Category: Kaiser Health News

More Mobile Clinics Are Bringing Long-Acting Birth Control to Rural Areas

Small-town doctors may not offer IUDs and hormonal implants because the devices require training to administer and are expensive to stock.

California Hospitals Scramble on Earthquake Retrofits as State Limits Extensions

California legislators for years have granted extensions on a 1994 law requiring hospitals to retrofit their buildings to withstand earthquakes. Gov. Gavin Newsom in September vetoed an extension for all hospitals but signed a bill granting relief to rural and “distressed” hospitals and some others.

Millions of Aging Americans Are Facing Dementia by Themselves

In a health care system that assumes older adults have family caregivers to help them, those facing dementia by themselves often fall through the cracks.

Abortion Emerges as Most Important Election Issue for Young Women, Poll Finds

A KFF survey found significant shifts among women voters since late spring — all in favor of Vice President Kamala Harris.

Extended-Stay Hotels, a Growing Option for Poor Families, Can Lead to Health Problems for Kids

Extended-stay hotels are often a last resort for low-income families trying to avoid homelessness. But hotel living can lead to — or exacerbate — various physical and mental health issues for children, say advocates for families and researchers who study homelessness.

Watch: Biggest Dangers and Health Concerns From Hurricane Milton

KFF Health News’ Céline Gounder shares advice on how to prepare before a hurricane.

KFF Health News’ ‘What the Health?’: Yet Another Promise for Long-Term Care Coverage

As part of her presidential campaign, Vice President Kamala Harris has rolled out a plan for Medicare to provide in-home long-term care services. The proposal would fill a longtime need for families trying to simultaneously care for young children and older parents, but its enormous price tag makes it a promise unlikely to be fulfilled. Meanwhile, a growing number of Republican candidates up and down the ballot facing voter backlash over their support for abortion restrictions are trying to reinvent their positions. Shefali Luthra of The 19th, Jessie Hellmann of CQ Roll Call, and Joanne Kenen of Johns Hopkins University and Politico join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, excerpts from a KFF lunch with “Shark Tank” panelist and generic drug discounter Mark Cuban, who has been consulting with the Harris campaign about health care issues.

Watch: ‘Breaking the Silence Is a Step’ — Beyond the Lens of ‘Silence in Sikeston’

KFF Health News Midwest correspondent Cara Anthony discusses her reporting for the “Silence in Sikeston” multimedia project, which explores the impact of a 1942 lynching and a 2020 police killing on a rural Missouri community — and what it led her to learn about her own family’s past.

Montana Looks To Fast-Track Medicaid Access for Older Applicants

As Montana’s population ages, providers serving low-income seniors say more people aren’t getting the care they need as they wait to get on Medicaid. Montana lawmakers are considering creating a shortcut to that care.

Happening in Springfield: New Immigrants Offer Economic Promise, Health System Challenges

Donald Trump put Springfield, Ohio, in a harsh spotlight by spreading misinformation about its legal Haitian population. But what is really happening in this small city is a microcosm of the health care challenges immigration hot spots throughout the country are facing.