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KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': Kennedy cancels vaccine funding

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s announcement that the federal government will cancel nearly $500 million in mRNA research funding is unnerving not only for those who develop vaccines, but also for public health experts who see the technology behind the first covid-19 shots as the nation's best hope to combat a future pandemic.

7 Aug 2025

Many patients with high-risk myelodysplastic syndromes do not receive guideline-recommended treatment

Most patients with high-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) do not receive guideline-recommended treatment with hypomethylating agents (HMAs), according to results published in Blood Neoplasia.

6 Aug 2025

Staying in hurricane affected zones linked to increased mortality in the elderly

Hurricanes and related natural catastrophes like flooding are becoming more severe and more frequent around the world. Older people are especially at risk, but relatively little is known about long-term health effects.

6 Aug 2025

As California’s behavioral health workforce buckles, help is years away

This spring, the Good News Rescue Mission, which runs the only emergency homeless shelter in Shasta County, received a game-changing $17.8 million state grant to build a 75-bed residential treatment facility in a region where thousands struggle with drug and alcohol addiction.

6 Aug 2025

New policy statement highlights major gaps in U.S stroke rehabilitation and urges better care

Stroke remains a leading cause of long-term disability in the United States, and while treatments have advanced, systems designed to support stroke survivors in recovery continue to fall short of the needs of patients.

5 Aug 2025

New Medicaid federal work requirements mean less leeway for states

When President Donald Trump signed a law adding work requirements for some Medicaid recipients, he may have undercut lawmakers in at least 14 states who were designing their own plans, according to health industry observers.

5 Aug 2025

Narrow Medicare drug coverage linked to worse outcomes in MS patients

Medicare drug plans are increasingly excluding coverage of new specialty drugs that treat complex conditions like cancers and autoimmune diseases. New research from the USC Schaeffer Center shows how these barriers may come at a cost to patients' health.

1 Aug 2025

This test can see a heart attack in your future

A long list of Lynda Hollander's paternal relatives had heart disease, and several had undergone major surgeries. So when she hit her mid-50s and saw her cholesterol levels creeping up after menopause, she said, "I didn't want to take a chance."

1 Aug 2025

KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': Next on Kennedy’s list? Preventive care and vaccine harm

In his ongoing effort to reshape health policy, Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. reportedly plans to overhaul two more government entities: the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force and the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program.

31 Jul 2025

Flooding linked to increased hospitalizations among older adults

New research examining 17 years of data from Medicare hospitalization claims and major flooding events finds increased rates of skin diseases, nervous system diseases, and injuries or poisonings among adults aged 65 and older following major floods.

31 Jul 2025

Chronically ill? In Kennedy’s view, it might be your own fault

On a recent weekday evening, Ashly Richards helped her 13-year-old son, Case, with homework. He did math problems and some reading, underscoring how much he's accomplished at his school for children with autism.

31 Jul 2025

A tourist ended up with a wild bat in her mouth — and nearly $21,000 in medical bills

In retrospect, Erica Kahn realizes she made two big mistakes. The first was choosing to temporarily forgo health insurance when she was laid off from her job.

31 Jul 2025

Blood-based tests show promise for colorectal cancer screening but follow-up challenges persist

A study led by investigators at the UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center found that while blood-based tests offer a more convenient option for colorectal cancer screening, only 49% of patients completed a follow-up colonoscopy within six months, and just 56% did so at any point during the two-year study period.

29 Jul 2025

Lawfully present immigrants help stabilize ACA plans. Why does the GOP want them out?

If you want to create a perfect storm at Covered California and other Affordable Care Act marketplaces, all you have to do is make enrollment more time-consuming, ratchet up the toll on consumers' pocketbooks, and terminate financial aid for some of the youngest and healthiest enrollees.

29 Jul 2025

Which GLP-1 meds have the most side effects? Study of 60,000 Facebook posts gives answers

Researchers analyzed nearly 60,000 public Facebook posts to identify real-world adverse events linked to GLP-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1 RA) medications. Gastrointestinal symptoms were most common, while mental health concerns and tirzepatide-specific side effects were also flagged.

28 Jul 2025

Addressing avoidable hospitalizations in terminally ill nursing home residents

Hospitalizations and emergency department (ED) visits can be distressing and costly for nursing home residents – especially those who are severely impaired or terminally ill. Despite their vulnerability, these individuals are frequently transferred to hospitals, even though up to 40% of such transfers over the past 25 years are considered potentially avoidable by health care professionals.

25 Jul 2025

KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': Here come the ACA premium hikes

Much of the hubbub in health care this year has been focused on Medicaid, which faces dramatically reduced federal funding as the result of the huge budget bill signed by President Donald Trump earlier this month.

24 Jul 2025

Older adults with serious illness face greater burdens after elective surgery

Older adults who have serious illness before undergoing elective surgery had hospital stays twice as long as similarly aged counterparts; were twice as likely to return to the hospital or the emergency department; and had almost double the yearly costs of health care, according to a study published in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons.

24 Jul 2025

Billing codes in big data often misidentify diagnoses

Use of billing codes in big data sets to find diagnoses can result in up to two-thirds of cases being mistakenly identified, new UCLA-led research finds.

24 Jul 2025

Are 5 million nondisabled Medicaid recipients watching TV all day? That’s unsupported

Republicans defended the GOP megabill's Medicaid changes as targeting a group of people they believe shouldn't qualify: people who can work but instead choose to stay home and chill.

22 Jul 2025

Medicare News and Research

KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': Kennedy cancels vaccine funding

Many patients with high-risk myelodysplastic syndromes do not receive guideline-recommended treatment

Staying in hurricane affected zones linked to increased mortality in the elderly

As California’s behavioral health workforce buckles, help is years away

New policy statement highlights major gaps in U.S stroke rehabilitation and urges better care

New Medicaid federal work requirements mean less leeway for states

Narrow Medicare drug coverage linked to worse outcomes in MS patients

This test can see a heart attack in your future

KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': Next on Kennedy’s list? Preventive care and vaccine harm

Flooding linked to increased hospitalizations among older adults

Chronically ill? In Kennedy’s view, it might be your own fault

A tourist ended up with a wild bat in her mouth — and nearly $21,000 in medical bills

Blood-based tests show promise for colorectal cancer screening but follow-up challenges persist

Lawfully present immigrants help stabilize ACA plans. Why does the GOP want them out?

Which GLP-1 meds have the most side effects? Study of 60,000 Facebook posts gives answers

Addressing avoidable hospitalizations in terminally ill nursing home residents

KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': Here come the ACA premium hikes

Older adults with serious illness face greater burdens after elective surgery

Billing codes in big data often misidentify diagnoses

Are 5 million nondisabled Medicaid recipients watching TV all day? That’s unsupported

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