States

Latest KFF Health News Stories

Covid-Inspired Montana Health Insurance Proposal Wouldn’t Kick In for 2 Years

KFF Health News Original

Montana is looking to join most other states in requiring small businesses to offer laid-off employees temporary continuity of their health care plans. But the bill, if it passes, likely won’t take effect in time to help people directly affected by the pandemic.

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: ACA Packs More Benefits — And More Confusion

KFF Health News Original

The covid relief bill signed by President Joe Biden includes a long list of new health benefits for consumers. But many eligible people may have difficulty taking advantage of them because of the interaction with the income tax system and a lack of expert guidance. Meanwhile, Democrats are debating internally about what should come next on the health agenda. Joanne Kenen of Politico, Mary Ellen McIntire of CQ Roll Call and Rachana Pradhan of KHN join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more.

Need Amid Plenty: Richest US Counties Are Overwhelmed by Surge in Child Hunger

KFF Health News Original

Hunger among kids is skyrocketing, even in America’s wealthiest counties. But given the nation’s highly uneven charitable food system, affluent communities have been far less ready for the unprecedented crisis than places accustomed to dealing with poverty and hardship.

For Spring Season, Young Athletes Get Back in the Game Despite Covid Risk

KFF Health News Original

With schools opening up classrooms, millions of young athletes are also getting out on fields and courts. But pandemic precautions and delays are spurring conflicts among parents, coaches and doctors.

How Covid Has Changed Our Movement, as Revealed by Your Cellphone

KFF Health News Original

Californians are venturing out to shop, dine and work far more now than a year ago, when state officials issued the first sweeping stay-at-home order. But we’re still sticking to home way more than before the pandemic, according to mobile phone tracking data.

A Year Into the Pandemic, Three Huge Losses in One Family

KFF Health News Original

The Aldaco family of Phoenix suffered more than most in this year of unfathomable losses. Three brothers perished in the pandemic: Jose in July, Heriberto in December and Gonzalo in February.

University of Missouri Settles Lawsuits Over Knee Surgeries Involving Veterinarian

KFF Health News Original

The University of Missouri settled a collection of 22 medical malpractice and false advertising lawsuits over knee surgeries for $16.2 million. One doctor involved in the cases is among Missouri’s highest-paid state employees; the other is a veterinarian.

In a Year of Zoom Memorials, Art Exhibit Makes Space for Grief

KFF Health News Original

After his father died, artist Taiji Terasaki created a ritual to memorialize him. Now, Terasaki honors front-line health care workers who succumbed to covid with an exhibit inspired by “Lost on the Frontline,” the investigation by KHN and The Guardian.

Texas Winter Storm Exposes Gaps in Senior Living Oversight

KFF Health News Original

As the recent winter storm disaster in Texas showed, many long-term care sites aren’t required to have backup power supplies or other redundancies to keep residents safe when disaster strikes.

Without a Pandemic Safety Net, Immigrants Living Illegally in US Fall Through the Cracks

KFF Health News Original

Many undocumented immigrants are essential workers at high risk of exposure to the virus — and the pandemic’s economic crash — with no direct access to federal financial lifelines available to U.S. citizens.