Small-Town Patients Face Big Hurdles as Rural Hospitals Cut Cancer Care
For rural patients, getting cancer treatment close to home has always been difficult. And now chemotherapy deserts are expanding across the United States as hospitals winnow services to save money, creating financial and logistical hurdles for people seeking lifesaving care.
Treating the Shortage of Black Doctors
A few months ago, I visited Jackson, Miss., to attend African American Visit Day at the University of Mississippi’s School of Medicine. High school and college students from across the state spent time that Saturday morning with Black medical students and administrators, finding out what they needed to do to become a doctor. The annual […]
Urgent Care or ER? With ‘One-Stop Shop,’ Hospitals Offer Both Under Same Roof
Hospitals in several states are partnering with a private equity-backed company to offer combined emergency and urgent care in a single building. But patients may not realize prices vary between the two services — often by a lot.
Since Fall of ‘Roe,’ Self-Managed Abortions Have Increased
The percentage of people who say they’ve tried to end a pregnancy without medical assistance increased after “Roe v. Wade” was overturned. One of the most common reasons for seeking a self-managed abortion was privacy concerns.
Bird Flu Cases Are Going Undetected, New Study Suggests. It’s a Problem for All of Us.
Dairy workers in Texas show signs of prior, uncounted bird flu infections in a new study. Without labor protection and better health care, cases are bound to quietly rise as the outbreak among livestock blazes in the United States.
Florida’s RSV Season Has Started, and It’s Coming Soon to the Rest of US. Here’s a Primer.
Florida’s RSV season begins earlier and runs longer than anywhere else in the U.S., according to the University of Florida’s Emerging Pathogens Institute. New vaccines can help, but most older adults, who are vulnerable to RSV, haven’t gotten them yet.
Maternity Care in Rural Areas Is in Crisis. Can More Doulas Help?
Rural communities are losing access to maternity care, raising the risk of pregnancy complications, especially for Black women, who face higher rates of maternal mortality. Now, a Georgia medical school is trying to help by training doulas, practitioners who offer patients extra support before, during, and after childbirth.
Journalists Drill Down on Ongoing Covid Risks, Escalating Health Care Costs
KFF Health News and California Healthline staff made the rounds on national and local media in the last two weeks to discuss topical stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances.
KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': Harris in the Spotlight
For the 2024 campaign, Joe Biden is out, and Kamala Harris is in. As the vice president makes moves toward the top of the Democratic presidential ticket, health policy is resurging as a campaign issue. Meanwhile, Congress tries — and again fails — to make timely progress on the annual government spending bills as abortion issues cause delays. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Stephanie Armour of KFF Health News, and Rachel Cohrs Zhang of Stat join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Anthony Wright, the new executive director of Families USA, about his plans for the organization and his history working with Harris on health topics.
Louisiana Reclassifies Drugs Used in Abortions as Controlled Dangerous Substances
Louisiana lawmakers have added two drugs commonly used in pregnancy and reproductive health care to the state’s list of controlled dangerous substances, a move that has alarmed doctors in the state.
Why Millions Are Trying FDA-Authorized Alternatives to Big Pharma’s Weight Loss Drugs
Although Novo Nordisk and Lilly lump together the pharmacies that compound semaglutide and tirzepatide with internet cowboys selling fake drugs, there is a distinction. The FDA has offered Americans little clarity about the vast gray and black markets for the drugs.
Rescue From Above: How Drones May Narrow Emergency Response Times
Public safety and health care organizations are using drones to speed up lifesaving treatment during medical emergencies in which every second counts.
Journalists Discuss Abortion in GOP Platform and How Idaho’s Ban Drove Away OB-GYNs
KFF Health News and California Healthline staff made the rounds on national and local media in the last couple of weeks to discuss topical stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances.
Tennessee Agrees To Remove Sex Workers With HIV From Sex Offender Registry
For years, Tennessee has required anyone convicted of prostitution while HIV-positive to register as a sex offender for life. In response to DOJ and ACLU discrimination suits, the state has agreed to reverse course.
The Nation’s 911 System Is on the Brink of Its Own Emergency
911 outages have hit at least eight states this year. They’re emblematic of problems plaguing emergency response communications due in part to wide disparities in capabilities and funding.
Her Hearing Implant Was Preapproved. Nonetheless, She Got $139,000 Bills for Months.
Even when patients double-check that their care is covered by insurance, health providers often send them bills as they haggle with insurers over reimbursement, which can last for months. It’s stressful and annoying — but legal.
An Arm and a Leg: The Woman Who Beat an $8,000 Hospital Fee
In this episode of “An Arm and a Leg,” host Dan Weissmann speaks with Georgann Boatright, a patient in Mississippi who was willing to drive to another state to avoid paying a steep fee to her local hospital.
HealthSherpa and Insurers Team Up To Curb Unauthorized ACA Enrollment Schemes
The initiative targets the biggest incentive driving fraudulent sign-ups and plan switches: the commissions that rogue agents or large call centers seek.
Despite Past Storms’ Lessons, Long-Term Care Residents Again Left Powerless
Even after multiple massive power outages — including one from a 2021 winter storm in Texas that prompted a U.S. Senate investigation — little has changed for older Americans in senior living facilities when natural disasters strike.
The Court Case That Could Upend Access To Free Birth Control
A lawsuit winding its way through the courts could undermine the power of federal agencies to mandate the services health insurance providers must cover. And that could threaten access to free birth control for millions of Americans. The case is called Braidwood Management Inc. v. Becerra, and it was brought by plaintiffs looking to strike […]
