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Study: Two-thirds of babies with sickle cell disease are born to mothers living in disadvantaged areas

As if starting life with a potentially disabling genetic blood disease wasn't enough, a study shows that almost two-thirds of babies born with sickle cell disease are born to mothers who live in disadvantaged areas.

4 Jan 2024

Most people dropped in Medicaid ‘unwinding’ never tried to renew coverage, Utah finds

A first-of-its-kind survey of people who lost Medicaid coverage last year found just over half made no effort to renew their coverage — in many cases because they were unable to navigate paperwork requirements.

4 Jan 2024

Woman petitions health insurer after company approves — then rejects — her infusions

When KFF Health News published an article in August about the "prior authorization hell" Sally Nix said she went through to secure approval from her insurance company for the expensive monthly infusions she needs, we thought her story had a happy ending.

4 Jan 2024

Child care gaps in rural America threaten to undercut small communities

Candy Murnion remembers vividly the event that pushed her to open her first day care business in Jordan, a town of fewer than 400 residents in a sea of grassland in eastern Montana.

2 Jan 2024

The year in opioid settlements: 5 things you need to know

This year, about $1.5 billion has landed in state and local government coffers from court settlements made with more than a dozen companies that manufactured, sold, or distributed prescription painkillers and were sued for their role in fueling the opioid crisis.

21 Dec 2023

Single-cell RNA sequencing generates comprehensive atlas of zebrafish development

Researchers at the National Institutes of Health have published an atlas of zebrafish development, detailing the gene expression programs that are activated within nearly every cell type during the first five days of development, a period in which embryos mature from a single cell into distinct cell types.

18 Dec 2023

‘They see a cash cow’: Corporations could consume $50 billion of opioid settlements

The marketing pitches are bold and arriving fast: Invest opioid settlement dollars in a lasso-like device to help police detain people without Tasers or pepper spray.

18 Dec 2023

Food deserts and budget constraints hinder healthy choices for SNAP recipients

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is the nation's largest nutrition program, helping 41 million participants afford "nutritious food essential to health and well-being."

15 Dec 2023

NIAID study identifies critical T-cell function missing in prior HIV vaccine candidates

An effective HIV vaccine may need to prompt strong responses from immune cells called CD8+ T cells to protect people from acquiring HIV, according to a new study from researchers at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, and colleagues.

14 Dec 2023

The impact of racism on mental health disparities experienced by Black people in the United States

A series of literature reviews published online December 13 in The Lancet Psychiatry journal highlight the large body of evidence on the role played by racism in mental health disparities experienced by Black people living in the United States.

14 Dec 2023

$4.4 million grant drives forward standardization of social determinants of health data in EHRs

LOINC and Health Data Standards at Regenstrief Institute has received a $4.4 million grant from the Regenstrief Foundation to support expansion of work on a global initiative to categorize and standardize social determinants of health (SDOH) information into electronic health records (EHRs), an ambitious project to integrate social needs data into clinical care to more effectively address health inequities.

11 Dec 2023

Study shows decline in post-surgery opioid prescriptions, but urges continued efforts

Post-surgery pain relief has shifted away from opioid-containing medications over the past seven years, but the downward trend has slowed since 2020, a new study shows.

7 Dec 2023

Cocoa extract may benefit cognitive function in older adults with poor diets

Cocoa extract has shown a potential protective effect on cognition but randomized clinical trials in older adults have had inconsistent results.

7 Dec 2023

Maternal inflammation risk factors linked to dysregulation in children

Maternal inflammation risk factors may be associated with dysregulation in children, according to a study funded by the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program at the National Institutes of Health.

7 Dec 2023

Colorado blames Biden team and drugmakers for delaying Canadian imports

Colorado officials say their plan to import cheaper medicines from Canada has been stymied by opposition from drugmakers and inaction by the Biden administration, according to a state report obtained by KFF Health News.

7 Dec 2023

Biden wants states to ensure Obamacare plans cover enough doctors and hospitals

The Biden administration plans to push states to boost oversight of the number of doctors, hospitals, and other health providers insurers cover in Obamacare plans, under rules proposed in November.

6 Dec 2023

Trial addresses the effects of adenotonsillectomy on children with mild sleep-disordered breathing

Surgical removal of the tonsils and adenoids in children with snoring and mild breathing problems during sleep appears to improve their sleep, quality of life, and blood pressure a year after surgery, a clinical trial supported by the National Institutes of Health has found.

5 Dec 2023

Study may shed light on new ways to counteract the effects of high blood pressure on cognition

A study supported by the National Institutes of Health suggests that the response of immune system cells inside the protective covering surrounding the brain may contribute to the cognitive decline that can occur in a person with chronic high blood pressure.

5 Dec 2023

Hispanic/Latina women with history of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy more likely to have heart abnormalities

Hispanic/Latina women with a history of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) – conditions marked by high blood pressure during pregnancy – are more likely to have abnormalities in their heart structure and function decades later when compared with women without a history of HDP, according to a National Institutes of Health-supported study.

4 Dec 2023

What to know about home care services

Most older Americans want to live at home as long as they can, but finding and affording the help they need often isn't easy.

4 Dec 2023

Health and Human Services News and Research

Study: Two-thirds of babies with sickle cell disease are born to mothers living in disadvantaged areas

Most people dropped in Medicaid ‘unwinding’ never tried to renew coverage, Utah finds

Woman petitions health insurer after company approves — then rejects — her infusions

Child care gaps in rural America threaten to undercut small communities

The year in opioid settlements: 5 things you need to know

Single-cell RNA sequencing generates comprehensive atlas of zebrafish development

‘They see a cash cow’: Corporations could consume $50 billion of opioid settlements

Food deserts and budget constraints hinder healthy choices for SNAP recipients

NIAID study identifies critical T-cell function missing in prior HIV vaccine candidates

The impact of racism on mental health disparities experienced by Black people in the United States

$4.4 million grant drives forward standardization of social determinants of health data in EHRs

Study shows decline in post-surgery opioid prescriptions, but urges continued efforts

Cocoa extract may benefit cognitive function in older adults with poor diets

Maternal inflammation risk factors linked to dysregulation in children

Colorado blames Biden team and drugmakers for delaying Canadian imports

Biden wants states to ensure Obamacare plans cover enough doctors and hospitals

Trial addresses the effects of adenotonsillectomy on children with mild sleep-disordered breathing

Study may shed light on new ways to counteract the effects of high blood pressure on cognition

Hispanic/Latina women with history of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy more likely to have heart abnormalities

What to know about home care services

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

From Puberty to Menopause: Clue’s CEO, Audrey Tsang on the Power of Femtech

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