States

Latest KFF Health News Stories

US Officials Want to End the HIV Epidemic by 2030. Many Stakeholders Think They Won’t.

KFF Health News Original

The federal government’s ambitious plan to end the HIV epidemic, launched in 2019, has generated new ways to reach at-risk populations in targeted communities across the South. But health officials, advocates, and people living with HIV worry significant headwinds will keep the program from reaching its goals.

Pain, Hope, and Science Collide as Athletes Turn to Magic Mushrooms

KFF Health News Original

A group of former professional athletes traveled to Jamaica to try psychedelics as a way to help cope with the aftereffects of concussions and a career of body-pounding injuries. Will this still largely untested treatment work?

The Biden Administration Vowed to Be a Leading Voice on Opioid Settlements But Has Gone Quiet

KFF Health News Original

Billions of dollars are headed to state and local governments to address the opioid crisis. Policy experts and advocates expect the federal government to play a role in overseeing the use of the money. Failure to do so, they say, could lead to wasted opportunities. And, since Medicaid helps pay health care costs, the feds could have a claim to portions of states’ opioid settlements.

Tension Builds in Transgender Policy Debate in Montana

KFF Health News Original

Two transgender lawmakers are trying to lay the groundwork for LGBTQ-friendly policies in a conservative state, but tensions are running high as the legislative session nears its end.

An Arm and a Leg: A $229,000 Medical Bill Goes to Court

Podcast

Lisa French was told her surgery would cost $1,337. But the hospital sent her a bill for $229,000, then sued her. The case went all the way to the Colorado Supreme Court. The court’s ruling could have major implications for determining a “reasonable price” in health care.

People With Down Syndrome Are Living Longer, but the Health System Still Treats Many as Kids

KFF Health News Original

The median life expectancy for a U.S. baby born with Down syndrome jumped from about four years in 1950 to 58 years in the 2010s. That’s largely because they no longer can be denied lifesaving care, including surgeries for heart defects. But now, aging adults with Down syndrome face a health system unprepared to care for them.

KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': The Confusing Fate of the Abortion Pill

Podcast

The legality and availability of the abortion pill mifepristone is in question after a federal judge in Texas canceled the FDA’s approval of the first drug used in the two-drug medication abortion regimen. A 5th Circuit Court of Appeals panel overruled that decision in part, saying the pill should remain available, but only under the onerous restrictions in place before 2016. Meanwhile, another federal judge in Washington state issued a ruling in a separate case that conflicts with the Texas decision, ordering the FDA not to roll back any of its restrictions on the drug. Victoria Knight of Axios, Shefali Luthra of The 19th, and Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet join KFF Health News chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more.

Aumenta el número de californianos mayores que muere por desnutrición

KFF Health News Original

Las muertes atribuidas a la desnutrición aumentaron más del doble, de unas 650 en 2018 a aproximadamente 1,400 en 2022, según datos preliminares de certificados de defunción del Departamento de Salud Pública estatal.

California: proyecto de ley exigiría que estudiantes universitarios se vacunen contra el VPH

KFF Health News Original

Estudios han confirmado que la vacuna contra el VPH reduce el riesgo de desarrollar cáncer en casi un 90% cuando se administra a niñas y niños en la adolescencia temprana, presumiblemente antes de que estén expuestos a cepas peligrosas del virus.

As Montana’s Mental Health Crisis Care Crumbles, Politicians Promise Aid

KFF Health News Original

One of Montana’s largest mental health providers has ratcheted back services amid financial troubles, leaving a vacuum. State policymakers have promised more money to aid behavioral health care, but lasting change could be years out.

California Bill Would Mandate HPV Vaccine for Incoming College Students

KFF Health News Original

A state lawmaker wants all incoming college students to get an HPV vaccine, as part of a push to drive up vaccination rates and prevent cervical cancer. At least four other states have enacted a similar mandate.