Latest KFF Health News Stories
A Frenzy Of Lobbying On 21st Century Cures
Three lobbyists for every member of Congress in a push to pass a bill that increases research funding and speeds up approvals.
Back To The Future: Insurance Pools For High-Risk Patients Could Be Revived
Trump and leading Republicans like the idea. Some policymakers and experts say it wasn’t viable in the first place.
Long-Stalled FDA Reform Sits On Senate’s Lame-Duck Calendar
The legislation would give federal officials more flexibility in evaluating the effectiveness and safety of drugs and devices and add billions of dollars to NIH funding. But critics say it could endanger patients’ safety and doesn’t do enough to stop spiraling drug prices.
To Get Disability Help In Kansas, Thousands Face A 7-Year Medicaid Waitlist
Nick Fugate has a cognitive disability but held a job and was independent for years. Then he lost his dishwashing job and learned there are long delays getting help he needs from Medicaid in Kansas.
Clinics Help Keep People With Serious Mental Illness Out Of ER
Providing regular care at a Texas clinic prevents patients from cycling back to the hospital in a psychiatric crisis.
Dementia Rates Decline Sharply Among Senior Citizens
Education and better heart health may deserve credit.
In Depressed Rural Kentucky, Worries Grow Over Medicaid
Low-income residents in poverty-stricken Clay County worry what will happen to their health care if Gov. Matt Bevin’s ambitions to overhaul the state’s Medicaid program go forward.
Uncertain Fate Of Health Law Giving Health Industry Heartburn
The effect of “repeal and replace” could have greatest consequences for hospitals. They accepted lower federal funding under the law because their uncompensated care was expected to fall as more people became insured.
Victims Seek Payments As ‘Dr. Death’ Declares Innocence
While hundreds of his former patients submit claims for restitution, a Detroit cancer doctor convicted of making millions by purposefully poisoning them with drugs they didn’t need vows to prove his innocence.
Study Finds Nearby Retail Clinics Don’t Drive Down ER Visits
The results suggest that retail clinics may not provide a solution for reducing unnecessary emergency department visits, researchers say.
‘A Huge Improvement’: Study Finds Inmates Benefit From Much Shorter TB Treatment
A three-month drug regimen to treat latent TB in a California jail system was just as effective as the standard nine-month approach — and the patients were far more likely to finish treatment.
Could Legalizing Pot Diminish California’s Gains Against Smoking?
Some experts worry that smoking pot could lead to use of tobacco, but proponents of marijuana legalization argue that the two products are different and should not be conflated.
Blue Shield, California’s Biggest Obamacare Insurer, Vows It’s Not ‘Running For The Hills’
The company’s CEO also dismisses Trump’s notion of selling insurance plans across state lines, calling it ‘perplexing.’
Electing To ‘Opt Out’ Of Obamacare
Despite tax penalties, opponents of the nation’s health law are emboldened by President-elect Donald Trump’s vow to scrap it. Others wonder why they should bother signing up.
A Consumer’s Guide To Medicare’s New Rules On Doctor Pay
Federal officials have released final regulations for the new program, which will reward physicians for providing high quality, efficient care.
Children’s Hospital Partnership Boosts Care For Sick Kids
An innovative partnership in which a children’s hospital shares revenue and costs with a community hospital helps improve access to specialized care.
As Non-Medical Vaccine Exemptions Grow, Texas Parents Seek Transparency In Schools
Although the state has an overall high level of vaccinations, some people are concerned about growing pockets with high numbers of children who are not immunized.
Some Panic, Others Shrug At Prospect Of Losing Obamacare
Consumers who feel they pay too much for skimpy coverage may welcome Donald Trump’s changes to the health law, but those who are sick are deeply worried.
Despite Anger At Health Law’s Mandate, GOP Plans Could Also Have Penalties
President-elect Donald Trump has suggested that he would like to keep the health law’s ban on preexisting conditions. But that only works if insurers can be guaranteed a robust market, so Republicans must figure out a way to coax in healthy customers.
Medical Device Employees Are Often In The O.R., Raising Concerns About Influence
The “reps,” who are there to answer any technical questions that arise during surgery, also often cultivate close relationships with the doctors, leading to questions about how much influence they wield.
