In Tennessee, a Medicaid Mix-Up Might Land You on a ‘Most Wanted’ List
By Blake Farmer, Nashville Public Radio
February 22, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Tennessee posts the names and photos of people arrested for alleged Medicaid fraud on a government website and social media. Some people even wind up on a “most wanted” list.
Telehealth Sites Promise Cure for ‘Male Menopause’ Despite FDA Ban on Off-Label Ads
By Michael Scaturro
March 21, 2024
KFF Health News Original
Most healthy men produce sufficient testosterone as they age. Yet online ads and telehealth sites are promoting testosterone drugs with flawed promises of boosting libido and busting stomach fat.
Why Is Finding Covid Shots for Young Children Still So Hard?
By Jackie Fortiér, LAist
October 20, 2023
KFF Health News Original
In Los Angeles and elsewhere, some parents are having trouble finding the new pediatric covid shot, especially for young children. Not all pediatricians or pharmacies have it and can administer it, even if vaccines.gov says they can.
Need to Get Plan B or an HIV Test Online? Facebook May Know About It
By Darius Tahir and Simon Fondrie-Teitler, The Markup
June 30, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Twelve of the largest drugstores in the U.S. sent shoppers’ sensitive health information to Facebook or other platforms, according to an investigation by The Markup and KFF Health News.
Citing a Mental Health Crisis Among Young People, California Lawmakers Target Social Media
By Zinnia Finn
August 1, 2022
KFF Health News Original
Legislators are considering two bills that address online addiction among children by taking aim at website features such as push notifications and targeted posts. But Big Tech is fighting the effort, saying companies are already taking steps to protect children.
FDA Looks Into Dental Device After KHN-CBS News Investigation of Patient Harm
By Brett Kelman and Anna Werner, CBS News
March 15, 2023
KFF Health News Original
The FDA’s interest in the AGGA dental device follows a KHN-CBS News investigation, according to a former agency official.
Gubernatorial Candidates Tout Opioid Settlements
By Aneri Pattani
November 9, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Tuesday’s election served as a testing ground for themes that could resonate with voters in 2024. Abortion is obviously among the biggest. One that’s not getting as much attention as it deserves: opioid settlement money. In Kentucky, both the newly reelected Democratic governor, Andy Beshear, and his Republican challenger, Attorney General Daniel Cameron, were involved […]
Biology, Anatomy, and Finance? More Med Students Want Business Degrees Too
By Samantha Liss
December 11, 2023
KFF Health News Original
A majority of medical schools now offer dual MD-MBA programs, compared with just a quarter two decades ago. The number of medical students seeking a business degree has nearly tripled. This begs the question: Whom will these doctors serve more, patients or shareholders?
The Pill Club Reaches $18.3 Million Medicaid Fraud Settlement With California
By Don Thompson
February 7, 2023
KFF Health News Original
The online women’s pharmacy agreed to pay $15 million to the state Department of Justice and $3.3 million to the Department of Insurance over claims it overbilled Medi-Cal.
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.
How the Test-to-Treat Pillar of the US Covid Strategy Is Failing Patients
By Hannah Recht
April 15, 2022
KFF Health News Original
The federal “test-to-treat” program was designed to be a one-stop shop for people to get tested for covid and to receive treatment. But as covid cases rise again, many communities have no participating locations, and website bugs make it difficult to book an appointment at the biggest participant.
They Thought They Were Buying Obamacare Plans. What They Got Wasn’t Insurance.
By Bram Sable-Smith
June 7, 2022
KFF Health News Original
Some consumers who think they are signing up for Obamacare insurance find out later they actually purchased a membership to a health care sharing ministry. But regulators and online advertising sites don’t do much about it.
California Offers Bipartisan Road Map for Protecting Kids Online Even as Big Tech Fights Back
By Mark Kreidler
March 8, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Last year, state lawmakers adopted the country’s toughest online privacy restrictions. The law offers Congress a path forward on federal protections even as it serves as a cautionary tale for taking on Big Tech.
Gubernatorial Candidates Quarrel Over Glory for Winning Opioid Settlements
By Aneri Pattani
November 1, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Some gubernatorial candidates are sparring over bragging rights for their state’s share of $50 billion in opioid settlement funds. Many of the candidates are attorneys general who pursued the lawsuits that produced the payouts.
Doctor Lands in the Doghouse After Giving Covid Vaccine Waivers Too Freely
By Brett Kelman
June 16, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Richard Coble issued vaccine waivers to patients in at least three states without examining them. He was exposed by a Nashville TV station that bought a waiver for a Labrador retriever named Charlie.
Inaccessible Medical Billing: KHN Wants to Hear From You
June 7, 2022
KFF Health News Original
People who are blind or use a screen reader or other assistive technology to access the web sometimes receive inaccessible medical bills or other health information. We at KHN, a nonprofit newsroom that covers health care, want to better understand the scope of the problem. We know that some people have had bills sent to […]
US to Cover HIV Prevention Drugs for Older Americans to Stem Spread of the Virus
By Michael Scaturro
November 8, 2023
KFF Health News Original
The government has proposed that Medicare fully cover preexposure prophylaxis drugs that prevent HIV, a change that could help America catch up with nations in Europe and Africa that are on track to end new infections decades before the U.S. under its current approach.
Rx For Clarity: Calif. Considers Bilingual Drug Labels
By April Dembosky, KQED
July 30, 2014
KFF Health News Original
Every Saturday morning, a steady stream of Chinese and Vietnamese patients line up at the Paul Hom Asian Clinic in Sacramento, Calif. Most of them speak little to no English. Patient assistance director Danny Tao says people come here to get free medical consultations and drug prescriptions. But, he says that when patients take those […]
NY Reaches Agreement With DOJ Over Vaccine Access for Blind People
By Lauren Weber and Hannah Recht
October 8, 2021
KFF Health News Original
Following a February KHN investigation into covid vaccine accessibility, the Department of Justice reached an agreement with five New York government agencies to make their websites accessible to people who are visually impaired.
California’s Vaccine Appointment Website Has Glitches. No Surprise?
By Miranda Green
March 5, 2021
KFF Health News Original
Experts give poor usability ratings to My Turn, the new statewide sign-up app for covid vaccination. But with so many problems plaguing the vaccination effort, it seems unreasonable to have expected this one to work perfectly.