Is Novavax, the Latecomer Covid Vaccine, Worth the Wait?
By Amy Maxmen
November 20, 2023
KFF Health News Original
People with special medical considerations are hoping the Novavax shot will bring fewer headaches, fevers, and less fatigue than have been reported by those taking mRNA vaccines.
A New Covid Booster Is Here. Will Those at Greatest Risk Get It?
By Amy Maxmen
September 15, 2023
KFF Health News Original
The CDC says everyone over 6 months old should get the new covid booster. But the emergency response mechanisms that supported earlier vaccine campaigns are gone. As one expert wonders: How to get boosters to people beyond Democrats, college graduates, and those with high incomes?
Ten Doctors on FDA Panel Reviewing Abbott Heart Device Had Financial Ties With Company
By David Hilzenrath and Holly K. Hacker
April 8, 2024
KFF Health News Original
Most of the doctors the FDA tapped to advise it on an Abbott medical device had financial ties to the company. The FDA didn’t disclose the payments.
There’s a New Covid-19 Variant and Cases Are Ticking Up. What Do You Need to Know?
By Julie Appleby
January 8, 2024
KFF Health News Original
The covid-19 virus is continually changing, and a recent subvariant, the JN.1, is rapidly climbing the charts.
The New Vaccines and You: Americans Better Armed Than Ever Against the Winter Blechs
By Amy Maxmen
October 13, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Flu, covid, and respiratory viruses kill thousands of Americans each year, but the latest batch of vaccines could save lives.
As Bans Spread, Fluoride in Drinking Water Divides Communities Across the US
By Melba Newsome
April 12, 2024
KFF Health News Original
The broad availability of over-the-counter dental products containing fluoride has some community leaders arguing that its addition to public drinking water is no longer necessary. But public health experts worry that, much like vaccines, fluoridation may be a victim of its own success.
The CDC Lacks a Rural Focus. Researchers Hope a Newly Funded Office Will Help.
By Christina Saint Louis
April 19, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Advocates for improving rural health pushed for the CDC to extend its rural health focus by creating an Office of Rural Health. They hope the agency will commit to rural health research and provide analyses that lead to good public health policies for rural communities.
How Lawmakers in Texas and Florida Undermine Covid Vaccination Efforts
By Amy Maxmen
November 13, 2023
KFF Health News Original
State legislatures and politicians are pressuring public health officials to keep quiet about covid vaccines.
California Pushes to Expand the Universe of Abortion Care Providers
By Laurie Udesky
March 4, 2024
KFF Health News Original
A new California law allows trained physician assistants, also called physician associates, to perform first-trimester abortions without the presence of a supervising doctor. The legislation is part of a broader effort by the state to expand access to abortion care, especially in rural areas. Some doctor groups are wary.
Why the Next Big Hope for Alzheimer’s Might Not Help Most Black Patients
By Arthur Allen
July 6, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Black patients and other minorities tend to be diagnosed at later stages of the disease, which would exclude them from use of Leqembi. Few Black people were included in the main trial of the drug.
Cardiovascular Disease Is Primed to Kill More Older Adults, Especially Blacks and Hispanics
By Judith Graham
May 30, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Cardiovascular disease is the biggest killer of older Americans, with Black and Hispanic people at higher risk. Despite medical advances, researchers say, disparities are expected to worsen in the coming decades.
Congress Likely to Kick the Can on Covid-Era Telehealth Policies
By Sarah Jane Tribble
April 10, 2024
KFF Health News Original
With an end-of-year deadline and a presidential election approaching, payment rules that fueled rapid expansion of telehealth in the United States face a last-minute congressional decision.
A Progress Check on Hospital Price Transparency
By Michelle Andrews
March 29, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Hospitals are facing mixed reviews regarding their efforts to comply with a federal requirement that they post information about prices related to nearly every health care service they provide.
The Horrors of TMJ: Chronic Pain, Metal Jaws, and Futile Treatments
By Brett Kelman and Anna Werner, CBS News
April 4, 2024
KFF Health News Original
TMJ disorders affect as many as 1 in 10 Americans and yet remain poorly understood and ineffectively treated. Many common treatments used by dentists lack scientific evidence.
City-Country Mortality Gap Widens Amid Persistent Holes in Rural Health Care Access
By Jazmin Orozco Rodriguez
April 9, 2024
KFF Health News Original
People in their prime working years living in rural America are 43% more likely to die of natural causes, like diseases, than their urban counterparts, a disparity that grew rapidly in recent decades, according to a new federal report.
‘Dr. Google’ Meets Its Match: Dr. ChatGPT
By Andrew Leonard
September 12, 2023
KFF Health News Original
With the rise of generative AI, people who once turned to “Dr. Google” to check on medical symptoms are now turning to chatbots. Researchers say the bots are often more accurate, but urge caution in the absence of any regulations.
Mood-Altering Mushroom Sales Bloom Despite Safety Concerns
By Sam Ogozalek, Tampa Bay Times
May 31, 2023
KFF Health News Original
The well-known “Amanita muscaria” mushroom is legal to possess and consume in 49 states. The market for gummies, powders, and capsules containing extracts of the fungus is raising eyebrows, though, amid concerns from the FDA and in the absence of human clinical trials.
Health Workers Warn Loosening Mask Advice in Hospitals Would Harm Patients and Providers
By Amy Maxmen
September 18, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Clinicians, researchers, and workplace safety officers worry new guidelines on face masks from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention might reduce protection against the coronavirus and other airborne pathogens in hospitals.
‘Forever Chemicals’ Found in Freshwater Fish, Yet Most States Don’t Warn Residents
By Hannah Norman
December 1, 2023
KFF Health News Original
At least 17 states have issued PFAS-related fish consumption advisories, KFF Health News found. But with no federal guidance, what is considered safe to eat varies significantly among states, most of which provide no regulation.
Children Who Survive Shootings Endure Huge Health Obstacles and Costs
By Liz Szabo
Updated November 7, 2023
Originally Published November 6, 2023
KFF Health News Original
A new study finds that young people who have been injured by firearms are more prone to psychiatric diagnoses and developing a substance use disorder than kids who have not been shot — and their families also suffer long-term ill effects.