Category: states

Covid Worsened Shortages of Doctors and Nurses. Five Years On, Rural Hospitals Still Struggle.

The U.S. faces a crucial shortage of medical providers, especially in rural areas. The problem has been building for a while, experts say, but the pandemic accelerated it by pushing many doctors over the edge into early retirement or other fields.

KFF Health News’ ‘What the Health?’: On Autism, It’s the Secretary’s Word vs. CDC’s

Tensions between Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his employees at the Department of Health and Human Services are mounting, as he made a series of claims about autism this week — contradicting his agency’s findings. Plus, President Donald Trump unveiled an executive order to lower drug prices as his administration explores tariffs that could raise them. Shefali Luthra of The 19th, Jessie Hellmann of CQ Roll Call, and Anna Edney of Bloomberg News join KFF Health News’ Emmarie Huetteman to discuss these stories and more. Plus, KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner interviews two University of California-San Francisco researchers about an upcoming Supreme Court case that could have major ramifications for preventive care.

In Rural Massachusetts, Patients and Physicians Weigh Trade-Offs of Concierge Medicine

A stressed primary care system has led many doctors to start practices that charge membership fees in exchange for shorter waits and longer appointments. Observers say the doctor shortage needs a more systemic fix.

States Push Medicaid Work Rules, but Few Programs Help Enrollees Find Jobs

Republicans are pushing to implement requirements that Medicaid recipients work in order to obtain or retain coverage. Some states try to help enrollees find jobs. But states lack the data to show whether they’re effective.

States Push Medicaid Work Rules, but Few Programs Help Enrollees Find Jobs

Republicans are pushing to implement requirements that Medicaid recipients work in order to obtain or retain coverage. Some states try to help enrollees find jobs. But states lack the data to show whether they’re effective.

Deportation Fears Add to Mental Health Problems Confronting Colorado Resort Town Workers

The Latino communities who make up significant proportions of year-round populations in Colorado’s mountain towns already experience heightened mental health concerns. Now, deportation fears are increasing their stress.

Deportation Fears Add to Mental Health Problems Confronting Colorado Resort Town Workers

The Latino communities who make up significant proportions of year-round populations in Colorado’s mountain towns already experience heightened mental health concerns. Now, deportation fears are increasing their stress.

Families of Transgender Youth No Longer View Colorado as a Haven for Gender-Affirming Care

Colorado was long considered a haven for gender-affirming care. But under this Trump administration, hospitals in the state have limited the treatments available for people under 19. Some services have been restored, but trans youth and their families say the state isn’t the rock they thought it was.

Magic Happens When Kids and Adults Learn To Swim. Tragedy Can Strike if They Don’t.

A swim team in North St. Louis combats the public health threat of drowning — especially among Black children and adults — by promoting water safety not just for its athletes but also their parents.

More Psych Hospital Beds Are Needed for Kids, but Neighbors Say Not Here

Amid a youth mental health crisis and a shortage of inpatient psychiatric beds, residents of a St. Louis suburb opposed a plan to build a 77-bed pediatric mental health hospital. Resistance to such facilities has occurred in other communities as misconceptions about mental health spur fear.