KFF Health News

Health authorities say distributing clean syringes to users can save lives, but in states like Pennsylvania, it may be illegal. Here's what you need to know: https://lnkd.in/g5kKjdJj

Nurse practitioners have been viewed as a key to addressing the shortage of primary care physicians. But data suggests that, just like doctors, they are increasingly drawn to better-paying specialties. Here's what you need to know: https://lnkd.in/eW6rd4Kf

After police cleared the UCLA protest encampment, they claimed there were "no serious injuries." I spoke with four medics who told me a very different story -- cracked bones and bloody wounds caused by...police weapons. New KFF Health News story from me and Brett Kelman. We'll be talking about this tonight on NPR's All Things Considered. Tune in!

Oregon is shipping air conditioners, air purifiers, and power banks to some of its most vulnerable residents, a first-in-the-nation experiment to use Medicaid money to prevent the potentially deadly health effects of extreme heat, wildfire smoke, and other climate-related disasters. The equipment expands a Biden administration strategy to move Medicaid beyond traditional medical care and into the realm of social services. Read the full story, reported by Samantha Young: https://lnkd.in/enXxgpqs

After grave missteps in the covid pandemic, the World Health Organization revisited the science and now confirms that many respiratory viruses are inhaled as airborne particles. KFF Health News used the World Health Organization’s new Airborne Risk Indoor Assessment online tool to estimate the risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission during a hypothetical morning at a coffee shop. Here's what you need to know, reported by Amy Maxmen: https://lnkd.in/gRtV_tij

Opioid manufacturers, distributors, and retailers are paying tens of billions of dollars in restitution to settle lawsuits about their role in the overdose epidemic. Last Week Tonight with John Oliver featured the opioid settlements in its latest episode — including reporting from KFF Health News’ Aneri Pattani. Want to learn more about how state and local governments use — or misuse — the cash. We're tracking it. Read the investigation: https://lnkd.in/gwEDU_t8

Johns Dental Laboratories stopped making the Anterior Growth Guidance Appliance last year after a KFF Health News-CBS News investigation into allegations of patient harm. The company had “never” reported any complaints about its products to the FDA, according to the agency. Here's what you need to know, reported by Brett Kelman and Anna Werner: https://lnkd.in/d2vqG4N3

Amazing to see Last Week Tonight with John Oliver feature the opioid settlements in its most recent episode — including several of the articles I've written for KFF Health News, the groundbreaking work of Christine Minhee, J.D., and efforts by many other reporters/researchers! (The episode is only on HBO Max right now, but will be on YouTube this Thurs!)

Have you ever had to work while sick? No federal rule forces employers to pay for time off for illness. But some states are passing their own laws. Here's what you need to know, reported by Zach Dyer: https://lnkd.in/eXTDy9ta

#ICYMI: KFF Health News' "What the Health?" is now on YouTube! For the second year in a row, medical school graduates across specialties are shying away from applying for residency training in states with abortion bans or significant restrictions, according to a new study. Meanwhile, Medicare’s trustees report that the program will be able to pay its bills longer than expected — which could discourage Congress from acting to address the program’s long-term financial woes. Lauren Weber, Joanne Kenen, and Anna Edney join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more on #WTHealth. https://lnkd.in/gEFExksE