Category: states

Millions in Opioid Settlement Funds Sit Untouched as Overdose Deaths Rise

Some states haven’t begun using opioid settlement funds intended to help curb the opioid epidemic. Meanwhile, more than 100,000 Americans died of an overdose last year.

People With Disabilities Hope Autonomous Vehicles Deliver Independence

A pilot project in northern Minnesota aims to pave the way for fully autonomous vehicles to offer independence for people who can’t drive.

People With Disabilities Hope Autonomous Vehicles Deliver Independence

A pilot project in northern Minnesota aims to pave the way for fully autonomous vehicles to offer independence for people who can’t drive.

LA County Invests Big in Free Virtual Mental Health Therapy for K-12 Students

California is spending almost $5 billion to address a growing youth mental health crisis. In Los Angeles County, a contract with teletherapy provider Hazel Health is funding free therapy sessions for all interested students. School districts are grateful for the additional support, but express concerns about the remote arrangement.

LA County Invests Big in Free Virtual Mental Health Therapy for K-12 Students

California is spending almost $5 billion to address a growing youth mental health crisis. In Los Angeles County, a contract with teletherapy provider Hazel Health is funding free therapy sessions for all interested students. School districts are grateful for the additional support, but express concerns about the remote arrangement.

Biology, Anatomy, and Finance? More Med Students Want Business Degrees Too

A majority of medical schools now offer dual MD-MBA programs, compared with just a quarter two decades ago. The number of medical students seeking a business degree has nearly tripled. This begs the question: Whom will these doctors serve more, patients or shareholders?

Being Black and Pregnant in the Deep South Can Be a Dangerous Combination

Being Black has always been dangerous for pregnant women and infants in the South. And researchers say things are continuing to move in the wrong direction.

KFF Health News’ ‘What the Health?’: Democrats See Opportunity in GOP Threats to Repeal Health Law 

Sensing that Republicans are walking into a political minefield by threatening once again to repeal the Affordable Care Act, the Biden administration is looking to capitalize by rolling out a series of initiatives aimed at high drug prices and other consequences of “corporate greed in health care.” Meanwhile, the Supreme Court hears a case that could determine when and how much victims of the opioid crisis can collect from Purdue Pharma, the drug company that lied about how addictive its drug, OxyContin, really was. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, and Rachana Pradhan of KFF Health News join KFF Health News chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Dan Weissmann of KFF Health News’ sister podcast, “An Arm and a Leg,” about his investigation into hospitals suing their patients over unpaid bills.

Colorado Blames Biden Team and Drugmakers for Delaying Canadian Imports

Colorado officials say they haven’t been able to stand up a program to import drugs from Canada because of drugmaker opposition — and the Biden administration’s inaction.

Food Sovereignty Movement Sprouts as Bison Return to Indigenous Communities

Native American leaders see bison herds and ancestral gardens as ways to bring healthy eating to their people.