Latest KFF Health News Stories
Por qué la guerra en Ucrania afecta a los tratamientos de conducto en Estados Unidos
Tanto Rusia como Ucrania son potencias en el suministro de ciertos productos básicos, entre ellos, el nitrato de amonio y el gas natural. Se usan en decenas de procedimientos médicos.
Why the War in Ukraine Might Make Root Canals More Difficult
Russia’s attacks on Ukraine are making it harder for the health care system to secure important supplies, including gases used in imaging and by dentists.
Tennessee Offers to Expand Dental Schools as Medicaid Coverage Stretches Need
As states expand Medicaid’s dental benefits, they’re running up against a shortage of dentists willing to work on those patients, especially in rural communities. So Tennessee is helping dental schools expand and offering to pay off student loans for those who work in high-need areas.
Perros ayudan a que los pacientes no sientan miedo en el dentista. Pero hay controversia
Cada vez hay más perros que alivian la ansiedad en los consultorios de dentistas. Pero hay pocas regulaciones sobre los animales en entornos médicos.
A Dog Day at the Dentist’s: North Carolina Regulates Pups in Dentistry
Snuggle-ready dogs comfort anxious patients at dental offices, but some patients worry about the risks, from slobber to nips. North Carolina is thought to be the first state with regulations to ensure the dogs are appropriately trained.
Readers and Tweeters Have Mental Health Care on Their Minds
KHN gives readers a chance to comment on a recent batch of stories.
Health Policy Valentines Too Sweet Not to Tweet
KHN highlights some of the creative valentines posted on Twitter by health policy enthusiasts.
Readers and Tweeters: Give Nurse Practitioners Their Due
KHN gives readers a chance to comment on a recent batch of stories.
West Virginia Sen. Manchin Takes the Teeth Out of Democrats’ Plan for Seniors’ Dental Care
In West Virginia, older residents often go without dental care, and a quarter of people 65 and older have no natural teeth, the highest rate of any state in the country. But a powerful senator from West Virginia, Joe Manchin, has rebuffed efforts to add a dental benefit to Medicare.
From ‘Physician Assistant’ to Medicare, Readers and Tweeters Mince No Words
KHN gives readers a chance to comment on a recent batch of stories.
Missouri’s Thin Dental Safety Net Stretched Amid Medicaid Expansion
An estimated 275,000 Missouri adults can get dental insurance now as the state has expanded who is eligible for Medicaid. But with so few dentists participating in the program, the state’s already-backlogged dental clinics are facing a glut of new clients.
Investigaciones han demostrado que la pérdida de la audición puede socavar la calidad de vida de las personas mayores, lo que conduce a la soledad, el aislamiento, la depresión, y trastornos de la comunicación.
Democrats Plan to Expand Medicare Hearing Benefits. What Can Consumers Expect?
KHN answers questions for seniors about how this new benefit might work.
If Congress Adds Dental Coverage to Medicare, Should All Seniors Get It?
Health equity advocates see a once-in-a-generation opportunity to provide a dental benefit to millions of older Americans as Congress considers expanding Medicare services. But complicating that push is a debate over how many of the more than 60 million Medicare recipients should receive dental coverage.
Medicare Plans’ ‘Free’ Dental, Vision, Hearing Benefits Come at a Cost
The ads for supplemental Medicare Advantage plans describe vision and dental benefits, even grocery discounts and food deliveries. But look at the fine print.
Hygienists Brace for Pitched Battles With Dentists in Fights Over Practice Laws
In a battle reflecting turf wars around the country, Illinois dentists defeated legislation that would have allowed hygienists to practice in nursing homes and prisons where dental care can be scarce.
Dentistas eliminan los problemas de las personas sin seguro ofreciéndoles ellos mismos planes
Estos planes limitados a una práctica están dirigidos principalmente a los 65 millones de estadounidenses que no tienen cobertura dental, y tienen que pagar de su bolsillo toda su atención.
Dentists Chip Away at Uninsured Problem by Offering Patients Membership Plans
The plans are designed for people who don’t get dental coverage through their jobs and can’t afford an individual plan. For about $300 to $400 a year, patients receive certain preventive services at no charge and other procedures at a discount.
KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Much Ado About Drug Prices
Democrats have hit a snag in their effort to compile a $3.5 trillion social-spending bill this fall — moderates are resisting support for Medicare drug price negotiation provisions that would pay for many of the measure’s health benefit improvements. Meanwhile, the new abortion restrictions in Texas have moved the divisive issue back to the political front burner. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Rachel Cohrs of Stat and Shefali Luthra of The 19th join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interview’s KHN’s Phil Galewitz about the latest KHN-NPR “Bill of the Month” installment, about two similar jaw surgeries with very different price tags.
Why Doesn’t Medicare Cover Services So Many Seniors Need?
When the program began half a century ago, backers believed the benefits would expand over time, but politics and concerns about money have stymied most efforts. Now congressional Democrats are looking to add vision, dental and hearing care.