LISTEN: Fewer breakthroughs. Weaker responses to public health crises. That’s what some former National Institutes of Health scientists predict for the agency as thousands of researchers leave. Workers from the Washington, D.C., region spoke with KFF Health News senior correspondent Rachana Pradhan, and she appeared on WAMU’s “Health Hub” on March 18 to explain what’s…
The Host Julie Rovner KFF Health News @jrovner @julierovner.bsky.social Read Julie’s stories. Julie Rovner is chief Washington correspondent and host of KFF Health News’ weekly health policy news podcast, “What the Health?” A noted expert on health policy issues, Julie is the author of the critically praised reference book “Health Care Politics and Policy A…
Most people who get their health coverage through the Affordable Care Act say they face sharply higher costs, with many worried they will have to pare back other expenses to cover them, according to a poll released Thursday. Some are uncertain whether they will be able to continue paying their premiums all year. Still, 69%…
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — For weeks, Mehmet Oz has been waging a public feud with California leaders over health care fraud, accusing the blue state of failing to adequately combat such abuse. Oz, who heads the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, alleged that there was approximately $3.5 billion of fraud in the hospice and…
On What the Health? From KFF Health News, distributed by WAMU, chief Washington correspondent and host Julie Rovner sat down with Drew Altman, president and CEO of KFF, to talk about the likelihood of a national health care debate to rein in costs. As the midterm elections approach, the cost of health care is the…
Conservative lawmakers in multiple states are pushing legislation drafted by an anti-abortion advocacy group to increase protections for crisis pregnancy centers, organizations that provide some health-related services but also work to dissuade women from having abortions. The legislation would prohibit state and local governments from requiring crisis pregnancy centers to perform abortions, provide referrals for…
By SUHANA MISHRA When discussing treatment outcomes, we usually talk about dosage, adherence, and access. Rarely do we speak about algorithms. Yet as I began working on a scoping review examining misinformation and disinformation in mental health with a team at the Royal College of Psychiatrists led by Dr. Subodh Dave, I realized that some…
That is the title of a paper published today with co-authors Arundati Nagendra (from the Schizophrenia and Psychosis Action Alliance), Raquelle Mesholam-Gately and Matcheri Keshavan (both at the Department of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School). The abstract is here: Background Schizophrenia is traditionally classified as a serious mental illness (SMI), emphasizing chronicity and disability. However,…
In January, when President Donald Trump unveiled his one-page outline to address health care spending, dubbed “The Great Healthcare Plan,” he specifically mentioned the Affordable Care Act’s role in driving up costs. “I call it the unaffordable care act,” he said. He reprised the line in his 2026 State of the Union address, blaming “the…
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — In the early 2000s, Michelle Warfield worked at a factory, hauling heavy seats for Ford trucks on and off an assembly line. To suppress daily aches in her back and hips, her doctor prescribed opioid painkillers. They worked for a bit. But by 2011, Warfield struggled to walk. And “by that time,…