Shefali Luthra

Shefali Luthra was a correspondent for KFF Health News until June 2020.

@shefalil

New Data Show Medicaid Expansion Pays Off, As Some Holdout States Rethink It

Researchers concluded that because the federal government picked up so much of the tab of expanding eligibility for the low-income insurance program, expansion states like California didn’t have to skimp on other policy priorities to make ends meet.

Lead Poisoning’s Lifelong Toll Includes Lowering Social Mobility, Researchers Find

Research published today suggests childhood lead exposure, which affects half a million children and which the CDC has been deemed a major public concern, doesn’t just impact cognitive development but also undermines class mobility.

Instead Of Trashing A $600 EpiPen, Some Patients Get A Refill

Epinephrine, the active ingredient in EpiPens, expires after 18 months, and the auto-injector device can’t be refilled or reused. Health professionals are looking for work-arounds they say could save the health system millions.