KFF Health News On NPR

In Ohio, New Abortion Clinic Opens, Bucking National Trend

Since the Roe v. Wade decision, Ohio has been a trendsetter in passing laws that restrict abortion. That’s why it is especially unusual that in a small Ohio town just south of Cleveland, a new clinic that performs abortions opened its doors.

Why Don’t We Have Mental Health Parity?

The law says insurance companies must pay for mental health benefits the same as they do everything else. Addiction as much as diabetes. Depression as much as cancer. But around the country, consumers are taking their insurers to court saying the companies are refusing to pay up. The insurance providers say mental health is complicated, […]

Katrina Shut Down Charity Hospital But Led To More Primary Care

When Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005, many health facilities were destroyed or shut down, including urgent care centers, nursing homes, pharmacies and hospitals. But a new network of renovated and newly built primary care health clinics has opened, which many hope will bring stability to the health care of the city’s low-income residents.

Can Health Care Be Cured Of Racial Bias?

Even as the health of Americans has improved, the disparities in treatment and outcomes between white patients and black and Latino patients are almost as big as they were 50 years ago. A growing body of research suggests that doctors’ unconscious behavior plays a role in these statistics.

The Hospital Is In Network, But Not The Doctor: N.Y. Tries New Balance Billing Law

Consumers in New York are getting new protections against “balance billing,” where insurers bill patients for the difference between what insurers pay and what providers want, and states considering similar laws are watching closely.

Sometimes A Little More Minecraft May Be Quite All Right

The wildly popular video game Minecraft teaches kids basic spatial reasoning concepts and helps them think critically. So, if you’re using it for educational purposes, does it count as screen time, and should parents limit it?

Looming Decision Could Cripple Part Of N.C. Health Insurance Market

If the Supreme Court invalidates some Obamacare tax subsidies, individual health insurance marketplaces in places like North Carolina could be hurt by the remaining deluge of sick people who keep coverage — and the higher insurance premiums their presence demands.

California Law Will Allow Pharmacists To Prescribe Birth Control

As soon as this fall, pharmacists in California will be able to prescribe birth control. While some doctors’ groups are skeptical, lawmakers say pharmacists can fill a need for primary care providers, especially in rural areas.

Pa., Del. Move To Maintain Health Insurance Subsidy Access

A soon-to-be-announced Supreme Court ruling could threaten health insurance subsidies for millions of people in about three dozen states. But many state officials aren’t sharing contingency plans lest they be seen as supporting Obamacare.