Latest Morning Briefing Stories

KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': All About the (Government) Funding

Podcast

With days to go until a large chunk of the federal government runs out of money needed to keep it operating, Congress is still struggling to find a compromise spending plan. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court agreed to hear — this year — a case that pits federal requirements for emergency treatment against state abortion bans. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet, and Tami Luhby of CNN join KFF Health News chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews American Medical Association President Jesse Ehrenfeld about the choppy waters facing the nation’s physicians in 2024.

States Begin Tapping Medicaid Dollars to Combat Gun Violence

KFF Health News Original

The Biden administration is allowing states to use money from the insurance program for low-income and disabled residents to pay for gun violence prevention. California and six other states have approved such spending, with more expected to follow.

Doctors Are as Vulnerable to Addiction as Anyone. California Grapples With a Response.

KFF Health News Original

The Medical Board of California, which licenses MDs, is developing a program to evaluate, treat, and monitor doctors with alcohol and drug problems. But there is sharp disagreement over whether those who might volunteer for the program should be subject to public disclosure and over how much participants should pay.

Patients With Narcolepsy Face a Dual Nightmare of Medication Shortages and Stigma

KFF Health News Original

It’s been more than a year since the FDA declared a national shortage of Adderall, and it’s affecting more than just patients with ADHD. Those with narcolepsy, a much rarer condition, are often treated with the same medication. Without it, they’re often unable to drive or function as usual.

Mental Health Courts Can Struggle to Fulfill Decades-Old Promise

KFF Health News Original

Mental health courts have been touted as a means to help reduce the flow of people with mental illness into jails and prisons. But the specialized diversion programs can struggle to live up to that promise, and some say they’re a bad investment.

As Foundation for ‘Excited Delirium’ Diagnosis Cracks, Fallout Spreads

KFF Health News Original

Major policy changes and disavowals have made this a watershed year for curbing the use of the discredited “excited delirium” diagnosis to explain deaths in police custody. Now the ripple effects are spreading across the country into court cases, state legislation, and police training classes.

El condado de Los Angeles ofrece terapia virtual gratuita de salud mental para estudiantes

KFF Health News Original

La teleterapia desempeña un papel cada vez más importante en las escuelas del país, a medida que educadores y trabajadores sociales se enfrentan a la presión de abordar los crecientes problemas de salud mental.

LA County Invests Big in Free Virtual Mental Health Therapy for K-12 Students

KFF Health News Original

California is spending almost $5 billion to address a growing youth mental health crisis. In Los Angeles County, a contract with teletherapy provider Hazel Health is funding free therapy sessions for all interested students. School districts are grateful for the additional support, but express concerns about the remote arrangement.

Health Care Is Front and Center as DeSantis and Newsom Go Mano a Mano

KFF Health News Original

Florida’s Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis and California’s Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom will square off in a first-of-its-kind debate on Nov. 30. KFF Health News compared the political rivals’ health care positions, showing how their policies have helped — or hindered — the health of their states’ residents.

La atención de salud, en el centro del debate entre DeSantis y Newsom

KFF Health News Original

El candidato presidencial republicano Ron DeSantis y el gobernador demócrata Gavin Newsom —rivales políticos y representantes de la América roja y azul— se enfrentarán en un debate sin precedentes el 30 de noviembre en Georgia.

It’s Getting Harder to Find Long-Term Residential Behavioral Health Treatment for Kids

KFF Health News Original

Intermountain Residential in Montana is one of the only facilities in the United States that offer long-term residential behavioral treatment for kids as young as four. Now, administrators say they’re not sure how long it can keep its doors open.

Children Who Survive Shootings Endure Huge Health Obstacles and Costs

KFF Health News Original

A new study finds that young people who have been injured by firearms are more prone to psychiatric diagnoses and developing a substance use disorder than kids who have not been shot — and their families also suffer long-term ill effects.

Medicare amplía su lista de profesionales de salud mental 

KFF Health News Original

Los prejuicios sobre las afecciones mentales y la discriminación por edad hacen que algunos profesionales no tomen en serio el sufrimiento de las personas mayores, profundizando las barreras de acceso a la atención.