Latest KFF Health News Stories
How Below-The-Radar Mergers Fuel Health Care Monopolies
Most acquisitions by hospitals of physician practices are too small to trigger antitrust attention, study says. But a buying spree of “onesies and twosies” doctor practices has driven competition down and prices up.
To Insure More Poor Children, It Helps If Parents Are On Medicaid
New research offers evidence that coverage expansion policies for adults have a positive spillover effect for kids.
Another Way For Anti-Vaxxers To Skip Shots For Schoolkids: A Doctor’s Note
No longer able to get exemptions for personal beliefs in California, parents opposed to inoculations seem to be obtaining medical exemptions for their children, according to a new study.
California, Other States To Extend Obamacare Sign-Up Beyond Federal Limit
Several state-based exchanges and the District of Columbia will allow people more than the 45 days set by the Trump administration.
The Secret To Chronic Happiness As You Age
Happy doesn’t always mean healthy. These older adults are still finding joy in spite of their physical challenges.
Why One California County Went Surgery Shopping
Fed up with high hospital costs and limited competition, Santa Barbara County sends willing employees out of town for better bargains. Local governments are slowly joining private employers in aggressively seeking out the best care for the lowest price.
Trump Administration Whacks Millions From Budget Used To Push Obamacare
The federal government plans to spend millions of dollars less this year on advertising and outreach efforts to support the health law’s open enrollment period, which starts Nov. 1.
Rep. Chris Collins’ Australian Stock Bet Looks Bleaker
Innate Immunotherapeutics, the Australian biotech firm whose largest shareholder is Buffalo, N.Y.-area congressman Chris Collins, said it expects to close after its multiple sclerosis drug failed in trials.
Podcast: ‘What The Health?’ Hurricane Harvey And Health Costs
In this episode of “What the Health?” Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Joanne Kenen of Politico and Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times discuss the potential health impact of Hurricane Harvey on the Texas Gulf Coast, and what impact the relief effort in Washington could have on an already jampacked September agenda. Also this week: an interview with Elisabeth Rosenthal about why medical care costs so much.
Some Thyroid Cancer Patients Can Safely Delay Surgery
Study suggests that many small tumors are sleepy, not deadly.
Soul Purpose: Seniors With Strong Reasons To Live Often Live Stronger
New research bolsters evidence that older adults with a sense of purpose are less likely to see their health decline with age. The question is: How does one cultivate more meaning and motivation in life?
Pioneering Cancer Gene Therapy Gets Green Light — And $475,000 Price Tag
The USA’s first approved gene therapy — to be used to fight leukemia that resists standard therapies — will cost $475,000 for a one-time treatment.
5 Outside-The-Box Ideas For Fixing The Individual Insurance Market
As lawmakers look for ways to stabilize the health law marketplaces, a number of ideas — such as expanding who can “buy in” to Medicare and Medicaid or pushing young adults off their parents’ plans into the marketplaces — might come into play.
Elder Abuse: ERs Learn How To Protect A Vulnerable Population
An emergency department at New York-Presbyterian Hospital trains staff to recognize signs of elder abuse and help victims.
Writing Your Way Through Cancer
A breast cancer survivor and author has helped numerous patients explore the feelings awakened by their disease — and feel better.
Charlottesville Postmortem: Why People Join Hate Groups
Unhappy childhood experiences can drive people to join white supremacist groups, studies have found.
Will GOP Pay A Price For Trying To Take Health Care Benefits From Voters?
Politicians who tried to take health care benefits from their voters may face political consequences as constituents come to understand what’s at stake — in a way they didn’t a few months ago.
‘Breakthrough’ Leukemia Drug Also Portends ‘Quantum Leap’ In Cost
A genetically altered cancer drug, based on CAR T-cell therapies, could be a big success with leukemia patients but at a staggering cost.
Dying At Home In An Opioid Crisis: Hospices Grapple With Stolen Meds
As more patients receive hospice care at home, some of the powerful, addictive drugs they’re prescribed are ending up in the wrong hands.
Despite Advance Directive, Dementia Patient Denied Last Wish, Says Spouse
Oregon court says Alzheimer’s patient Nora Harris must be spoon-fed. But her husband says she never wanted to live like this.
