States

Latest KFF Health News Stories

A Tale of Two Medicaid Expansions: Oklahoma Jumps In, While Missouri Lags

KFF Health News Original

Voters in Missouri and Oklahoma approved Medicaid expansion to begin in 2021. But while Oklahoma has enrolled over 200,000 people so far, Missouri has enrolled fewer than 20,000. Why are two such similar states handling the public insurance rollout so differently?

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Roe v. Wade on the Rocks

KFF Health News Original

A Supreme Court majority appears ready to overturn nearly 50 years of abortion rights, at least judging by the latest round of oral arguments before the justices. And a new covid variant, omicron, gains attention as it spreads around the world. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet and Shefali Luthra of The 19th join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Blake Farmer of Nashville Public Radio about the latest KHN-NPR “Bill of the Month” episode.

Conservative Justices Seem Poised to Overturn Roe’s Abortion Rights

KFF Health News Original

A majority of the members of the Supreme Court seemed sympathetic Wednesday during arguments to Mississippi’s assertion that the landmark Roe v. Wade decision, which legalized the procedure throughout the country, was wrongly decided.

Con el fin de las licencias pagas por covid, empleados sienten la presión de ir a la oficina

KFF Health News Original

Economistas y expertos en salud pública dicen que la licencia por enfermedad paga es una herramienta esencial, tanto como las pruebas, las máscaras y las vacunas, para prevenir la infección por covid-19 y mantener seguros los lugares de trabajo.

With Federal Covid Sick Leave Gone, Workers Feel Pressure to Show Up at Work

KFF Health News Original

National paid sick leave provisions for covid expired, and an uncertain covid winter is around the corner. Colorado, Los Angeles and Pittsburgh are among the places trying to fill the gap, but many employees still face financial pressure to go to work while sick.

California Joins States Trying to Shorten Wait Times for Mental Health Care

KFF Health News Original

In California, health insurers blame long waits for therapy appointments on workforce shortages, but state lawmakers say that’s an excuse. A new law requires insurers to reduce wait times for mental health appointments to no more than 10 business days.

Florida Sen. Rick Scott Off Base in Claim That Rise in Medicare Premiums Is Due to Inflation

KFF Health News Original

The Republican senator says President Joe Biden’s “inflation crisis” caused Medicare to raise monthly premiums, which will add hundreds of dollars to beneficiaries’ costs. But Medicare experts say inflation was not to blame and most beneficiaries will shoulder a much smaller increase than what Rick Scott claims.

Etching the Pain of Covid Into the Flesh of Survivors

KFF Health News Original

Memorial tattoos have grown more popular in recent years. Since parlors reopened after the lockdown, inkers have found that many people are eager to memorialize relatives and friends lost to covid.