California Attorney General Boosts Bill Banning Medical Debt From Credit Reports
By Molly Castle Work
March 11, 2024
KFF Health News Original
California Attorney General Rob Bonta has thrown his weight behind state Sen. Monique Limón’s legislation to bar unpaid medical bills from showing up on consumer credit reports. If passed, California would join just a few other states with such protections.
Republicans Once Championed Public Health. What Happened?
By Julie Rovner
December 13, 2023
KFF Health News Original
It wasn’t that long ago that Republicans were all-in on boosting public health spending. “The highest investment priority in Washington should be to double the federal budget for scientific research,” former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) wrote in a 1999 op-ed in The Washington Post. Big spending increases for the National Institutes of Health soon […]
Nikki Haley (And Her Opponents) Struggle With a Vaccine Message
By Darius Tahir
November 21, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley portrays herself as a voice of reason in the Republican Party. “Let’s find consensus,” she said about abortion during the first GOP primary debate. “Let’s treat this like a respectful issue.” It’s talk like that — and strong polling in a hypothetical matchup against President Biden — that has […]
Alex Azar’s Unusual Spin Through the Revolving Door
By Phil Galewitz
January 12, 2024
KFF Health News Original
Washington’s infamous revolving door took an unusual turn for former Health and Human Services secretary Alex Azar. Azar spent about a decade with pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly and Co. before coming to the nation’s capital to lead HHS in the Trump administration. But in September 2020, just a couple of months before former president Donald […]
Even in Bright-Blue California, Abortion Is on the Ballot
By Molly Castle Work
February 7, 2024
KFF Health News Original
The race to replace the late Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein is in full swing in California. Although the state enshrined abortion rights into its constitution, the prospect of a national abortion ban has the candidates vying for a Senate seat putting a spotlight on reproductive rights. Or, at least the Democrats are. Steve Garvey, a […]
Joe Biden’s Skittish Support for Abortion Rights
By Julie Rovner
March 15, 2024
KFF Health News Original
President Biden spent much of his State of the Union speech last week talking about two subjects central to his reelection campaign while seemingly trying not to name them. One was Donald Trump, or as Biden called him, “my predecessor.” The other was abortion. It’s hardly news that Biden, an 81-year-old devout Catholic, is uncomfortable […]
Under Fire for Massive Health System Hack, Biden Team Leans on Insurers
By Darius Tahir
March 19, 2024
KFF Health News Original
The Biden administration has hit on a strategy to deal with the massive, industry-paralyzing cyberattack on a UnitedHealth Group unit: pressuring insurers to fix it. Federal officials have been in constant conversation with senior leaders at UnitedHealth and across the industry, including at a Monday meeting where Department of Health and Human Services and White […]
Desantis, Newsom to Tangle Over Hot-Button Health Issues
By Angela Hart and Daniel Chang
November 30, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Florida’s Republican presidential hopeful, Ron DeSantis,and Democratic firebrand Gavin Newsom of California square off today in a contest of governors that can best be described as the debate to determine ¿quién es más macho? — who is more manly — about protecting your freedoms. Both men have led their respective states since 2019, and they’ve […]
Abortion Bans Are Driving Off Doctors and Closing Clinics, Putting Basic Health Care at Risk
By Julie Rovner
May 24, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Doctors say they are reluctant to practice in abortion-banned states, where making the best decision for a patient could run afoul of the law. Even former President Donald Trump’s surgeon general is concerned about the repercussions for women’s health, writes KFF Health News’ chief Washington correspondent, Julie Rovner.
Climate Change Raises Pressure on Biden To Keep Workers Cooler
By Samantha Young
January 19, 2024
KFF Health News Original
With climate change posing rising threats to human health, the Biden administration is drafting federal rules to protect construction crews, warehouse workers, delivery drivers and the rest of America’s workforce from extreme heat. The regulatory effort has been years in the making, and its fate is far from certain. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration […]
Biden Wants States to Ensure Obamacare Plans Cover Enough Doctors and Hospitals
By Julie Appleby
December 6, 2023
KFF Health News Original
The regulatory proposal was announced Nov. 15 and is likely one of the last major ACA policy efforts of the president’s first term.
Colorado Blames Biden Team and Drugmakers for Delaying Canadian Imports
By Phil Galewitz
December 7, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Colorado officials say they haven’t been able to stand up a program to import drugs from Canada because of drugmaker opposition — and the Biden administration’s inaction.
Ad Goes Too Far With Claim That Joe Biden Promotes Surgery for Trans Teens
By Blake Farmer, Nashville Public Radio
November 9, 2022
KFF Health News Original
Even some medical experts who are skeptical of gender-affirming care say the White House is not promoting breast removal and genital surgery for teens. But that’s not what an ad, funded by a group led by a former adviser to President Donald Trump, would have you believe.
GOP Presidential Primary Debate No. 2: An Angry Rematch and the Same Notable No-Show
By KFF Health News and PolitiFact staffs
September 28, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Though never framed as a marquee issue, the topic of health care crept into the chaotic seven-way faceoff throughout the evening, highlighting Republican culture-war themes.
Cómo impactaría una segunda presidencia de Trump en la atención de salud
By Julie Rovner
January 16, 2024
KFF Health News Original
Intentar pronosticar las prioridades de Trump en un segundo mandato es aún más difícil ya que cambia frecuentemente de posición sobre los temas, y lo hace muchas veces.
Oficial de Trump que aprobó traer medicamentos de Canadá ahora preside la empresa detrás de la importación
By Phil Galewitz
January 12, 2024
KFF Health News Original
Es común que altos funcionarios de ambos partidos dejen el servicio público por trabajos o puestos en juntas directivas, a menudo mejor remunerados, en empresas de las industrias que antes regulaban
VIP Health System for Top US Officials Risked Jeopardizing Care for Soldiers
By David Hilzenrath
March 8, 2024
KFF Health News Original
The historically troubled White House Medical Unit is just one part of a government health system that gives VIP care to top officials, military officers, military retirees, and families. Pentagon investigators say some were prioritized over rank-and-file soldiers.
Conservative Justices Stir Trouble for Republican Politicians on Abortion
By Rachana Pradhan
April 16, 2024
KFF Health News Original
Republicans are learning the admonition “be careful what you wish for,” as conservative judges cause them political problems over abortion in a crucial election year.
Few Firm Beliefs and Low Trust: Americans Not Sure What’s True in Age of Health Misinformation
By Darius Tahir
August 22, 2023
KFF Health News Original
A new poll from KFF shows many Americans aren’t willing to embrace misinformation — but aren’t willing to reject it either. And they don’t know whom to trust.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Injects Presidential Politics Into the Covid Vaccine Debate
By Phil Galewitz and Daniel Chang
September 18, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Losing ground in the Republican primary, Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida and his top medical advisers dismissed the recent federal recommendation that almost everyone get an updated covid shot.