Latest KFF Health News Stories
Calif. Lawmakers Approve Bill Requiring Drug Labeling In 5 Foreign Languages
If Gov. Jerry Brown signs the measure, all pharmacies will have to provide medication instructions in Spanish, Tagalog, Chinese, Vietnamese or Korean, the most common languages in California after English.
New Hope Beats For Heart Patients And Hospitals
The number of heart valve surgeries has risen more than 50 percent since 2012, demonstrating the hospital industry’s record of finding new ways to fill beds and increase revenue even as advances in health and technology shrink demand for inpatient care. Still, patient risk and cost concerns persist.
Medical Schools Teach Students To Talk With Patients About Care Costs
Doctors and patients haven’t discussed the cost of medical care. But that conversation is becoming vital, and medical schools are trying to teach their students how to think – and talk – about cost.
When The Hospital Is Boss, That’s Where Doctors’ Patients Go
Hospital ownership of doctors’ practices “dramatically increases” odds that a doctor will admit patients there instead of another, nearby hospital, researchers say.
Planned Parenthood Isn’t The Only Health Program At Risk Of Losing Funds
Congress faces budgetary decisions, worrying advocates for medical research, teen pregnancy prevention and other federal initiatives.
Readers Ask About Concierge Medicine And Medicare; Insulin Costs And The Doughnut Hole
KHN consumer columnist Michelle Andrews answers questions about Medicare beneficiaries’ costs associated with doctors who have concierge medicine practices, insulin pumps and respite care.
Getting The Word Out: Obamacare Is For Native Americans Too
Many Native Americans rely entirely on free care from the financially strapped Indian Health Service. Advocates say signing up for coverage under the Affordable Care Act can broaden their choices.
California Passes Bill Delaying Transfer Of Fragile Kids Into Managed Care
Opponents of a state plan to move tens of thousands of seriously ill or disabled children into Medicaid managed care plans applaud the move to postpone the transfer.
For California, Last Year’s West Nile Season Was Most Severe Ever
The state reported a record number of serious West Nile illnesses in 2014, including cases of meningitis and encephalitis, according to federal data. Thirty-one people died.
HHS Unveils Civil Rights Protections For Transgender Patients’ Health Services
The new guarantees are part of a wide-ranging proposed rule that would bar discrimination based on gender in insurance coverage, treatments and access.
Patience, Persistence Serve Alaska’s Health Commissioner Well In Government – And In Fishing
Valerie Davidson, an advocate who became Alaska’s top health official, still loves spending her time fishing for salmon and cooking for her Yup’ik family.
Medicaid Drives Historic Coverage Gains In Colorado
A surge in Medicaid enrollment drove down the uninsured rate in Colorado from 15.8 percent to 6.7 percent.
In Ohio, New Abortion Clinic Opens, Bucking National Trend
Since the Roe v. Wade decision, Ohio has been a trendsetter in passing laws that restrict abortion. That’s why it is especially unusual that in a small Ohio town just south of Cleveland, a new clinic that performs abortions opened its doors.
Heart-Attack Patients More Likely To Die After Ambulances Are Diverted
A study finds patients who suffered heart attacks in California were more likely to die within a year if their ambulances were diverted from the closest emergency room.
American Academy Of Pediatrics Recommends Individualized Counseling For Parents Of Premature Infants
The pediatric academy suggests that decisions on whether to resuscitate extremely premature infants be based on the particular child’s chance of survival and the family’s goals – not simply gestational age.
Few Health Savings Accounts Owners Choose To Invest That Money, Study Finds
Many people who have high-deductible insurance plans and own health savings accounts to help pay for their medical expenses opt to keep the money in low-return savings accounts instead of investing in the financial markets, according to new research.
Rest Assured, Surgeons’ Late-Night Work Doesn’t Cause Patients Harm, Study Says
Findings from Canada challenge earlier research on sleep deprivation’s effects on physicians.
States Looking For More Effective Ways To Encourage Vaccinations
A new study finds that state policies that require officials to sign off on nonmedical exemptions or impose punishments for students or parents reduce efforts to evade vaccinations.
A Racial Gap In Attitudes Toward Hospice Care
Hospice use has been growing fast in the United States as more people choose to avoid futile, often painful medical treatments in favor of palliative care and dying at home surrounded by loved ones. But some African-Americans have long resisted the concept, and their suspicions remain deep-seated.
Why Your Doctor Won’t Friend You On Facebook
Facebook is a part of everyday life – both professionally and personally – and doctors and patients are wondering how it best works between them.
