Latest KFF Health News Stories
Telemedicine or In-Person Visit? Pros and Cons
The volume of virtual medical appointments has exploded during the pandemic as patients and doctors have sought to avoid infection through in-person visits.
North Carolina Treasurer Took On the Hospitals. Now He’s Paying Political Price.
The state hospital association has endorsed Dale Folwell’s opponent after the treasurer sought to force them to accept lower reimbursements from the state employees’ health plan.
Déjà Vu for California Voters on Dialysis
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
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.
UVA Health Still Squeezing Money From Patients — By Seizing Their Home Equity
The University of Virginia promised reforms but has stopped short of announcing them, while hospital giant VCU Health has freed tens of thousands from property liens.
Most Home Health Aides ‘Can’t Afford Not to Work’ — Even When Lacking PPE
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.
Pence Said Biden Copied Trump’s Pandemic Response Plan. Pants on Fire!
The vice president went on to point out the underlying philosophical differences between President Donald Trump and Joe Biden regarding their approaches to COVID-19.
Stigma Against D.O.s Had Been Dissipating Until Trump’s Doctor Took the Spotlight
Two types of licensed physicians exist in this country — M.D.s and D.O.s. Here’s what you need to know about the differences.
Does the Federal Health Information Privacy Law Protect President Trump?
The president’s doctors have used HIPAA — the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act — as a shield to avoid questions about the president’s COVID-19 diagnosis.
New Laws Keep Pandemic-Weary California at Forefront of Health Policy Innovation
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.
To Free Doctors From Computers, Far-Flung Scribes Are Now Taking Notes For Them
Paid even less than low-wage doctors’ scribes in the United States, remote note takers in India gain a foothold in a rapidly expanding industry.
Sky-High Drug Prices Driven by Pharma Profits, House Dems Charge
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.
Promises Kept? On Health Care, Trump’s Claims of ‘Monumental Steps’ Don’t Add Up
The president entered office seeking to overturn the Affordable Care Act, revamp Medicaid and drive down prescription drug prices, among other things. He’s hit some stone walls.
Heartbreaking Bills, Lawsuit and Bankruptcy — Even With Insurance
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
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
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.
Rural Hospitals Teeter on Financial Cliff as COVID Medicare Loans Come Due
A lack of direction from federal administrators is causing confusion for many hospital administrators. Rural hospitals are among the ones hit hardest.
Tough to Tell COVID From Smoke Inhalation Symptoms — And Flu Season’s Coming
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
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.
‘An Arm and a Leg’: She Tangled With Health Insurers for 25 Years — And Loved It
When people had a health insurance headache, these two words were a relief: “Call Barbara.” No problem was too big, or too small, she’d fix it.
