a Leg’: Need an Expensive Drug? Here’s What You Need to Know
Even a personal finance expert can get stuck with a huge unexpected bill for a drug. Listen up for what you need to know about “copay accumulators.”
Listen: An Unsettling Investigation Into the Closure of a Chain of Pain Clinics
KHN senior correspondents Jenny Gold and Anna Maria Barry-Jester joined KVPR’s Kathleen Schock on “Valley Edition” to discuss their investigation into the abrupt closure of one of California’s largest chain of pain clinics — and the patients left behind.
KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Congress Shelves Covid Funding for Now
The Biden administration’s request for billions more in funding to fight covid-19 hit a snag on Capitol Hill this week, as Democrats objected to Republican demands that money allocated to states but not yet spent be reclaimed. Meanwhile, the big annual spending bill about to cross the finish line addresses other health policy changes, such as giving the FDA authority to regulate “synthetic” nicotine. Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico, Rachel Cohrs of Stat, and Jessie Hellmann of Modern Healthcare join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Plus, for extra credit, the panelists recommend their favorite health policy stories of the week they think you should read, too.
Which Companies Aren’t Exiting Russia? Big Pharma
U.S. and global drug manufacturers invested in Russia’s sizable pharmaceutical industry contend international humanitarian law requires they continue manufacturing and selling their products there, even while condemning the Ukraine invasion. Not everyone agrees.
Covid Expert Joins Exodus Into Business, Where Science Parlays Into Profits
Like others in academia or government who’ve served as public health advisers during the pandemic, Dr. Michael Mina traded his university role for a commercial venture. He recently took a top job at eMed, a startup that charges a premium price for monitoring at-home covid tests. Can experts do well by trying to do good?
Biden’s Blanket Statement — ‘No More Surprise Billing’ — Doesn’t Quite Cover It
The president used broad language to say that Americans no longer needed to worry about surprise bills, but there are exceptions to the new law that could cost unsuspecting consumers.
Health Care Firms Were Pushed to Confront Racism. Now Some Are Investing in Black Startups.
A new investment fund launched by one of the few Black venture capitalists in health care is focused on backing Black entrepreneurs. And the investors include some of the biggest names in for-profit health care.
