California Pays Meth Users To Get Sober
By Angela Hart
California’s Medicaid program is testing a novel approach for people addicted to methamphetamine, cocaine, and other stimulants. For every clean urine test, they can earn money — up to $599 a year.
Medicaid Unwinding Deals Blow to Tenuous System of Care for Native Americans
By Jazmin Orozco Rodriguez
Although Native American and Alaska Native adults are enrolled in Medicaid at higher rates than their white counterparts, many tribal leaders feel they’ve been left in the dark as states roll through the tumultuous Medicaid unwinding that started last year.
Daily Edition for Friday, May 17, 2024
Fate of single-payer, psychedelics, and other health policy bills; marijuana; AI diagnostic use; bird flu; and more are in today’s news.
Newsom Boosted California’s Public Health Budget During Covid. Now He Wants To Cut It.
By Angela Hart
Two years after increasing state and local public health budgets by $300 million annually, Gov. Gavin Newsom proposes to slash the funding in the face of California’s $45 billion deficit.
Watch: John Oliver Dishes on KFF Health News’ Opioid Settlements Series
A recent broadcast of “Last Week Tonight With John Oliver” frequently cited KFF Health News in its examination of how billions of dollars from the opioid settlements are being spent.
The Lure of Specialty Medicine Pulls Nurse Practitioners From Primary Care
By Michelle Andrews
Nurse practitioners have been viewed as a key to addressing the shortage of primary care physicians. But data suggests that, just like doctors, they are increasingly drawn to better-paying specialties.
KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': Bird Flu Lands as the Next Public Health Challenge
Public health authorities are closely watching an unusual strain of bird flu that has infected dairy cows in nine states and at least one dairy worker. Meanwhile, another major health system suffered a cyberattack, and Congress is moving to extend the availability of telehealth services. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call, and Rachel Cohrs Zhang of Stat join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Atul Grover of the Association of American Medical Colleges about its recent analysis showing that graduating medical students are avoiding training in states with abortion bans and major restrictions.
Daily Edition for Thursday, May 16, 2024
“Less-lethal” projectiles used at UCLA, health worker minimum wage, air safety, homeless rates, covid, and more are in today’s news.
Federal Panel Prescribes New Mental Health Strategy To Curb Maternal Deaths
By Cheryl Platzman Weinstock
The leading causes of pregnancy-related deaths in the United States — including suicides and fatalities linked to substance use disorders — stem from mental health conditions. Now a federal task force has recommended strategies to help women who are at risk during or after pregnancy.
Medics at UCLA Protest Say Police Weapons Drew Blood and Cracked Bones
By Molly Castle Work and Brett Kelman
In contrast to police statements, volunteer medics said they treated serious wounds as UCLA’s pro-Palestinian protest was besieged by police and counterprotesters, including some injuries that appeared to be caused by “less lethal” projectiles fired by cops.
