Health Industry

Latest KFF Health News Stories

Déjà Vu for California Voters on Dialysis

KFF Health News Original

Californians are again being asked to weigh in on a dialysis ballot measure. This one purports to target patient safety, and dialysis industry giants are once again spending big to defeat it.

Workers Fired, Penalized for Reporting COVID Safety Violations

KFF Health News Original

Many workers are resisting what they feel are unsafe, unhealthy conditions as companies restart. A few states have passed laws specifically aimed at protecting workers who face COVID-related safety risks and retaliation for speaking up, but advocates say stronger federal protections are needed.

Most Home Health Aides ‘Can’t Afford Not to Work’ — Even When Lacking PPE

KFF Health News Original

Home health aides flattened the curve by keeping the most vulnerable patients — seniors, the disabled, the infirm — out of hospitals. But they’ve done it mostly at poverty wages and without overtime pay, hazard pay, sick leave or health insurance.

New Laws Keep Pandemic-Weary California at Forefront of Health Policy Innovation

KFF Health News Original

Gov. Gavin Newsom approved many consequential health care bills by his bill-signing deadline Wednesday, including a ban on the sale of menthol and other flavored tobacco products, the creation of a state generic drug label and better coverage for mental health disorders.

Sky-High Drug Prices Driven by Pharma Profits, House Dems Charge

KFF Health News Original

Democrats on the House Oversight Committee released a damning investigation Wednesday of drug company pricing tactics and profits, as two days of hearings with testimony from pharmaceutical industry CEOs begin.

Heartbreaking Bills, Lawsuit and Bankruptcy — Even With Insurance

KFF Health News Original

With health insurance that can leave him on the hook for more than a quarter of his salary every year, a Kentucky essential worker who has heart disease is one of millions of Americans who are functionally uninsured. At only 31, he has already been through bankruptcy and being sued by his hospital. This year, he faced a bill for more than $10,000.

These Secret Safety Panels Will Pick the COVID Vaccine Winners

KFF Health News Original

Data and safety monitoring boards work under a cloak of secrecy meant to prevent undue influence by stakeholders, such as companies or the government. In the Trump era, some worry the anonymity could actually invite it.

Battle Rages Inside Hospitals Over How COVID Strikes and Kills

KFF Health News Original

The debate over how the coronavirus spreads heated up Friday when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conceded that the virus spreads through tiny particles, but then took down guidance that could have forced big changes in hospitals.

Tough to Tell COVID From Smoke Inhalation Symptoms — And Flu Season’s Coming

KFF Health News Original

Respiratory symptoms stemming from coronavirus infection and smoke inhalation are too similar to distinguish without a full workup. This is complicating the jobs of health care workers as wildfires rage up and down the West Coast.

Hospitals, Nursing Homes Fail to Separate COVID Patients, Putting Others at Risk

KFF Health News Original

COVID patients have been commingled with uninfected patients in California, Florida, New Jersey, Iowa, Ohio, Maryland, New York and beyond. While officials have penalized nursing homes for such failures, hospitals have seen less scrutiny.