Health Industry

Latest KFF Health News Stories

La leche de fórmula puede ser adecuada para los bebés, pero expertos advierten que los niños pequeños no la necesitan

KFF Health News Original

Los pediatras y funcionarios federales de salud señalan que cuando la mayoría de los niños cumple un año, pueden comenzar a beber leche de vaca o un sustituto de la leche a base de plantas sin azúcar.

Formula May Be Right for Infants, but Experts Warn That Toddlers Don’t Need It

KFF Health News Original

Sales of formulas designed for toddlers increased in recent years, but health experts warn parents that, generally, once children reach their 1st birthday, they are fine with cow or plant milk and don’t need the expensive, high-calorie products. And doctors say toddler formula should not be given to infants.

Genetic Tests Create Treatment Opportunities and Confusion for Breast Cancer Patients

KFF Health News Original

Doctors are divided on whether blanket testing of breast cancer patients is warranted, since scientists and physicians are sometimes unsure about how to interpret the results.

Médicos se apresuran a usar fallo de la Corte Suprema para liberarse de cargos por opioides

KFF Health News Original

En una decisión de junio, el tribunal dijo que los fiscales no solo deben probar que una receta no estaba médicamente justificada sino también que el que la escribió sabía del riesgo de recetar opioides.

Doctors Rush to Use Supreme Court Ruling to Escape Opioid Charges

KFF Health News Original

After a unanimous ruling from the high court, doctors who are accused of writing irresponsible prescriptions can go to trial with a new defense: It wasn’t on purpose.

New Abortion Laws Jeopardize Cancer Treatment for Pregnant Patients

KFF Health News Original

As abortion restrictions take effect across the South in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, cancer doctors are trying to decipher the laws. They’re grappling with how to discuss options with pregnant patients, who may be forced to choose whether to proceed or forgo lifesaving cancer treatments that can prove toxic for the fetus.

Montana Health Department Seeks to Ax Board That Hears Public Assistance Appeals

KFF Health News Original

Applicants for cash, food, and health care assistance would need to go to court to appeal rejections if the Montana legislature approves a proposal to eliminate the Board of Public Assistance.

Impending Hospital Closure Rattles Atlanta Health Care Landscape and Political Races

KFF Health News Original

The nonprofit owners of Atlanta Medical Center, a 460-bed Level 1 trauma center in the heart of the city, plan to close the hospital in November. As many community members worry about the hole the closure will leave in the city’s safety net, the news has thrust health care into the political spotlight less than two months before Election Day.

Experts Question the Role of White Mulberry in the Death of Congressman’s Wife

KFF Health News Original

The Sacramento County coroner concluded that Lori McClintock, the wife of U.S. Rep. Tom McClintock, died of dehydration after ingesting white mulberry leaf. But some scientists, doctors, and pathologists are questioning that ruling, and are urging the coroner’s office, which hasn’t explained its reasoning, to reopen the case.

A los recién nacidos se les extrae sangre para analizarla, ¿deben los estados conservar esas muestras?

KFF Health News Original

Algunos estados permiten que se utilicen en estudios de investigación, a veces por parte de terceros a cambio de una cuota, o que se proporcionen al personal policial que investiga un delito.

Newborns Get Routine Heel Blood Tests, but Should States Keep Those Samples?

KFF Health News Original

Shortly after birth, babies are pricked in the heel so their blood can be tested for life-threatening conditions. States generally save leftover blood from those samples, and parents and privacy experts are concerned that information could be used without consent years later.

Southern States’ Lackluster Monkeypox Efforts Leave LGBTQ+ Groups Going It Alone

KFF Health News Original

The gay community is disproportionally affected by the monkeypox outbreak, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says public health efforts should prioritize gay and bisexual men. But in the South, some LGBTQ+ advocates fear that this is not happening consistently. They say they are having to take matters into their own hands in the absence of a coordinated response from state governments.

As State Institutions Close, Families of Longtime Residents Face Agonizing Choices

KFF Health News Original

Iowa, under federal pressure to improve care for people with intellectual or developmental disabilities, is set to join 45 other states that have closed most or all of their state institutions for such residents.

Medical Coding Creates Barriers to Care for Transgender Patients

KFF Health News Original

The codes used by U.S. medical providers to bill insurers haven’t caught up to the needs of trans patients or even international standards. Consequently, doctors are forced to get creative with what codes they use, or patients spend hours fighting big out-of-pocket bills.

Did the US Jump the Gun With the New Omicron-Targeted Vaccines?

KFF Health News Original

With fears of a winter surge looming, government agencies have authorized and encouraged vaccination with a newly formulated booster. But the science to support that decision remains inconclusive.

Many Preventive Medical Services Cost Patients Nothing. Will a Texas Court Decision Change That?

KFF Health News Original

A federal judge in Texas issued a decision this week that affects the Affordable Care Act. It says one way that preventive services are selected for no-cost coverage is unconstitutional.