The number of babies born in the United States fell again last year. According to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were 3.6 million births in 2025, a 1% decline from 2024. The fertility rate dropped to 53.1 births per 1,000 women ages 15 to 44, down 23% since 2007….
SIKESTON, Mo. — In 1942, Mable Cook was a teenager. She was standing on her front porch when she witnessed the lynching of Cleo Wright. In the aftermath, Cook received advice from her father that was intended to keep her safe. “He didn’t want us talking about it,” Cook said. “He told us to forget…
Being denied insurance coverage can be both confusing and, at times, enraging. But mounting a skillful challenge can turn a “no” into “yes.” From confusing policy language to coding errors to shifting insurer rules, a new episode of NPR’s “Life Kit” podcast explores why denials happen and how to avoid common pitfalls. KFF Health News…
That is the title of an ISPOR Europe panel I saw with Hugo Pedder, Jeroen Jansen, Dawn Lee and Mark Harries. The goal of sequential pathways model is to be able to answers questions like (i) how does a new treatment impact the cost and effectiveness for patients within a sequence of treatment, or (ii)…
Roche will share in developing and commercializing petrelintide, a clinical-stage Zealand Pharma drug that activates the amylin receptor to spark weight loss. This agreement represents the highest total financial consideration in the obesity field to date. The post Roche Puts Up $1.65B to Partner With Zealand on ‘Future Foundational Therapy’ for Obesity appeared first on…
That is the findings from a KFF Health Tracking Poll out this month. The survey examines which aspects of accessing care and health insurance are the biggest problem for insured adults. The survey finds that 69% of adults believe prior authorization is a burden. Specifically, the survey asks “When it comes to getting health care,…
This brief reviews the case now before the Supreme Court, Louisiana v. FDA, and provides an overview of the other pending litigation involving mifepristone, and the mounting tension between states seeking to protect abortion and the states banning the provision of abortion.
Alea Bates wasn’t ready to leave Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare’s main hospital four days after a stranger shot her seven times at close range. Miraculously, hospital records show, none of the bullets damaged her internal organs. But after surgery, Bates said, she couldn’t get out of bed or walk to the bathroom without help. She complained…
In this “How Would You Fix It?” interview, Julie Rovner, KFF Health News’ chief Washington correspondent and host of the What the Health? podcast, sat down with Sen. Andy Kim, a New Jersey Democrat, to discuss his proposal to grant all kids access to health coverage. Kim, who serves on the Senate Health, Education, Labor…
MDMA-assisted therapy (MDMA-AT) for PTSD sparked debate, primarily focused on concerns of safety and efficacy. But no matter how novel a treatment may be, if it is inaccessible to the millions of people who need it, its relevance becomes insignificant. The post Breaking Barriers: Why Accessibility Matters in PTSD Treatment Beyond MDMA appeared first on…