Category: Kaiser Health News

Biden Leans Into Health Care, Asking Voters To Trust Him Over Trump

President Joe Biden’s new health care ad draws on the Affordable Care Act’s popularity among independent voters and alludes to his edge over Trump on health issues.

High Price of Popular Diabetes Drugs Deprives Low-Income People of Effective Treatment

The makers of Ozempic and Mounjaro charge list prices of around $1,000 a month for the diabetes and obesity drugs, and insurers are reluctant to pick up the tab. Often, low-income patients have to resort to less effective treatments.

Medicaid Unwinding Deals Blow to Tenuous System of Care for Native Americans

Although Native American and Alaska Native adults are enrolled in Medicaid at higher rates than their white counterparts, many tribal leaders feel they’ve been left in the dark as states roll through the tumultuous Medicaid unwinding that started last year.

Newsom Boosted California’s Public Health Budget During Covid. Now He Wants To Cut It.

Two years after increasing state and local public health budgets by $300 million annually, Gov. Gavin Newsom proposes to slash the funding in the face of California’s $45 billion deficit.

Watch: John Oliver Dishes on KFF Health News’ Opioid Settlements Series

A recent broadcast of “Last Week Tonight With John Oliver” frequently cited KFF Health News in its examination of how billions of dollars from the opioid settlements are being spent.

Clean Needles Save Lives. In Some States, They Might Not Be Legal.

As billions of dollars from settlements with opioid manufacturers and distributors go to state and local governments, efforts to reduce the epidemic’s harm can be hamstrung by drug paraphernalia laws. Health authorities say distributing clean syringes to users can save lives, but in states like Pennsylvania, it may be illegal.

The Lure of Specialty Medicine Pulls Nurse Practitioners From Primary Care

Nurse practitioners have been viewed as a key to addressing the shortage of primary care physicians. But data suggests that, just like doctors, they are increasingly drawn to better-paying specialties.

KFF Health News’ ‘What the Health?’: Bird Flu Lands as the Next Public Health Challenge

Public health authorities are closely watching an unusual strain of bird flu that has infected dairy cows in nine states and at least one dairy worker. Meanwhile, another major health system suffered a cyberattack, and Congress is moving to extend the availability of telehealth services. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call, and Rachel Cohrs Zhang of Stat join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Atul Grover of the Association of American Medical Colleges about its recent analysis showing that graduating medical students are avoiding training in states with abortion bans and major restrictions.

Medics at UCLA Protest Say Police Weapons Drew Blood and Cracked Bones

In contrast to police statements, volunteer medics said they treated serious wounds as UCLA’s pro-Palestinian protest was besieged by police and counterprotesters, including some injuries that appeared to be caused by “less lethal” projectiles fired by cops.

Federal Panel Prescribes New Mental Health Strategy To Curb Maternal Deaths

The leading causes of pregnancy-related deaths in the United States — including suicides and fatalities linked to substance use disorders — stem from mental health conditions. Now a federal task force has recommended strategies to help women who are at risk during or after pregnancy.