As California Taps Pandemic Stockpile for Bird Flu, Officials Keep Close Eye on Spending
By Don Thompson
California health officials began providing protective clothing to farmworkers months before the state’s first bird flu transmission to humans was announced in October. It’s a reminder of the state’s struggle to remain prepared for health threats amid multibillion-dollar deficits.
An Arm and a Leg: Fight Health Insurance — With Help From AI
By Dan Weissmann
Meet the tech worker on a quest to use artificial intelligence to combat denials for coverage from patients’ health plans.
KFF Health News Sues To Force Disclosure of Medicare Advantage Audit Records
By Fred Schulte
Freedom of Information Act case targets HHS inspector general’s reviews of billions of dollars in health plan overpayments.
Daily Edition for Tuesday, November 12, 2024
Forced Prison Labor Will Continue In California: In a setback to California’s historic reparations effort, voters have rejected Proposition 6, a ballot measure that would have ended forced labor in prisons and jails. As of Monday, voters rejected the measure 54% to 46%. Read more from CalMatters and AP.
California Dengue Cases Prompt Swift Response From Public Health Officials
By Claudia Boyd-Barrett
With the arrival in California of dengue, a dangerous mosquito-borne disease present mainly in more tropical climates, public health authorities are deploying a range of strategies to beat back the Aedes mosquitoes that spread the virus.
Older Americans Living Alone Often Rely on Neighbors or Others Willing To Help
By Judith Graham
Diverse networks of friends, former co-workers, neighbors, and extended family are often essential sources of support for older adults living alone. Often it is the elderly caring for the elderly.
Many Voters Backed Abortion Rights and Donald Trump, a Challenge for Democrats
By Sarah Varney
Despite widespread support for protecting abortion rights, voters said the cost of gas, housing, food, and health care was more important to their choice for president.
KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': Trump 2.0
As Donald Trump readies for his return to the White House — with the backing of a GOP majority in the Senate and, possibly, the House — the entire health care industry is waiting to see what happens next. Clearly on the agenda: the future of abortion and reproductive rights, Medicare, Medicaid, the Affordable Care Act, and public health’s infrastructure. Rachel Cohrs Zhang of Stat and Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews KFF Health News’ Jackie Fortiér, who reported and wrote the latest KFF Health News-Washington Post “Bill of the Month” feature, about a 2-year-old who had a very expensive run-in with a rattlesnake.
Daily Edition for Friday, November 8, 2024
Lurie Ousts Breed As Mayor Of San Francisco: Daniel Lurie has been elected mayor of San Francisco, denying London Breed another term after arguing that her flawed leadership exacerbated the drug crisis, homelessness, and public concerns about crime. Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle and Los Angeles Times.
Watchdog Calls for Tighter Scrutiny of Medicare Advantage Home Visits
By Fred Schulte
Medicare officials defend the use of home visits that often spot medical conditions that are never treated.
