With Midterms Looming, Journalists Consider Measles, Food Recalls, and Obamacare
Céline Gounder, KFF Health News’ editor-at-large for public health, discussed fatal measles cases on CBS News 24/7’s Mornings on Aug. 26. Gounder fact-checked Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Mehmet Oz’s comments about vaccines and drug prices on CBS News 24/7’s The Daily Report on Aug. 24. She also discussed food recalls this summer […]
High Fertility Costs Push Americans Abroad for IVF Treatment
In the summer of 2024, Emilie and Justin Solomon found themselves on a top-secret mission in Greece. Their family and friends thought the adventure-loving couple was on another jet-setting vacation, but they were keeping something else under wraps: They had turned off their phone locations to hide visits to a Greek clinic where they were […]
Trump and Kennedy’s Health Industry Deals Haven’t Been Enforced and Are at Risk of Vanishing
In the thick of his competitive reelection race in Michigan, Republican Rep. Tom Barrett joined Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at a sprawling 400-acre apple orchard, farm, and winery. They touted Trump administration efforts to improve the American diet, including the removal of some artificial dyes from processed foods. “We had […]
Why Older Pedestrians Fare Worse in Car Crashes
On an August morning two years ago, Meredith Melville was crossing Piedmont Avenue in Oakland, California, to meet a friend at a cafe. While in the crosswalk, she noticed a car some distance away. Perhaps she misjudged its speed, she said, because she’d walked only partway across the street when the car, a Toyota sedan, […]
A State Gave Sheriffs 20% of Its Opioid Settlement Cash. We Followed the Money.
KFF Health News worked with three Louisiana news outlets — The Current, Gulf States Newsroom, and Verite News — to ask all 64 sheriffs in the state how they’ve spent their opioid settlement funds. The responses were shared and presented in a data table for all four newsrooms to use. Reporters then conducted individual reporting […]
$50B Rural Health Transformation Program Needs More Transparency, Groups Say
One year into its creation, a $50 billion federal program aimed at improving rural healthcare lacks transparency, which could make it difficult to protect against fraud, identify successful projects, and ensure the program delivers on its promise to transform the system. Transparency “is really important to help protect the integrity of the program, ensure funds […]
A Camp for Children With Brain Injuries Zips Ahead, Despite Federal Uncertainty
MILLVILLE, Pa. — In an open field, arrows whizzed through the humid June air and struck their targets. Campers and counselors cheered. It was archery hour at Camp Cranium. Operations director Drew Meyer watched, a few tears escaping from behind his dark sunglasses. “They will surprise you, like, flat out,” he said of the campers, […]
In Toss-Up House District, Voters Crave Leadership To Fix Broken Healthcare
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — Carlos A. grew up in a family on Medicaid, which made healthcare an afterthought since the public insurance is free for low-income enrollees. But when he received a raise two years ago, he found himself earning too much to qualify for the safety net program. And when he browsed Covered California plans, […]
Her Breast MRI Was Approved, But That Didn’t Mean Her Insurance Would Pay
Last year, Stephanie Halver’s primary care doctor consulted a risk assessment tool to calculate her chances of one day developing breast cancer. Halver, now 43, remembered the likelihood “popped up really high.” That’s partly because Halver’s mother and aunt have had breast cancer. Her age and dense breast tissue also put her at higher risk. […]
Trump Puts Autistic Kids in the Spotlight and Cuts Agencies Built To Protect Them
At Chain of Lakes Elementary School in Winter Haven, Florida, Josette Smith’s 9-year-old son, Ethan, gets to do what he loves most: crafts, math, and science. That is, when he isn’t being pulled out of class. Ethan has autism and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. He was diagnosed with autism in kindergarten after displaying behavior that concerned his […]