Latest KFF Health News Stories
One Nurse Per 4,000 Pupils = Not The Healthiest Arrangement
School districts in California and around the country face a long-standing shortage of nurses, mostly because of tight budgets. But some districts are finding creative ways to reduce the problem.
So Much Care It Hurts: Unneeded Scans, Therapy, Surgery Only Add To Patients’ Ills
Overtreatment of breast cancer and other diseases is pervasive, burdening patients and the health care system with enormous costs and needless suffering.
Amid For-Profit Surge, Rural Hospice Has Offered Free Care for 40 Years
Tiny Washington state hospice accepts no federal funds, relies on community volunteers and donations to serve the dying.
Podcast: ‘What The Health?’ Whiplash
In this episode of “What the Health?” Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times, Joanne Kenen of Politico and Alice Ollstein of Talking Points Memo discuss the bipartisan plan in the Senate to stabilize the individual insurance exchanges, and President Donald Trump’s mixed messages about his support or lack thereof.
Medicare Vs. Medicare Advantage: How To Choose
Despite Medicare Advantage plans’ increasing popularity, several key features remain poorly understood. Here is what you need to know.
Despite GOP Efforts To Corral Medicaid Spending, States Expand Benefits
States are adding a variety of services, including expansions of mental health and substance abuse treatments and dental care, according to a 50-state survey from the Kaiser Family Foundation.
Hospitals Step In To Help House The Homeless. Will It Make A Difference?
They say it will help reduce unnecessary ER visits and ensure better follow-up care. It’s also good P.R., and helps them meet their obligations to provide benefits to the community in exchange for significant tax breaks.
Chasing Millions In Medicaid Dollars, Hospitals Buy Up Nursing Homes
The strategy has been used mostly in Indiana, where many county-owned hospitals purchased or leased nursing homes to take advantage of a wrinkle in Medicaid payment rules and augment federal reimbursements.
On Back Roads Of Appalachia’s Coal Country, Mental Health Services Are As Rare As Jobs
Long commutes and scarcity of providers make it hard for patients who need counseling or psychiatric care.
Want An IUD? Take Note Of Trump’s New Birth Control Policy.
Some employers may opt to claim a religious or moral exemption and women could have to pick up some of the cost of this expensive contraception option.
A Few Pointers To Help Save Money And Avoid The Strain Of Medicare Enrollment
Most beneficiaries have from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7 to decide on drug coverage and whether to switch from traditional Medicare to a Medicare Advantage plan.
Cascade of Costs Could Push New Gene Therapy Above $1 Million Per Patient
The costs of using a new class of cancer treatments include far more than the drug’s sticker price.
The Storm Has Passed, But Puerto Rico’s Health Faces Prolonged Recovery
From infections linked to the storm to trying to treat people with chronic diseases in damaged clinics, health officials on this American territory struggle to stay ahead of the needs.
Stunner On Birth Control: Trump’s Moral Exemption Is Geared Toward Just 2 Groups
Trump administration’s rule unveiled last week to allow some employers with “sincerely held moral convictions” to bypass a health law requirement to provide no-cost contraceptives to women would exempt at least two anti-abortion groups: the March for Life and Real Alternatives.
Tending To Patients As Her New Home Burns
ICU nurse Julayne Smithson had only a few minutes to grab some things from her recently purchased home a block from the Santa Rosa hospital. Then she rushed back to help evacuate patients and has scarcely stopped working since.
Trump Acting Solo: What You Need To Know About Changes To The Health Law
A quick guide to revisions to the cost-sharing subsidies for lower-income marketplace customers and the proposal to add different plans to the market.
Facebook Live: Trump Ends Payments For Cost-Sharing Reductions. What’s Next?
In this Facebook Live chat, KHN’s Jay Hancock answers questions about President Donald Trump’s announcement that he will end federal payments for the Affordable Care Act’s cost-sharing reductions.
While Trump Moves To Dismantle Health Law, Public Favors Repair
Nearly three-quarters of Americans would like to see the administration focus on efforts on making the Affordable Care Act work, rather than trying to make it fail.
Fires Prey On Frail Residents Living On Their Own
The ferocious fires in Northern California underscore the vulnerability of seniors and disabled people whose mobility is limited. Experts recommend basic precautions.
Podcast: ‘What The Health?’ Let’s Blow It Up
In this episode of “What the Health?” Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times, Sarah Kliff of Vox and Julie Appleby of Kaiser Health News discuss the Trump administration’s latest efforts to undermine the individual insurance market.
