Latest KFF Health News Stories
Study Finds Seniors Benefit When Asked How To Help Them
A federally funded research project in Baltimore has potential to help aging-in-place efforts elsewhere, a study in Health Affairs reports.
Lack Of Medicaid Expansion Hurts Rural Hospitals More Than Urban Facilities
Researchers writing in Health Affairs report that decisions by 19 states to not expand the program for low-income residents could be hurting the financial stability of rural hospitals.
Study Says Concerns About Orphan Drug Spending Are Unjustified
A study in Health Affairs concludes that orphan drugs for rare diseases are not having a widespread or deep impact on health care spending.
Patients With Dementia Present Communication Challenges In Hospice Care
Dementia complicates pain management in hospice patients because communication is difficult and the cause of pain can be hard to identify, researchers report.
With Chronic Illness, You Are Your Own Best Friend
Participants in a mostly online diabetes self-management program had lower blood sugar and were more likely to take their medicine regularly, study finds.
In Philadelphia, Neighbors Learn How To Help Save Shooting Victims
A first-aid class in Philadelphia is designed to help people learn how to keep shooting victims alive until the paramedics arrive. It teaches skills such as applying tourniquets to stop bleeding.
Experts Say Stepped-Up Monitoring Is Crucial As Zika’s Threat Lasts Beyond A Baby’s Birth
A Brazilian case report indicates the virus may cause brain impairment after a child is born, increasing the need for tracking the development of children who may have been exposed.
EpiPen Controversy Fuels Concerns Over Generic Drug Approval Backlog
Four years after a huge push to speed generics to market, the FDA has more than 4,000 generics waiting for approval.
Under a new state law, California consumers could get money back if they were charged out-of-network prices after going to a medical provider who was listed in their health plan’s network.
Gaps In Care Persist During Transition From Hospital To Home
A partnership between San Diego County and four health systems seeks to bridge the longstanding gap between hospitals and social services.
Attending To The ‘Human Element’ Is Key To Keeping Patients Healthy
Research to be published in full this fall details how medicine’s “implicit bias” — whether real or perceived — undermines the doctor-patient relationship and the well-being of racial and ethnic minorities as well as lower-income patients.
‘Simple Choice Plans’ To Debut In 2017 Marketplace Enrollment
The standardized policy options would provide a way for consumers to make apples-to-apples comparisons.
Drop In Teen Pregnancies Is Due To More Contraceptives, Not Less Sex
Sexually active teenagers are more likely to use birth control and are choosing forms that are more effective, a study finds. Births to teens dropped by 36 percent from 2007 to 2013.
What Happens When A Living Kidney Donor Needs A Transplant?
A new study examines how well efforts are working that prioritize the needs of these patients if they end up needing a kidney transplant of their own.
Taxpayers Foot 70 Percent Of California’s Health Care Tab, Study Finds
The public spending on health care outpaces the nation.
How To Fight For Yourself At The Hospital — And Avoid Readmission
This new column explains what older adults and their families can do to avoid hospital readmission.
Trans And Adopted: Exploring Teen Identity
A Boston health clinic that treats transgender kids and teens finds that the percentage of its young patients who are adopted is higher than expected. These kids might need extra support, doctors say.
Mylan’s Generic EpiPen — A Price Break Or Marketing Maneuver?
As news that Mylan will make available a generic version of its own brand-name product, KHN answers key questions about how this development could affect consumers.
Baltimore Draws 10-Year Blueprint To Cut Racial Health Disparities
Officials aim to bring elevated rates of lead poisoning, heart disease, obesity, smoking and overdoses among Baltimore’s African-Americans closer to those of whites.
Cardiac Rehab Improves Health, But Cost And Access Issues Complicate Success
Research shows exercise-based cardiac rehab programs help heart patients heal faster and live longer. But fewer than a third take part. Time and cost are the main barriers, doctors and patients say.
