Latest KFF Health News Stories
California Takes On Health Giant Over High Costs
The lawsuit is a bold move against Northern California’s dominant hospital chain, whose prices have drawn complaints for years. It has disputed such allegations in the past.
Time’s Running Out: The Frail In Puerto Rico Face End Of Hurricane Relief Programs
Some of the safety-net programs set up after Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico are being disbanded.
‘Aggressive’ New Advance Directive Would Let Dementia Patients Refuse Food
Supporters call it the strongest move yet to document a patient’s advance wishes in cases of severe dementia. Critics say it would deny basic care to society’s most vulnerable.
Podcast: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’ VA Secretary Out, Privatization In?
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 President Donald Trump’s firing of David Shulkin, the secretary of Veterans Affairs, and Shulkin’s claim that he was forced out by those who want to privatize VA health care.
Scrutinizing Medicare Coverage For Physical, Occupational And Speech Therapy
Treatment has been terminated for some seniors because therapists told them they weren’t making enough progress or that they had reached their annual limit. We examine the treatment benefits and the barriers under Medicare’s coverage rules for therapy.
Omissions On Death Certificates Lead To Undercounting Of Opioid Overdoses
Standards for how to investigate and report on overdoses vary widely across states and counties. As a result, opioid overdose deaths often go overlooked in the data reported to the federal government.
Thousands Mistakenly Enrolled During California’s Medicaid Expansion, Feds Find
California health officials do not dispute most of the findings, saying they have already made improvements in determining eligibility.
How Many Opioid Overdoses Are Suicides?
Opioid overdoses and related deaths are still climbing, U.S. statistics show. Teasing out which overdoses are intentional can be hard, but is important for treatment, doctors say.
Readers Seek Transparency On Surgery Centers, ‘Bill Of The Month’ Investigations
Kaiser Health News gives readers a chance to comment on a recent batch of stories.
Without Context Or Cushion, Do Online Medical Results Make Sense?
In some cases, information now available to people without talking to a doctor can be a source of confusion and alarm and the cause of more work for doctors because it comes without adequate guidance.
Tele-Monitoring Can Reduce Medical Appointments For Low-Risk Pregnancies
In a program called OB Nest, Mayo has been using a telemedicine program in its obstetrics clinic in Rochester, Minn., that allows low-risk expectant mothers to forego some standard prenatal visits.
‘Peanut Butter Cup’ Vape: Is This Dessert Or An E-Cigarette Flavor?
Research out Monday offers evidence that advertising for e-cigarettes and other new tobacco products, which aren’t subject to the same restrictions that apply to the marketing traditional cigarettes, is stoking use among adolescents and young-adult smokers.
As Trump Targets Immigrants, Elderly Brace To Lose Caregivers
Families and nursing homes say Trump administration policies threaten to drive immigrants away from caring for older and disabled patients, intensifying a shortage in these low-wage jobs.
The Juul’s So Cool, Kids Smoke It In School
The teenage smoking sensation appearing on high school campuses across the country is an easy-to-hide, high-nicotine device called the Juul. Educators and health care advocates fear that vulnerable young people may become addicted.
Podcast: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’ Health Law Fix Misses The Spending Bill Train
In this episode of KHN’s “What the Health?” Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Joanne Kenen of Politico, Anna Edney of Bloomberg News and Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times discuss the apparent demise of bipartisan legislation aimed at shoring up parts of the Affordable Care Act. They also discuss aggressive new efforts by the Food and Drug Administration to regulate tobacco products. Plus, for extra credit, the panelists offer their favorite health policy stories of the week.
The Dream Among ‘Dreamers’ To Become A Doctor Now ‘At The Mercy’ Of Courts
In September, the Trump administration announced its plan to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, setting off an ongoing political and legal battle that could doom the dreams of immigrant doctors in training.
Poll: Americans Aghast Over Drug Costs But Aren’t Holding Their Breath For A Fix
Almost three-quarters of Americans think the pharmaceutical industry has too much power in the nation’s capital, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.
For One Father And Son In Puerto Rico, Hurricane Maria’s Cloud Has Not Lifted
The deadly storm turned a health challenge into a full-blown medical crisis for one young man with unconfirmed multiple sclerosis. And still he waits to see a neurologist.
States Extend Medicaid For Birth Control, Cutting Costs — And Future Enrollment
Medicaid family planning programs reduce unplanned births, but some are caught in disputes over federal funding to Planned Parenthood.
Graphic: Opioid Painkiller Is Top Prescription In 10 States
Though opioid prescriptions appear to be on the decline, Vicodin and Norco remain popular, especially in the South. In more than half of states, Synthroid — a drug to treat hypothyroidism — came in at No. 1.
