States

Latest KFF Health News Stories

The Patient Expected a Free Checkup. The Bill Was $1,430.

KFF Health News Original

Carmen Aiken of Chicago thought their medical appointment would be covered because the Affordable Care Act requires insurers to pay for a long list of preventive services. But after the appointment, Aiken received a bill for more than $1,400.

Fast Action From Bystanders Can Improve Cardiac Arrest Survival. Many Don’t Know What To Do.

KFF Health News Original

In 9 of 10 cases, a person in cardiac arrest will die because help doesn’t arrive quickly enough. With CPR and, possibly, a shock from an automated external defibrillator, survival odds double. But Americans lack confidence and know-how to handle these interventions.

Trump Restores Title X Funding for Two Anti-Abortion States — While Wiping It Out Elsewhere

KFF Health News Original

The Biden administration shut off federal family planning grants to Tennessee and Oklahoma after the states directed clinics not to provide abortion counseling. The Trump administration restored the money, claiming two lawsuits were settled. They weren’t.

In a Broken Mental Health System, a Tiny Jail Cell Becomes an Institution of Last Resort

KFF Health News Original

Like local jails nationwide, Montana’s small holding facilities have become institutions of last resort as patients in mental health crisis stall in backlogs, waiting for beds at the state-run mental hospital.

Con el fin de las becas de diversidad, jóvenes científicos temen por el futuro de sus carreras

KFF Health News Original

Adelaide Tovar, científica de la Universidad de Michigan que investiga genes relacionados con la diabetes, solía sentirse como una impostora en el laboratorio. Tovar, de 32 años, creció en la pobreza y fue la primera de su familia en graduarse de la secundaria. Durante su primer año en la universidad, se dio cuenta de que […]

Moms in Crisis, Jobs Lost: The Human Cost of Trump’s Addiction Funding Cuts

KFF Health News Original

In many cases, the money flowed to addiction recovery programs that help rebuild lives by driving people to medical appointments and court hearings, crafting résumés and training them for new jobs, finding them housing, and helping them build social connections unrelated to drugs.

What ‘Fertilization President’ Trump Can Learn From State Efforts To Expand IVF Access

KFF Health News Original

State-level efforts to regulate fertility coverage reveal the gauntlet of budgetary and political hurdles such initiatives face — obstacles that have led to millions of people being left out even when mandates become law.

A Chicago Hospital Bows to Federal Pressure on Trans Care for Teens

KFF Health News Original

In the wake of an executive order by President Donald Trump opposing gender-affirming surgeries for minors, hospitals are pausing procedures — even those already scheduled. Families fear the eventual loss of all gender-affirming care for their transgender kids.

Medi-Cal Under Threat: Who’s Covered and What Could Be Cut?

KFF Health News Original

Federal law requires states to offer health insurance to many people with low incomes or disabilities. But some states, including California, are far more generous than what’s required. Budget pressures may force lawmakers to cut benefits that have led to a historic low in the uninsured rate.

Aumenta la desinformación sobre el sarampión, y las personas le prestan atención, dice una encuesta

KFF Health News Original

Mientras se expande la epidemia de sarampión más grave en una década, las creencias falsas sobre la seguridad de la vacuna contra esta infección se diseminan, avaladas por el funcionario de salud de mayor rango del país.

Fate of Black Maternal Health Programs Is Unclear Amid Federal Cuts

KFF Health News Original

In California, Black women are at least three times as likely as white women to die from pregnancy-related causes. Santa Clara County initiatives aimed at reducing racial disparities work but depend on federal dollars — money that might not flow amid budget cuts and a push to end diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.