KFF Health News

Laborers have suffered in extreme heat triggered by climate change. Deaths aren’t inevitable, researchers say: Employers can save lives by providing ample water and breaks. Here's what you need to know: https://lnkd.in/ecJTiANB

Emails show how health officials struggle to track the bird flu, partly in deference to the agricultural industry. As a result, researchers don’t know how often farmworkers are being infected — and could miss alarming signals. Amy Maxmen reports: https://lnkd.in/gVbHYpHm

#ICYMI: With Election Day rapidly approaching, abortion is gaining traction as a voting issue, according to public opinion polls. Meanwhile, states with abortion bans are reviving the lawsuit — dismissed by the Supreme Court on a technicality this year — that could roll back the availability of the abortion pill mifepristone. Listen to the episode: https://lnkd.in/g7NpHA_8

The outcome of the upcoming presidential election could affect the number of insured Americans, the fate of premium-reducing subsidies, the shape of Medicaid, and the cost of coverage for tens of millions of people. Stephanie Armour reports: https://lnkd.in/gp_ffPgH

“Kooth is freaking out. Is the cut coming from the Admin or the Leg.? Do we know if it’s a done deal?” A California Official Helped Save a Mental Health Company’s Contract. It Flew Him to London. Here's what you need to know: https://lnkd.in/eAG5tcg7

Older adults who need opioid use disorder treatment and care are missing it in the settings that are supposed to meet their every need. A group of advocates call for CMS to enforce parity rules and laws in long term care and residential nursing facilities for addiction care, including medications for opioid use disorder such as buprenorphine and methadone. Even with the gains seen in the past year, the work to abate the overdose crisis continues, and attention must be brought to groups of people often ignored in remediation strategies. Thank you Aneri Pattani for bringing this story to my attention and helping me put the reporting together!

Some radiology practices now offer to screen mammograms for heart disease risk. Many clinicians welcome the idea, but questions remain. https://lnkd.in/eDyazDty

Every year, Medicare officials encourage beneficiaries to shop around for their drug coverage. Few take the time. This year, it might be more important than ever. Here's what you need to know: https://lnkd.in/gtZsSbQ9

#ICYMI: The 2024 campaign — particularly the one for president — has been notably vague on policy. But health issues, especially those surrounding abortion and other reproductive health care, have nonetheless played a key role. And while the Affordable Care Act has not been the focus of debate the way it was over the previous three presidential campaigns, who becomes the next president will have a major impact on the fate of the 2010 health law. Listen to the episode: https://lnkd.in/g-r9VByX

If you get sick in America, there’s a good chance you’ll end up in debt. Four in 10 U.S. adults have some form of health-care debt, KFF has found. One surprising risk: living in a community where hospitals have consolidated — an increasingly common development as health systems merge or large systems gobble up smaller hospitals. https://lnkd.in/ePEkd95K