Latest KFF Health News Stories
California Ends Medicaid Coverage of Weight Loss Drugs Despite TrumpRx Plan
Low-income Californians who use Wegovy and similar medications for weight loss lost their coverage at the start of the new year, with officials advising diet and exercise instead. California and other states say the drugs are too costly, even as the Trump administration announces plans to lower prices.
Thrift Store. Clinic. Roller Rink. Center Becomes ‘Radical’ Lifeline Amid Homelessness, Drug Crises.
Located in the Lower 9th Ward, this abandoned building has become a community sanctuary and resource.
What the Health? From KFF Health News: New Year, Same Health Fight
Congress returned from its break facing a familiar question: whether to extend the expanded subsidies for Affordable Care Act health plans that expired at the end of 2025. Meanwhile, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. broke a promise to Bill Cassidy, the chairman of Senate health committee, by overhauling the federal government’s childhood vaccine schedule to reduce the number of diseases for which vaccines will be recommended. Sarah Karlin-Smith of Pink Sheet, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, and Lauren Weber of The Washington Post join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss those stories and more.
Solving the Home Care Quandary
Paid home care is buckling under the surging demands of an aging population. But there are alternatives that could upgrade jobs and improve patient care.
In Lodge Grass, Montana, a Crow Community Works To Rebuild From Meth’s Destruction
Meth is a problem most everywhere, but particularly in Indian Country. On the Crow Indian Reservation in Montana, new buildings serve as symbols of a town trying to rebuild after being devastated by addiction.
Homeless Shelters for Seniors Pop Up, Catering to Older Adults’ Medical Needs
Seniors are the fastest-growing segment of homeless Americans. Shelters are struggling to take in people with mobility issues and other chronic health conditions that can make living in a shelter nearly impossible. But specialized shelters for seniors are cropping up around the country to fill the gap.
Inside the Battle for the Future of Addiction Medicine
The experiences of one doctor in Louisiana reveal the tensions around trying to get people to engage in addiction treatment, even if they’re not ready to stop using drugs.
The CDC Just Sidelined These Childhood Vaccines. Here’s What They Prevent.
The CDC is recommending fewer childhood vaccines, although the ones it has jettisoned from the recommended schedule have successfully battled serious illness for years. Experts warn that if vaccine uptake falls, millions could be hospitalized — or worse — as a result of preventable diseases.
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The “KFF Health News Minute” brings original health care and health policy reporting from our newsroom to the airwaves each week.
On the Hook for Uninsured Residents, Counties Now Wonder How They’ll Pay
Millions of people gained health coverage under the Affordable Care Act, reducing pressure on counties in states that fund care for the uninsured. With federal policies expected to reverse that trend, county officials wonder how they will fill the gap — and who will pay for it.
To Knock Down Health-System Hurdles Between You and HIV Prevention, Try These 6 Things
It’s been more than 10 years since the FDA first approved an HIV prevention drug. Today, people who could benefit from preexposure prophylaxis often struggle to access the lifesaving medicine or run into doctors without the education or empathy to offer affirming care. And those lapses can produce billing headaches.
Advertisements Promising Patients a ‘Dream Body’ With Minimal Risk Get Little Scrutiny
While federal officials say they are cracking down on misleading drug ads, cosmetic surgery remains a “buyer beware” market.
Medical Bills Can Be Vexing and Perplexing. Here’s This Year’s Best Advice for Patients.
As the crowdsourced investigative series from KFF Health News approaches its eighth anniversary, “Bill of the Month” offers its top takeaways of 2025 to help patients manage, decipher, and even fight their medical bills.
After Outpatient Cosmetic Surgery, They Wound Up in the Hospital or Alone at a Recovery House
Some patients who had liposuction or other surgeries later required emergency hospital care — and some died, court records show.
An Arm and a Leg: A Few More Good Things From 2025
“An Arm and a Leg” looks back on state laws passed in 2025 aimed at removing medical debts from credit reports and reining in corporate influence on medicine.
Baltimore Drove Down Gun Deaths. Now Trump Has Slashed Funding for That Work.
A spike in shootings during the covid pandemic propelled community violence intervention, a field that aims to stop gun deaths at the root. Baltimore used federal funds to launch a violence prevention office. But President Donald Trump has throttled such funds and instead is sending troops into cities.
Medicaid Health Plans Step Up Outreach Efforts Ahead of GOP Changes
Even as President Donald Trump and GOP lawmakers say the One Big Beautiful Bill Act targets waste, fraud, and abuse, Medicaid health plans are hosting events across the U.S. to prevent low-income families from losing health insurance and food benefits next year.
Guns Marketed for Personal Safety Fuel Public Health Crisis in Black Communities
During the covid pandemic, gun marketers told many Americans they needed firearms to defend against criminals and protesters. Then firearm deaths mounted rapidly in racially segregated and low-income neighborhoods, according to federal data.
States Advance Medical Debt Protections as Federal Support Turns to Opposition
Federal officials reversed their stance on medical debt credit reporting, then came a lawsuit in Colorado. As lawmakers in other states forge ahead with attempts to protect consumers from medical debt, some are reconsidering how they go about it.
Scorpion Peppers Caused Him ‘Crippling’ Pain. Two Years Later, the ER Bill Stung Him Again.
Homemade hot sauce sent a Colorado man to the emergency room with what he called “the worst pain of my life.” But stomach cramps were only the beginning. Two years later, the bill came.
