Latest KFF Health News Stories
Skeptics Question The Value Of Hydration Therapy For The Healthy
Some spa-like clinics will inject an expensive mix of water and vitamins into your bloodstream, ostensibly to ward off illness and boost energy. But can’t drinking fluids offer the same benefit?
Is 20-Something Too Late For A Guy To Get The HPV Vaccine?
A generation of young men missed out on the HPV vaccine. Now, 29-year-old journalist Jake Harper wonders if that’s putting him and other men at risk.
California’s Latino Doctors Push For More Of Their Own
More than one-third of the state’s Latino physicians plan to retire within the next 10 years, according to a new survey.
Long-Term, Reversible Contraception Gains Traction With Young Women
Implants and intrauterine devices are endorsed by pediatricians, OB-GYNs and health officials as a way to help girls and women space their pregnancies and reduce the risk of having a premature baby.
To Curb Unintended Pregnancy, States Turn To IUDs — In The Delivery Room
States are contemplating whether access to IUD through post-delivery procedures could be an important step in curbing unintended pregnancies.
Researchers Unlock Mystery Of How Zika Spreads In Human Cells
Zika virus infection changes both viral and human RNA, affecting the body’s immune response, say researchers at the University of California, San Diego.
California Man Dies After Apparent Failure Of Artificial Heart Compressor
The FDA confirms it is looking into more than one problem with the compressor, which is used to power patients’ artificial hearts.
Video Highlights: Health Care On The Debate Stage
Video highlights of Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton’s discussion of health issues in the third and final debate on Oct. 19, 2016.
West Virginia Grapples With High Drug Costs
Climbing drug prices are taking a toll on West Virginia’s budget, some state legislators say. Expensive drugs fuel an increase in Medicaid spending, which leaves less money for schools and roads.
An Idea Borrowed From South Africa: Ordinary Citizens Fill Gaps In Health Care
A New York group seeks to show that a health coach who is also a neighbor can help patients and save money.
Burwell Says Upcoming Enrollment Efforts Are Pivotal For Health Law
Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell announces that federal officials expect the number of people picking plans will grow by 1 million this year to nearly 14 million people, but she acknowledges that rising prices and fewer insurers are challenging the marketplaces.
Emergency Room Use Stayed High In Oregon Medicaid Study
A new study on Oregon’s famed Medicaid experiment eight years ago shows no decline in emergency room care even after two years of coverage.
New California Law Will More Finely Parse Health Data On Asians
Advocates hope better data will help ethnic communities.
Big Raises For Many Home Care Workers Won’t Necessarily Help Senior Citizens
A $15 minimum wage will almost double what many home care workers are paid but won’t solve other problems.
Organ Donation And The Opioid Epidemic: ‘An Unexpected Life-Saving Legacy’
So far this year, more than one in four donations in New England are from people who died after a drug overdose — a much higher rate than in the U.S. overall, though it’s not clear why.
Are Blues’ Plans Benefiting Unfairly From Program To Offset Cost Of Sicker Patients?
Other insurers complain that Blue Cross Blue Shield plans have bloated overhead costs and reap too much from the Obamacare risk-adjustment fund, paid for by insurers. The companies deny it.
7 Insurers Alleged To Use Skimpy Drug Coverage To Discourage HIV Patients
The plans sought to discourage costly HIV patients by not including their drug needs in formularies or requiring high cost sharing, a Harvard Law School group says in a complaint filed with HHS.
Staying Out Of The Closet In Old Age
Many aging gays and lesbians who have lived openly for decades are finding that the world of assisted living and nursing homes can be decidedly less accommodating.
Scarcity Of Mental Health Care Means Patients — Especially Kids — Land In ER
Research released by the American College of Emergency Physicians highlights how gaps in mental health care play out in the emergency room with longer stays and difficulties in securing follow-up care.
Frustration Runs Deep For Customers Forced To Change Marketplace Plans Routinely
Doctor and hospital switching is a recurring scramble for these consumers who face rising premiums and plan exits.
