Health Industry

Latest KFF Health News Stories

Hospital Executive Charged In $1.4B Rural Hospital Billing Scheme

KFF Health News Original

In an investigation last year, KHN detailed the rise and fall of Miami businessman Jorge A. Perez’s rural hospital empire, which spanned eight states and encompassed half of the rural hospital bankruptcies in 2019.

Ghost Bill: UVA Siphons Couple’s Tax Refund To Pay 20-Year-Old Medical Debt

KFF Health News Original

Jane Collins and Anthony Blow were stunned to learn last fall that their state tax refund was being reduced by $110 because the Charlottesville medical center said they owed money for care their son received in 2001 and 2002.

As Problems Grow With Abbott’s Fast COVID Test, FDA Standards Are Under Fire

KFF Health News Original

After the FDA issues a public warning about the test, one of its senior officials says point-of-care coronavirus tests can miss 20% of cases and still be considered useful. Public health experts are split.

California Hits Up Libraries and Tax Offices To Recruit 20,000 New Disease Detectives

KFF Health News Original

As California begins one of the largest contact-tracing training programs in the country, many of the new recruits will be librarians: who are known to be curious, tech-savvy and really good at getting people they barely know to open up.

Citing COVID, Sutter Pushes To Revisit Landmark Antitrust Settlement

KFF Health News Original

Six months after agreeing to a $575 million settlement in a landmark antitrust case, Sutter Health has yet to pay a single dollar and now says the terms may be untenable, given the strain caused by the pandemic.

At A Time Of Great Need, Public Health Lacks ‘Lobbying Muscle’

KFF Health News Original

Public health officials are asking for more money in California’s state budget. But unlike some rich and powerful health care interests, they don’t have an army of lobbyists to curry favor with lawmakers.

Federal Help Falters As Nursing Homes Run Short Of Protective Equipment

KFF Health News Original

More than 3,000 nursing homes reported less than a week’s worth of supplies, and 653 said they had run out entirely at some point. Stopgap FEMA equipment has not reached many facilities, and packages that have arrived have fallen short of promises.

At-Home Care Designed For COVID Likely Here To Stay At Cleveland Hospital

KFF Health News Original

A public hospital in Cleveland has been trying to keep COVID patients out of its beds. It tried a number of innovations for developing better communication — even better relationships — with patients. Officials think this groundwork helped keep the outbreak at bay — and should be the new business model going forward.