The independent source for health policy research, polling, and news.
401-420 of 494 results
Not only are health prices hidden, industry players are contractually obligated to keep them secret. That’s why answering a simple question — how much does it cost to have a baby in Mountain View, Calif.? — became a journalistic quest.
Gobbling up doctors’ independent practices is lucrative for hospital systems — but not necessarily a good deal for the physicians or consumers, critics say. Northern California is a case in point.
Most acquisitions by hospitals of physician practices are too small to trigger antitrust attention, study says. But a buying spree of “onesies and twosies” doctor practices has driven competition down and prices up.
No longer able to get exemptions for personal beliefs in California, parents opposed to inoculations seem to be obtaining medical exemptions for their children, according to a new study.
Growing numbers of physicians say they support a single-payer health care system, a 180-degree turn in opinion over a decade.
In the first year of payments for advance-care planning sessions, once decried as ”death panels,“ use is higher than expected, new data show.
The controversial practice — done by just a few other states — recently cast a spotlight on some prominent doctors. Supporters say it improves performance; detractors warn it discourages taking on complex cases.
The lawsuit is a civil rights case on behalf of Latinos, who comprise nearly half of the program’s enrollees. But the advocates who filed it also hope to get class action certification for all Medi-Cal enrollees.
Once-fatal childhood diseases, like cystic fibrosis, congenital heart disease and sickle cell anemia, now can be survived into adulthood. But when those patients become too old to see pediatricians, it can be difficult for them to find physicians familiar with their conditions.
A small number of medical practices have been moving to “direct primary care,” in which patients pay a monthly retainer for unlimited services. But the collapse of Qliance in Seattle may portend problems with the business model.
Due to poor doctor-patient communication, most people with advanced cancer don’t know enough about their disease to make vital decisions.
A program designed to address the shortage of doctors in rural and poor urban areas could be in peril unless Congress acts.
New research shows that physicians getting H-1B visas account for just over 1 percent of all doctors, but some areas are much more likely to be seeking their services.
They want the state’s new tobacco tax to help pay for a raise in Medicaid rates, but so far Gov. Jerry Brown has other plans for that money.
For patients killed or maimed by medical errors, doctors and hospitals still often deny wrongdoing. But newer programs offering prompt disclosure of medical errors, an apology and compensation for them or their families are growing.
After the medical board reinstated the license of doctor who molested patients, one member –now president -- secured a $40 million donation for a pet project from the doctor’s relative. He says the two events are unrelated. Critics are demanding an investigation.
Latino parents who speak only Spanish are less likely to report having satisfactory experiences with their children's doctors than Latino parents who speak English, a new California study shows.
In direct primary care, a monthly fee covers routine care, limiting insurers' role. But does it really provide better value?
Aging adults with complex needs can get special assistance from doctors trained as geriatricians.
One in four doctors practicing in the U.S. is an international medical doctor. Many foreign-born doctors practice in parts of the country where there are doctor shortages.
© 2026 KFF