Latest KFF Health News Stories
Family Caregivers Are Getting A Break — And Extra Coaching
Across the country, community groups, hospitals and government agencies are stepping in to support the estimated 42 million family caregivers.
How A Drug Company Under Pressure For High Prices Ratchets Up Political Activity
Denmark-based drugmaker Novo Nordisk has invested more in lobbying and doubled political donations since 2015.
Tax-Funded Mental Health Programs Not Always Easy To Find
Revenue from California’s Mental Health Services Act has funded billions of dollars in mental health programs across the state, but finding out what’s available — and to whom — could be a challenge for consumers.
Best Reads Of The Week From Brianna Labuskes
Newsletter editor Brianna Labuskes, who reads everything on health care to compile our daily Morning Briefing, offers the best and most provocative stories for the weekend.
Dissecting The Rhetoric Vs. Reality Of Trump’s Tough Talk On Drug Prices
President Donald Trump’s upcoming speech on drug prices comes after months of public comments and debate about tackling the issue.
Male OB-GYNs Are Growing Rare. Is That A Problem?
Nationally, women outnumber men as specialists in obstetrics and gynecology — yet women remain underrepresented in leadership roles. Many OB-GYN patients say they prefer female doctors, as residency programs strive for diversity in race, ethnicity and even gender.
Podcast: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’ What’s Next For The VA?
In this episode of KHN’s “What the Health?” Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Sarah Kliff of Vox.com, Anna Edney of Bloomberg News and Alice Ollstein of Talking Points Memo discuss the collapse of the nomination of White House physician Ronny Jackson to head the Department of Veterans Affairs. They also discuss new bipartisan congressional efforts to address the opioid epidemic. Plus, for extra credit, the panelists offer their favorite health policy stories of the week.
‘Rapid Autopsy’ Programs Seek Clues To Cancer Within Hours Of Death
More than a dozen centers nationwide now ask terminal patients to allow speedy study of the diseases that kill them.
Hospitals Lure Diabetes Patients With Self-Care Courses, But Costs Can Weigh Heavily
Self-management classes can help the tens of millions of Americans now diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. But the education can come with a high price tag.
California Lawmakers Seek Reparations For People Sterilized By The State
More than 20,000 Californians were sterilized at state homes and hospitals from 1909 to 1979, most of them women, people with disabilities and immigrants. Now, a state lawmaker wants to provide reparations to the roughly 800 living survivors, many of whom never consented to the procedures or did so under pressure.
Peak Health Plan Premiums Give Rise To Activism — And Unconventional Solutions
For people who buy their health coverage rather than get it from the government or through work, Charlottesville, Va., has claimed the title of having the country’s highest health insurance costs, and its residents are fighting back.
4 New Ways You Can Avoid Fines For Not Having Health Insurance
Among changes by the Trump administration, new rules protect consumers living in areas with only one marketplace plan as well as those who oppose abortion and can’t find a plan that doesn’t cover the procedure.
Study: Nearly Three-Quarters Of Commonly Used Medical Scopes Tainted By Bacteria
The ‘scary’ findings show a discouraging lack of progress in cleaning the devices, despite more vigorous efforts in the wake of deadly superbug outbreaks, experts say.
Texas Disability Groups Want A Voice At The Table In Gun Debate
A disability rights groups in Texas wants to make sure people who’ve been disabled by gun violence in Texas get a chance to talk to lawmakers.
Podcast: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’ Nothing In Health Care Ever Goes Away
In this episode of KHN’s “What the Health?” Sarah Jane Tribble of Kaiser Health News, Joanne Kenen of Politico, Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times and Paige Winfield Cunningham of The Washington Post examine how even after Republicans failed to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, the health care debate continues to roil politics. They discuss how Republicans in Congress have shifted their ACA messaging and how the Democrats are looking to Medicare expansion. They also discuss state efforts to expand Medicaid and drug pricing. And they spend a moment talking about Congress’ push to do something about the opioid crisis.
New Medicare Perk For Diabetes Prevention Stumbles At Rollout
On April 1, Medicare launched a major initiative — a diabetes prevention program for seniors and people with serious disabilities— that is available in only a few cities.
Applying Silicon Valley Smarts To Age-Old Diseases
Customized iPhones are just one example of devices that can be used to combat health threats in developing countries. They are helping scientists in California and Cameroon attack the parasite that causes river blindness, an African scourge.
In A Puerto Rican Mountain Town, Hope Ebbs And Health Suffers
More than six months after Hurricane Maria, daily life in Castañer, Puerto Rico, is nowhere close to normal as residents try to deal with the effects of trauma, chronic stress and the continued lack of electricity.
Nation’s Top Doc Wants The Overdose Antidote Widely On Hand. Is That Feasible?
Surgeon General Jerome Adams urged more people to carry the drug naloxone, a lifesaving treatment for opioid overdoses. But this policy is tricky to implement.
Drug Test Spurs Frank Talk Between Hypertension Patients And Doctors
Roughly half of patients don’t take their high blood pressure medicine as they should, even though heart disease is the leading cause of death in America. Now, a drug test can flag whether a patient is taking the prescribed medication and is meant to spark a more truthful conversation between patient and doctor.
