Latest KFF Health News Stories
Two Rival Hospitals Want To Join Forces. Will Patients Lose?
In Terre Haute, Ind., two rival hospitals want to merge, a move that supporters say will save patients money and help people live longer. But similar hospital consolidations in Tennessee, Virginia and North Carolina have resulted in government reports documenting diminished care. In more than a dozen states, certificates of public advantage (COPAs) permit deals […]
Lack of Affordability Tops Older Americans’ List of Health Care Worries
Rising health care costs are fueling anxiety among older Americans covered by Medicare. They’re right to be concerned.
Beyond PMS: A Poorly Understood Disorder Means Periods of Despair for Some Women
Premenstrual dysphoric disorder is estimated to affect around 5% of people who menstruate, but a lack of research and limited awareness of menstrual disorders — even among health care providers — can make getting care difficult.
Mississippi Lacks Black Doctors, Even as Lawmakers Increasingly Target Diversity Programs
Administrators at the University of Mississippi School of Medicine are trying to recruit more Black students — and more Hispanic and Choctaw Nation students, for that matter. But they face several obstacles, including a recent swell of Republican opposition to diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.
Fake Therapist Fooled Hundreds Online Until She Died, State Records Say
A Florida woman with no training in mental health services pretended to be a licensed social worker during online therapy sessions with Brightside Health patients.
Falsa terapeuta engañó a cientos de pacientes en Internet, y solo se supo porque murió
Cientos de estadounidenses pueden haber recibido terapia, sin saberlo, de una impostora sin formación que se hizo pasar por terapeuta en sesiones por internet, posiblemente durante dos años. El engaño sólo se descubrió cuando murió, según registros de departamentos de salud estatales.
The Concierge Catch: Better Access for a Few Patients Disrupts Care for Many
Increasingly, Americans pay for the privilege of seeing a doctor. Research shows concierge medicine can further hamper access to care for those who can’t afford the upgrade.
Idaho’s OB-GYN Exodus Throws Women in Rural Towns Into a Care Void
Idaho’s law criminalizing abortion drove a high-profile exodus of OB-GYNs from the state more than a year ago. Now, two years after the U.S. Supreme Court rolled back abortion protections enshrined by Roe v. Wade, patients in rural Idaho are forced to leave their community for gynecological care.
Supreme Court OKs Local Crackdowns on Homelessness, as Advocates Warn of Chaos
In a momentous 6-3 decision that could affect communities across the nation, the U.S. Supreme Court gave local officials and law enforcement more authority to fine and penalize homeless people living outside. Advocates for homeless people predict the ruling will lead to more sickness and death.
KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': SCOTUS Ruling Strips Power From Federal Health Agencies
In what will certainly be remembered as a landmark decision, the Supreme Court has overruled a 40-year-old precedent that gave federal agencies, rather than judges, the power to interpret ambiguous laws passed by Congress. Administrative experts say the decision will dramatically change the way key health agencies do business. Also, the court decided not to decide whether a federal law requiring hospitals to provide emergency care overrides Idaho’s near-total ban on abortion. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Victoria Knight of Axios, and Joanne Kenen of Johns Hopkins University and Politico Magazine join KFF Health News chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Plus, for “extra credit,” the panelists suggest health policy stories they read this week they think you should read, too.
Abortion Ballot Measures Won’t Automatically Undo Existing Laws
On Tuesday, a judge in Michigan blocked some of the state’s lingering restrictions on abortion access, including a mandatory 24-hour waiting period. The ruling comes 19 months after voters added abortion rights to the state constitution in November 2022. Michigan was one of the first states to protect abortion access at the ballot box after […]
Republicans Are Downplaying Abortion, but It Keeps Coming Up
Torn between a base that wants more restrictions on reproductive health care and a moderate majority that does not, it seems many Republicans would rather take an off-ramp than a victory lap when it comes to abortion. But they can’t escape talking about it.
$2 Million Disbursed to Victims and Community Groups in Wake of Super Bowl Mass Shooting
The United Way of Greater Kansas City gave $1.2 million to victims and $832,000 to 14 community groups Thursday, hoping to reach other victims from the violence at the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl parade, as well as those working to prevent gun violence.
Distribuyen $2 millones entre víctimas del tiroteo del Super Bowl y grupos comunitarios
Desde el tiroteo, algunas víctimas y sus familias han recibido facturas médicas por miles de dólares, por tratamientos en salas de emergencia, viajes en ambulancia, atención médica continua por las heridas de bala o consejería de salud mental.
Chorus or Cacophony? Cicada Song Hits Some Ears Harder Than Others
Cicadas are the song of the summer, but this year’s large broods may be especially irritating for people on the autism spectrum who have hearing sensitivity.
Battleground Wisconsin: Voters Feel Nickel-and-Dimed by Health Care Costs
In the swing state of Wisconsin, the cost and availability of health care have emerged as key issues. Voters there say prescriptions, procedures, and health insurance policies are too expensive, and must be addressed by the next president, whether Republican or Democrat.
Rate of Young Women Getting Sterilized Doubled After ‘Roe’ Was Overturned
A recent study found that the rate of women 18 to 30 getting tubal ligations doubled in the 16 months following the Dobbs decision. The number of young men getting vasectomies also shot up, but men still get sterilized much less often than women.
El sonido que producen las cigarras afecta a algunos más que a otros… ¿por qué?
Desde esta primavera, miles de millones de insectos de ojos rojos han estado saliendo de la tierra en todo el Medio Oeste y el Sureste. Es parte de una rara aparición simultánea de dos camadas de cigarras: una que aparece cada 13 años y la otra cada 17.
Federal Budget Constraints May Hurt Older Americans With HIV
Researchers say that by the end of the decade, 70 percent of people in the United States living with HIV will be older than 50. Thanks to advances in medicine, the diagnosis is no longer a death sentence. “I’ve been fortunate to take care of some people with HIV for over 30 years,” said Melanie Thompson, a physician […]
US Judge Finds California in Contempt Over Prison Mental Health Staffing
A federal judge has found top California officials in contempt for failing to hire enough mental health professionals to adequately treat tens of thousands of incarcerated people with serious mental disorders. The judge ordered the state to pay $112 million in fines.
