The independent source for health policy research, polling, and news.
21-40 of 287 results
The research is clear: Among the various complex issues that contribute to suicide, loneliness is a big one. Now, there鈥檚 a growing push to address loneliness not just through personal choices but also through public policy.
Patients鈥 experiences encapsulate breakdowns in a healthcare system that traps patients in debt. The industry鈥檚 key players blame one another.
Many telehealth companies have emerged in recent years offering easy access to GLP-1 weight loss drugs as demand has exploded. Meanwhile, researchers and doctors are concerned that some of these online companies aren't properly screening or monitoring patients. 鈥淚t gives a black eye to telemedicine,鈥 one researcher said.
Republicans promise that $50 billion in new health funding will help rural America. But it鈥檚 not expected to aid the years-long effort in North Carolina鈥檚 Martin County to reopen its only hospital.
Several states have required their health agencies to take on another job: verifying immigration status among Medicaid recipients and reporting them to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. North Carolina is the latest to pass such a law, and experts expect more to follow.
Some states bar professional midwives from attending home births if they don鈥檛 have a nursing license. Their advocates say laws to allow midwife licensing would make home birth safer and more accessible, plus help address a maternity care shortage.
Using Hurricane Helene as a teachable moment, a group of doctors outlined concrete steps that lawmakers can take to reverse a crisis in getting substance use medications during natural disasters.
A bug bite and an allergic reaction ultimately sent a North Carolina woman to the emergency room, where she had a couple of brief chats with a doctor and a dose of medicine. Now she questions why the charges were so high.
Some people find they owe money back for subsidies if their income changed from what they estimated. In 2026, more people may find themselves in this situation 鈥 and face higher repayment amounts 鈥 if they don鈥檛 carefully track their income.
North Carolina rolled out a $3.1 billion insurance plan for kids in foster care, but many doctors did not accept patients on the plan. The state is one of several experimenting with a model that has left kids鈥 guardians scrambling to find health care providers.
Some Republican state lawmakers and state health associations are pushing back against spending plans under the Trump administration鈥檚 $50 billion federal rural health fund. Federal administrators already approved states鈥 plans, but in many cases, state lawmakers must greenlight spending.
As the number of cases grows to about 1,000 in the Carolinas, health care workers who鈥檝e never seen the vaccine-preventable disease can get caught by surprise.
Louisiana is one of the worst-performing states when it comes to health outcomes of mothers and infants. New Orleans is trying to catch health issues early and get families off to an easier start by adding health visits during the crucial first months of life.
A revolt is afoot in both red and blue states against the use of artificial intelligence in health insurance determinations 鈥 and against efforts led by President Donald Trump to tie states鈥 hands.
Get our weekly newsletter, The Week in Brief, featuring a roundup of our original coverage, Fridays at 2 p.m. ET.
A planned 10-year federal program called Making Care Primary was supposed to help primary care doctors by easing administrative burdens, allowing them to focus on improving patients鈥 health. A year after the Trump administration eliminated the program, federal officials created an alternative plan that favors companies.
Republicans have said new rules requiring many Medicaid participants to work 80 hours a month will pinpoint unemployed young people who should have jobs. Policy researchers say the rules are more likely to disrupt coverage for middle-aged adults, harming their physical and financial health.
Experts say Affordable Care Act sign-up data won鈥檛 be clear until people who were enrolled have paid 鈥 or haven't paid 鈥 their new, often much higher, premiums.
Every state will receive at least $100 million annually from the federal Rural Health Transformation fund, but some scored millions more based on how the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services judged the 鈥渜uality鈥 of their plans and willingness to pass policies embracing "Make America Healthy Again" initiatives.
Programs like Jamboree Housing Corp. have leveraged Medi-Cal funding to offer residents access to social services that experts say are key to keeping them off the streets. California intends to keep it that way, despite federal cuts.
漏 2026 KFF