Category: states

KFF Health News’ ‘What the Health?’: Chaos Continues in Federal Health System

The Senate has yet to confirm a Health and Human Services secretary, but things around the department continue to change at a breakneck pace to comply with President Donald Trump’s executive orders. Payment systems have been shut down, webpages and entire datasets have been taken offline, and workers — including those with civil service protections — have been urged to quit or threatened with layoffs. Meanwhile, foreign and trade policy changes are also affecting health policy. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico and Lauren Weber of The Washington Post join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews KFF Health News’ Julie Appleby, who reported the latest “Bill of the Month” feature, about a young woman, a grandfathered health plan, and a $14,000 IUD.

Biden Rule Cleared Hurdles to Lifesaving HIV Drug, but in Georgia Barriers Remain

A new rule requires insurers to improve coverage of PrEP, which can prevent HIV, but Georgians face challenges getting the drug.

Officials Seek To Dismantle Appeals Board for Montanans Denied Public Assistance

The Montana health department says the Board of Public Assistance is redundant and a bureaucratic hurdle that helps few people. Current and former board representatives say the rare cases in which the panel helps people are important.

California Housing Officials Recommend State Protect Renters From Extreme Heat

State officials say homes should be able to be cooled to a safe indoor air temperature of 82 degrees. The legislature will now take up the report.

Wash, Dry, Enroll: Finding Medicaid Help at the Laundromat

State Medicaid and Affordable Care Act programs have long struggled to connect with lower-income Americans to help them access care. Now some are trying an alternative approach: meeting them at the laundromat.

For California Farmworkers, Telehealth Visits With Mexican Doctors Fill a Gap

The MiSalud app enables Spanish-speaking users in the U.S. to meet virtually with health professionals in Mexico via a smartphone app. At Taylor Farms in Salinas, California, the novel program has been a hit.

Little Tracking, Wide Variability Permeate the Teams Tasked With Stopping School Shootings

Several states require schools to assemble teams of law enforcement and education officials to identify students who could become mass shooters and intervene before it’s too late. But some experts say the efforts often face a lack of guidance and significant pressure, putting them at risk of maligning innocent students.

Drawn-Out Overhaul of Troubled Montana Hospital Leaves Lawmakers in Limbo

Unsure how to help the troubled psychiatric facility, legislators look to shore up other parts of the state’s mental health system.

Sports Betting Is Coming to Missouri. A Fund To Help Prevent Problem Gambling Will Follow.

Can a $5 million compulsive-gambling fund help Missouri avoid the mistakes of other states that have legalized sports betting?

Trump’s Funding ‘Pause’ Throws States, Health Industry Into Chaos

A sweeping Trump administration order threw the nation’s health system into disarray Tuesday, as states and the health industry tried to make sense of what looked like a freeze on federal Medicaid funding.