Latest KFF Health News Stories
Many Localities Find Past Ambivalence On Mosquitoes Hinders Zika Response
Efforts to control and track the mosquitoes that carry the Zika virus have been hampered by lack of resources.
Got Zika? For Pregnant Women, Lab Constraints Mean It’s Often Hard To Know
Testing people — especially pregnant women — who may have been exposed to the virus is an integral part of the response strategy, but it’s putting a strain on this part of the nation’s public health infrastructure. New congressional funding could change that.
Election Buzz: Critics Of Legal Pot Say Addiction Becomes ‘A Disease Of The Family’
As more states consider legalizing recreational marijuana, families consider what messages to present to young people about using pot. Should it be avoidance, moderation or acceptance? Differing views from Arizona and Oregon.
Election Buzz: With Pot On The Ballot, States Weigh How To Police Stoned Drivers
Blood tests for marijuana aren’t an accurate measure of impairment for drivers, and there isn’t an easy roadside sobriety test for pot yet. The five states where recreational marijuana is on the ballot may be looking to Colorado for its experiences with the DUI problem soon.
Election Buzz: A Look At Brain Science As 5 States Vote On Legalizing Pot
Recreational marijuana is on the ballot in five states in November. What do we know about pot’s effects on the brain?
In Arizona, Health Law’s Gains And Losses Play In Presidential Race
Clinton has offered detailed plans to preserve and expand the law, while Trump has vowed to “repeal and replace Obamacare so quickly.”
As Aerial Spraying Continues In Miami’s Zika Fight, Effectiveness Up In Air
As Miami-Dade doubles down on aerial spraying of the insecticide naled to combat the mosquitoes that spread Zika, experts question that approach.
How Can Parents, Pediatricians Discuss Guns In The House?
Research suggests pediatricians shy away from the topic, but parents generally are open to discussing firearms in the context of safe storage.
Colorado Gun Shops Work Together To Prevent Suicides
Gun shop owners and public health workers in Colorado are finding common ground amid rancor over guns and politics. They are collaborating to reduce suicides involving firearms.
In Philadelphia, Neighbors Learn How To Help Save Shooting Victims
A first-aid class in Philadelphia is designed to help people learn how to keep shooting victims alive until the paramedics arrive. It teaches skills such as applying tourniquets to stop bleeding.
Baltimore Draws 10-Year Blueprint To Cut Racial Health Disparities
Officials aim to bring elevated rates of lead poisoning, heart disease, obesity, smoking and overdoses among Baltimore’s African-Americans closer to those of whites.
In Boston’s ‘Safe Space,’ Surprising Insights Into Drug Highs
As doctors and nurses learn more about what the body goes through during drug use, they are changing the treatment they provide for patients on heroin and other drugs.
Giving Birth In Georgia Is Too Often A Deadly Event
The legislature has set up a committee to study why Georgia is among the states with the highest rates of maternal mortality.
As States OK Medical Marijuana Laws, Doctors Struggle With Knowledge Gap
State health departments are beginning to require physicians to complete continuing medical education courses to learn how and when this therapy might work for patients.
Insurance Rules Can Hamper Recovery From Opioid Addiction
Medicaid and other health insurers require doctors to file time-consuming paperwork before allowing them to prescribe drugs that help people quit opioids. That delay fosters relapse, specialists say.
Doctors Need A New Skill Set For This Opioid Abuse Treatment
Practicing surgery on a piece of pork — that’s how some doctors are learning to implant a new drug that curbs opioid cravings. It’s not a skill set typically used in addiction medicine.
Gun Violence And Mental Health Laws, 50 Years After Texas Tower Sniper
Trying to prevent gun violence by tying it to mental health legislation began in 1966 when a young gunman killed 16 people in Austin, Texas. But some believe the approach is misguided.
Kentucky And Feds Near Possible Collision On Altering Medicaid Expansion
By Aug. 1, Republican Gov. Matt Bevin is expected to ask the Obama administration to approve significant changes on many Medicaid enrollees, including monthly premiums and a work requirement.
Mike Pence’s Health Policy Record Is A Mixed Bag
As governor of Indiana, Mike Pence expanded Medicaid with conservative tweaks, responded to an HIV outbreak with a limited needle-exchange program and signed one of the most restrictive abortion laws in the country.
Inaccurate Provider Lists A Major Barrier To Care, Study Finds
Research published in Health Affairs shows that new patients were able to get an appointment with a primary care doctor less than 30 percent of the time.
