States

Latest KFF Health News Stories

The Big Squeeze: More Enrollees and Smaller Networks Plague Some ACA Plans

KFF Health News Original

Despite record enrollment in health insurance plans under the Affordable Care Act, some consumers who bought coverage and agents who helped them do so have had a tough start to the new year: Many say it’s hard to find an in-network doctor or hospital.

Dentro de una de las pocas escuelas secundarias para adolescentes con adicciones

KFF Health News Original

Hay 43 en todo el país y están diseñadas para estudiantes que se están recuperando de una adicción, y que también podrían estar lidiando con trastornos de salud mental relacionados.

Fatigue Is Common Among Older Adults, and It Has Many Possible Causes

KFF Health News Original

Persistent fatigue — the feeling of having no energy — can contribute to frailty and affects 40% to 74% of older patients with chronic illness. Yet its causes can be elusive.

States Step In as Telehealth and Clinic Patients Get Blindsided by Hospital Fees

KFF Health News Original

At least eight states have implemented or are considering limits on what patients can be billed for the use of a hospital’s facilities even without having stepped foot in the building.

Minnesota Overhauled Substance Use Treatment. Rural Residents Still Face Barriers.

KFF Health News Original

A recent policy change in Minnesota promotes quick evaluations and care for people with substance use disorders. But because of gaps riddling rural treatment systems nationwide, the promise of swift care isn’t reaching rural Minnesotans.

An Arm and a Leg: A Doctor’s Love Letter to ‘The People’s Hospital’

Podcast

Could a charity hospital founded by a crusading Dutch playwright, a group of Quakers, and a judge working undercover become a model for the U.S. health care system? In this episode of the podcast “An Arm and a Leg,” host Dan Weissmann speaks with Dr. Ricardo Nuila to find out.

FDA Evaluates ‘Safety Concerns’ Over Dental Devices Featured in KHN-CBS Investigation

KFF Health News Original

A KHN and CBS News investigation found that a dental appliance called the AGGA has been used by more than 10,000 patients, and multiple lawsuits allege it has caused grievous harm to patients.

In Texas, Medicaid Coverage Ends Soon After Childbirth. Will Lawmakers Allow More Time?

KFF Health News Original

Pregnancy-related Medicaid coverage ends just two months after childbirth in Texas — some advocates and researchers say that cutoff contributes to maternal deaths and illnesses in the state.

Localize This: Public Reporting of Opioid Settlement Cash

KFF Health News Original

KFF Health News’ recent investigation offers a great opportunity for reporters to investigate an important issue of government accountability from a state or local angle.

What the Health? From KFF Health News: A Judicial Body Blow to the ACA

Podcast

A federal judge in Texas has dealt a big setback to the Affordable Care Act. The same judge who tried in 2018 to declare the entire ACA unconstitutional has now ruled that the law’s main provisions for preventive care are unconstitutional and, therefore, unenforceable nationwide. Also this week, North Carolina became the 40th state to expand Medicaid under the ACA. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Rachel Cohrs of Stat, and Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call join KHN chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more.

Se pagarán $50,000 millones como liquidación del acuerdo sobre opioides. Veremos cómo se gastan

KFF Health News Original

La mayoría de los acuerdos estipulan que los estados deben gastar al menos el 85% del dinero que recibirán, en los próximos 15 años, en el tratamiento y la prevención de adicciones.

States Try to Obscure Execution Details as Drugmakers Hinder Lethal Injection

KFF Health News Original

Pharmaceutical companies have put the brakes on many states’ ability to execute prisoners using lethal injections. Lacking alternatives, states are trying to keep the public from learning details about how they carry out executions.

ER’s Error Lands a 4-Year-Old in Collections (For Care He Didn’t Receive)

KFF Health News Original

A Florida woman tried to dispute an emergency room bill, but the hospital and collection agency refused to talk to her — because it was her child’s name on the bill, not hers.

GOP Lawmaker Calls for Tracking Homeless Spending, Working With Democrats on Mental Health

KFF Health News Original

Republican state Sen. Roger Niello wants to know whether taxpayers are getting their money’s worth before spending more. Yet the fiscal conservative from the suburbs of Sacramento sees opportunities for bipartisanship on mental health.

Truly Random Drug Testing: ADHD Patients Face Uneven Urine Screens and, Sometimes, Stigma

KFF Health News Original

Doctors have no national standards on when to order urine tests to check whether adult ADHD patients are properly taking their prescription stimulants. Some patients are subjected to much more frequent testing than others.

As Colorado Reels From Another School Shooting, Study Finds 1 in 4 Teens Have Quick Access to Guns

KFF Health News Original

The study analyzed Colorado kids’ responses to how quickly they could get their hands on a loaded gun without their parents’ knowledge. More than 1 in 10 said they could do so within 10 minutes.

When College Athletes Kill Themselves, Healing the Team Becomes the Next Goal

KFF Health News Original

Suicide is the second-leading cause of death among college students. Contrary to conventional wisdom, athletes aren’t immune from the risk factors. Players at Stanford University, the University of Wisconsin, and other colleges are learning how to protect their mental health and ask for help after their teammates killed themselves.