When a “Make America Healthy Again” summit was held at the posh Waldorf Astoria in Washington, the line of attendees stretched down the block. The daylong, invitation-only event in November featured a who’s who of MAHA luminaries. Vice President JD Vance attended, as did Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the leader…
Letters to the Editor is a periodic feature. We welcome all comments and will publish a selection. We edit for length and clarity and require full names. KFF Health News received dozens of letters in response to an article last month describing how state budget shortfalls have led to cuts targeting therapies that many families of autistic people…
KFF Health News editor-at-large for public health Céline Gounder discussed an increase in measles cases in the U.S. on CBS News’ CBS Mornings on Jan. 15. Gounder also discussed a new study on GLP-1 weight loss drugs on CBS News’ CBS News 24/7 and CBS Mornings on Jan. 8. Click here to watch Gounder discuss…
When she was 25 years old, Rhonda Swaney nearly died delivering a stillborn baby. She’s a member of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes in Montana. Although her experience was nearly 50 years ago, Swaney said Native Americans continue to receive inadequate maternal care. The data appears to support that belief. In 2024, the most…
LISTEN: Big cuts to Medicaid mean some states will have to scramble to keep offering treatment for addiction. KFF Health News senior correspondent Aneri Pattani appeared on WAMU’s “Health Hub” on Jan. 14 to explain why addiction care advocates worry opioid settlement money could end up plugging holes in state budgets instead of fighting the…
New York-based performer Cynthia Freeman, 61, has been trying to figure out how to keep the Affordable Care Act health plan that she and her husband depend on. “If we didn’t have health issues, I’d just go back to where I was in my 40s and not have health insurance,” she said, “but we’re not…
By BRIAN STANLEY Patients waiting on Medicaid enrollment face more bills, while Congress touts that as cost savings. Hospitals need to choose their stance. Medicaid covers the lion’s share of short- and long-term health care expenses for low-income, older, and/or disabled Americans. Until now, the program paid for care received up to three months before…
The Economist reports that many life science companies are betting big on AI to help with drug development. Why? If AI can increase their likelihood new molecules become successful drugs, the cost of drug development will fall. AI-designed molecules show an 80-90% success rate in early-stage safety trials, compared with a historical average of just…
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…
In the largest Medicare Advantage fraud settlement to date, Kaiser Permanente has agreed to pay $556 million to settle Justice Department allegations that it billed the government for medical conditions patients didn’t have. The settlement, announced Jan. 14, resolves whistleblower lawsuits that accused the giant health insurer of mounting a years-long scheme in which it…