Covid Worsened Shortages of Doctors and Nurses. Five Years On, Rural Hospitals Still Struggle.

KFF Health News Original

The U.S. faces a crucial shortage of medical providers, especially in rural areas. The problem has been building for a while, experts say, but the pandemic accelerated it by pushing many doctors over the edge into early retirement or other fields.

Beyond Ivy League, RFK Jr.’s NIH Slashed Science Funding Across States That Backed Trump

KFF Health News Original

A KFF Health News analysis underscores how the terminations have spared no part of the country, politically or geographically. Of the organizations that had grants cut in the first month, about 40% are in states President Donald Trump won in November.

Deportation Fears Add to Mental Health Problems Confronting Colorado Resort Town Workers

KFF Health News Original

The Latino communities who make up significant proportions of year-round populations in Colorado’s mountain towns already experience heightened mental health concerns. Now, deportation fears are increasing their stress.

States Push Medicaid Work Rules, but Few Programs Help Enrollees Find Jobs

KFF Health News Original

Republicans are pushing to implement requirements that Medicaid recipients work in order to obtain or retain coverage. Some states try to help enrollees find jobs. But states lack the data to show whether they’re effective.

Families of Transgender Youth No Longer View Colorado as a Haven for Gender-Affirming Care

KFF Health News Original

Colorado was long considered a haven for gender-affirming care. But under this Trump administration, hospitals in the state have limited the treatments available for people under 19. Some services have been restored, but trans youth and their families say the state isn’t the rock they thought it was.

More Psych Hospital Beds Are Needed for Kids, but Neighbors Say Not Here

KFF Health News Original

Amid a youth mental health crisis and a shortage of inpatient psychiatric beds, residents of a St. Louis suburb opposed a plan to build a 77-bed pediatric mental health hospital. Resistance to such facilities has occurred in other communities as misconceptions about mental health spur fear.

This Bill Aims To Help Firefighters With Cancer. Getting It Passed Is Just the Beginning.

KFF Health News Original

Amid the Los Angeles wildfires, California’s U.S. senators cosponsored legislation that would provide support to first responders who develop or die from service-related cancers. But those involved with similar efforts say the road to implementation is rough and paved with long waits, restrictive eligibility requirements, and funding issues.

Rural Hospitals Question Whether They Can Afford Medicare Advantage Contracts

KFF Health News Original

Some rural hospitals have canceled — or are considering ending — contracts with insurance companies that offer Medicare Advantage plans, saying the private policies jeopardize their finances and impede patient care.

‘If They Cut Too Much, People Will Die’: Health Coalition Pushes GOP on Medicaid Funding

KFF Health News Original

As House Republicans mull a massive $880 billion cut from federal programs likely including Medicaid, constituents, disability advocates, and health care providers are joining forces to lobby GOP members in California — including those who represent rural, deeply conservative pockets that stand to lose the most.