Millions Were Booted From Medicaid. The Insurers That Run It Gained Revenue Anyway.
By Phil Galewitz
Big health insurers that have contracts with state Medicaid programs find themselves making more money even as enrollment in Medicaid programs has dropped. Here’s why.
Daily Edition for Friday, April 26, 2024
Data breach, 911 system crash, single-payer health care, bird flu, HIV, suicide, school nutrition, miscarriages, and more are in the news.
Daily Edition for Thursday, April 25, 2024
Starting Next Year, California Will Cap Annual Health Care Cost Increases: Doctors, hospitals, and health insurance companies in California will soon be limited to annual price increases. The 3% cap, approved Wednesday by the Health Care Affordability Board, will be phased in over five years, starting with 3.5% in 2025. Providers who don’t comply could face fines. Read more from AP.
Genetics Studies Have a Diversity Problem That Researchers Struggle To Fix
By Lauren Sausser
Researchers in Charleston, South Carolina, are trying to build a DNA database of 100,000 people to better understand how genetics affects health risks. But they’re struggling to recruit enough Black participants.
Mandatory Reporting Laws Meant To Protect Children Get Another Look
By Kristin Jones
The state is looking at ways to weed out false reporting of child abuse and neglect as the number of reports reaches a record high.
California Is Investing $500M in Therapy Apps for Youth. Advocates Fear It Won’t Pay Off.
By Molly Castle Work
California launched two teletherapy apps as part of the governor’s $500 million foray into health technology with private companies. But the rollout has been so slow that one company has yet to make its app available on Android, and social workers worry youths who need clinical care won’t get referrals.
KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': Abortion — Again — At the Supreme Court
For the second time in as many months, the Supreme Court heard arguments in an abortion case. This time, the justices are being asked to decide whether a federal law that requires emergency care in hospitals can trump Idaho’s near-total abortion ban. Meanwhile, the federal government, for the first time, will require minimum staffing standards for nursing homes. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Tami Luhby of CNN, and Joanne Kenen of Johns Hopkins University and Politico Magazine join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Plus, for “extra credit,” the panelists suggest health policy stories they read this week they think you should read, too.
Daily Edition for Wednesday, April 24, 2024
Toxic tires, health worker strike, nursing shortages, hospital mergers, homelessness, fertility, bird flu, and more are in today’s news.
Tire Toxicity Faces Fresh Scrutiny After Salmon Die-Offs
By Jim Robbins
Tires emit huge volumes of particles and chemicals as they roll along the highway, and researchers are only beginning to understand the threat. One byproduct of tire use, 6PPD-q, is in regulators’ crosshairs after it was found to be killing fish.
Listen to the Latest ‘KFF Health News Minute’
“Health Minute” brings original health care and health policy reporting from the KFF Health News newsroom to the airwaves each week.