Latest KFF Health News Stories
Death Talk Is Cool At This Festival
How to make thinking about death less somber? Hold a festival! Indianapolis did. Through art, film and book talks, residents explored everything from bucket lists to advance directives and cremation.
How And Where To Dump Your Leftover Drugs — Responsibly
With the nation’s opioid crisis worsening, officials want you to dispose of unwanted or expired prescription drugs. But finding a convenient take-back site requires time and patience.
Lights Out: Some Children’s Hospitals Take Steps To Ensure A Good Night’s Sleep
Because of the important role sleep plays in healing, a trend is emerging in which children’s hospitals are reorganizing their workflow to help their young patients sleep through the night.
UnitedHealth To Exit California’s Obamacare Market
Though United’s presence was small, its departure from the nation’s largest state underscores insurers’ ongoing dissatisfaction with Obamacare exchanges.
California’s Glaring Shortage Of School Nurses
A new national pediatric guideline proposes that every school have a nurse on staff. In California, 57 percent of school districts do not employ nurses.
When Adult Children Get Sick, It May Be Hard For Parents To Get Information
Federal law seeks to protect the privacy of patients’ health information, but sometimes leaving parents out of the loop can complicate the patient’s recovery.
Virginia Insurer’s Decision To Drop Bronze Plans Prompts Concerns
But the action may not indicate a developing national trend to drop bronze coverage. Instead, analysts note that bronze and silver plans may be becoming more similar.
Blue Shield ‘Lifts The Veil’ On Executive Pay
Consumer advocates say the nonprofit’s disclosures come too late for policy holders and the public.
Missouri Hospitals Seek To Focus Readmission Penalties On Patient Poverty
The Missouri Hospital Association objects to the formula for setting the federal penalties because it does not factor in the number of patients who are poor or in bad health. It is seeking to generate consumer interest in the penalties.
Inventing A Machine That Spits Out Drugs In A Whole New Way
A refrigerator-sized machine could someday make lifesaving drugs on site when outbreaks occur or where medicine is in short supply, like on the battlefield.
FDA Considering Pricey Implant As Treatment For Opioid Addiction
The FDA could soon approve an implantable form of a drug used to treat opioid addiction. While the approach helped patients avoid relapse in tests, its price may be prohibitive for some, doctors say.
CVS MinuteClinics: A Cure For Long Wait Times At Veterans Affairs?
The experiment in private partnership begins in Palo Alto, Calif.
Medicare’s Drug-Pricing Experiment Stirs Opposition
A proposal to change the way Medicare pays for some drugs has set off intense reaction and lobbying — all tied to a common theme: How far should the government go in setting prices for prescription drugs?
Mosquito Hunters Set Traps Across Houston, Search For Signs Of Zika
Harris County, Texas, operates one of the largest mosquito control operations in the country, with more than 50 people who trap, freeze and test mosquitoes for threats such as Zika.
Majority Of Texans And Floridians Want Medicaid Expansion, Survey Shows
Residents of California, New York and Ohio approve of Medicaid expansion in those states, the survey by a Houston-based think tank found.
For Substance Abusers, Recovery-Oriented Care May Show The Way To A Productive Life
Advocates emphasize peer support and community reintegration for people with behavioral health problems.
Prison helped Richie Tannerhill overcome substance abuse, but that was just the beginning of rebuilding his life.
A Doctor Yearns For A Return To The Time When Physicians Were ‘Artisans’
Dr. Abraham Nussbaum, author of a new book examining the drive toward quality metrics such as checklists, says he fears medicine could become just another job and not a “calling.”
Doctors’ House Calls Saving Money For Medicare
A pilot project in which doctors provide primary care at home for very frail Medicare beneficiaries saved $25 million in 2014, and nine of the 14 practices participating earned bonuses totaling nearly $12 million.
A Tender Steak Could Be A Little Dangerous
A new label for mechanically tenderized beef helps consumers avoid foodborne illness.
