Latest KFF Health News Stories
Suicide By Opioid: New Research Suggests Overdoses Should Be Classified As Self-Harm
Researchers combined the number of suicide deaths with those associated with drug overdoses in an effort to better grasp the overlap between these two public health epidemics.
McCain’s Complicated Health Care Legacy: He Hated the ACA. He Also Saved It.
The six-term Arizona senator, who died Saturday, took on some of health care’s goliaths, such as the tobacco industry and insurance companies, in addition to the health law.
Medicaid Covers Foster Kids, But Daunting Health Needs Still Slip Through The Cracks
Nearly all children in the foster care system are covered by Medicaid. Yet, foster parents still struggle to meet the extraordinary health needs of their children. To solve this, some states are experimenting with a coordinated approach to care — with mixed results.
Rehabilitation Plus Rehab? Jails Dispense Drugs To Treat Inmates’ Addictions
Rather than go cold turkey, inmates increasingly have the option to take medication to help beat addiction to opioids and other substances. But some warn these substitute drugs serve as another crutch — and a costly one at that.
As Opioid Crisis Rages, Some Trade ‘Tough Love’ For Empathy
An approach known as Community Reinforcement and Family Training, or CRAFT, coaches families to deal with a loved one’s substance abuse with compassion.
Doctors Reckon With High Rate Of Suicide In Their Ranks
The devastating loss of a promising young doctor prompts soul-searching and action at one of the nation’s largest emergency room staffing companies.
Listen: Inexpensive Nerve Drug Often Abused As Opioid Epidemic Grows
Gabapentin, a medication approved to help patients with nerve pain or epilepsy, is being abused by people addicted to opioids to help prolong their high or stave off withdrawal from other drugs. Kaiser Health News reporter Carmen Heredia Rodriguez talks about the problem during a wide-ranging health discussion on the NPR program “On Point.”
Pacientes con dolor crónico se sienten atrapados en el debate sobre opioides
Los pacientes que necesitan esta medicación se sienten afectados injustamente por la tendencia a recetarlos cada vez menos, como una estrategia para frenar la creciente epidemia de abuso de opioides.
Patients With Chronic Pain Feel Caught In An Opioid-Prescribing Debate
States are passing laws that limit a doctor’s ability to prescribe opioids. Doctors and patients alike are wrestling with what that means in cases of chronic pain.
¿Qué tan pronto conviene saber si tienes Alzheimer?
José Belardo fue diagnosticado con Alzheimer precoz a los 50 años. Siempre memorioso, el contraalmirante retirado olvidó por dos años consecutivos su aniversario de bodas. Fue cuando la familia se dio cuenta que algo estaba pasando.
How Soon Is Soon Enough To Learn You Have Alzheimer’s?
Only about half of people with Alzheimer’s symptoms get a diagnosis, partly out of fear of an incurable decline, doctors suspect. But Jose Belardo says facing the future allows him to plan for it.
From Crib To Court: Trump Administration Summons Immigrant Infants
At least 70 infants have been ordered to appear in immigration court. Experts believe some were separated from their parents.
De la cuna a la corte: la administración Trump cita a bebés inmigrantes
Al menos 70 pequeños menores de 1 año han sido citados en los últimos diez meses para enfrentar sin sus padres sus procesos de deportación.
Clínica examina a aspirantes a conseguir asilo, en busca de honestidad
Los profesionales que atienden a los solicitantes de asilo son expertos en el análisis de terribles heridas que pueden haber sido producto de torturas.
California Clinic Screens Asylum Seekers For Honesty
As new federal policies make it harder to gain asylum in the U.S., foreign applicants try to improve their chances by having doctors evaluate their conditions — perhaps bolstering their stories of torture and violent persecution back home.
Facebook Live: The Marketing Plan That Fueled An Addiction Epidemic
KHN senior correspondent Fred Schulte talks about a cache of files detailing Purdue Pharma’s early OxyContin marketing plan.
Cuidadoras comparten consejos para aliviar el peso del Alzheimer
Sus maridos han perdido, o están perdiendo, la memoria. Ellas han logrado crear un círculo de apoyo para poder seguir adelante a pesar del dolor.
Support Circle: Family Caregivers Share Stories And Tips To Ease Alzheimer’s Toll
As the number of people with Alzheimer’s climbs, so does the number of loved ones caring for them. The health of 16 million unpaid U.S. caregivers has become a focus for Alzheimer’s advocacy groups.
What A U.S.-China Trade War Could Mean For The Opioid Epidemic
The nation’s effort to combat this public health crisis could get caught in the crossfire of the Trump administration’s trade policies.
The Other Victims: First Responders To Horrific Disasters Often Suffer In Solitude
Some firefighters, emergency medical providers and law enforcement officers say recent mass shootings and other calamities — disturbing enough in themselves — have brought to the surface trauma buried over years on the job. Many are reluctant to seek help, though some employers are trying to change that.
