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Some private schools have shut down because of a rapidly escalating measles outbreak in West Texas. Local health departments are overstretched, pausing other important work as they race to limit the spread of this highly contagious virus. kffhealthnews.org/news/article...

submitted 2 days ago • 1 comment

Congressional lawmakers are facing tricky arithmetic as they hammer out a budget plan to finance Pres. Trump’s agenda. Trump has vowed not to touch the costliest gov. programs, including Medicare and Social Security. He’s been less clear about his plan for Medicaid. kffhealthnews.org/news/article...

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One odd thing I saw while reporting this measles outbreak: A CDC template advising principals to keep unvaccinated kids home for 21 days if they're exposed appears to be missing. Details in my latest story @kffhealthnews.org / @sfchronicle.com www.sfchronicle.com/health/artic...

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NEWS: Health officials expect a measles outbreak in West Texas to exceed 100 cases because of low vaccination rates and undetected infections. Vaccine misinformation and new laws may make such situations more common and harder to contain. kffhealthnews.org/news/article...

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Do you have an experience navigating prior authorization to get medical treatment that you’d like to share with us for our reporting? Share your story with us: kffhealthnews.org/news/article...

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The GOP is considering federal spending cuts to finance President Trump’s priorities, and Medicaid is a likely target. At stake is coverage for millions and a huge revenue source for hospitals, community health centers — and every state. kffhealthnews.org/news/article...

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House budget plan call for cuts to Medicaid, thousands of workers fired from HHS, measles outbreak, and more. @jrovner is joined by @alicemiranda.bsky.social, @joannekenen.bsky.social, and @sarahkarlin-smith.bsky.social on #WTHealth to discuss: kffhealthnews.org/news/podcast...

submitted 3 days ago • 1 comment

President Donald Trump has nominated Bhattacharya to lead the National Institutes of Health and Johns Hopkins University surgeon Marty Makary to run the Food and Drug Administration. kffhealthnews.org/news/article...

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Although President Donald Trump promised to “love and cherish” Medicaid, Republicans in Congress last week announced federal budget proposals that could dramatically curtail the program. As that debate begins, here is what you need to know about Medicaid. kffhealthnews.org/news/article...

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$15,000 for an ice rink or 333 Narcan kits? How a Kentucky county spent its opioid settlement money is raising eyebrows. kffhealthnews.org/news/article...

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Republicans in Congress have suggested big cuts to Medicaid, the state-federal health insurance program for people with low incomes or disabilities. The complex, multifaceted program touches millions of Americans. kffhealthnews.org/news/article...

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A new bill by @scottwiener.bsky.social would require insurers to disclose denial rates and reasoning. It also seeks to penalize insurers that repeatedly make the wrong call. kffhealthnews.org/news/article...

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Jay Bhattacharya, nominated to lead the National Institutes of Health, opposed most covid mandates. Without an honest public debate about what worked and what didn’t, public health experts say, we’re even less prepared for the next pandemic. kffhealthnews.org/news/article...

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The GOP is proposing big cuts to Medicaid, but what exactly does the program cover, and whom? kffhealthnews.org/news/article...

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A state lawmaker wants health insurers to disclose denial rates and explain those denials as anger grows over rising costs and uncovered medical care. kffhealthnews.org/news/article...

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Pain MD’s injections have been proved in court to be part of a decade-long fraud scheme that made millions by capitalizing on patients’ dependence on opioids. kffhealthnews.org/news/article...

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“CDC right now is not reporting influenza data through the WHO global platforms, FluNet [and] FluID, that they’ve been providing information [on] for many, many years,” Kerkhove, interim director of epidemic and pandemic preparedness at the WHO, said Feb. 12. kffhealthnews.org/news/article...

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Pain MD gave chronic-pain patients about 700,000 total injections near their spines, according to court documents. Last year, federal prosecutors proved at trial that the shots were medically unnecessary and part of an extensive fraud scheme. kffhealthnews.org/news/article...

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A grieving mother wonders why Medicaid debt collectors would go after the meager estates of people with severe disabilities. “What are they gaining? ... Except for kicking someone in the face right after they lost a loved one?” kffhealthnews.org/news/article...

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On hold at the CDC: An analysis suggesting that flu cases may be at a record high. That could mean a surge of deaths comes next. The CDC is delaying analyses to inform the situation & has cut off usual communication w/hospital networks & WHO. My latest: kffhealthnews.org/news/article...

submitted 9 days ago • 1 comment

The mass firings ordered by President Trump across the federal government have now reached the Centers for Disease Control. @celinegounder.com joined @cbsnews.com to discuss what this means for public health. Full segment: www.cbsnews.com/video/cdc-lo...

submitted 9 days ago • 1 comment

Hey! Just learned that An Arm and a Leg is nominated for an Ambie Award (like the Oscars, but for podcasts). Congrats to our pals at @kuow.org and @kffhealthnews.org on nominations for "Lost Patients" and "Silence in Sikeston" — and to all the nominees! www.ambies.com/2025-nominee...

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In a purported effort to prevent opioid addiction, Pain MD gave thousands of patients repeated injections near their spine for years, according to court records. Prosecutors have now proved that the shots amounted to fraud with no lasting effect on patients. From @kffhealthnews.org

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As seasonal flu surges and bird flu expands, CDC analyses of the outbreaks are missing. Doctors, health departments, and the World Health Organization have looked to the agency for information and been met by silence. @amymaxmen.bsky.social reports. ⤵️ kffhealthnews.org/news/article...

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🚨 Urgent CDC analyses on seasonal flu, bird flu in cats & in wastewater have been stalled. And CDC has stopped contributing flu data to global platforms, says WHO. “Delays in data create dangerous situations on the front line.” My latest @kffhealthnews.org kffhealthnews.org/news/article...

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Nothing sweeps us off our feet like a health policy valentine. Readers showed their love this season, writing poetic lines about bird flu, medical bills, and more. Here are some of our favorites: bit.ly/3EERWlh This year's winner was written by @salnix.bsky.social, and inspired this cartoon. ⤵️

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As Republicans consider adding work requirements to Medicaid, Georgia and Arkansas — two states with experience running such programs — want to scale back the key parts supporters have argued encourage employment and personal responsibility. kffhealthnews.org/news/article...

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Some of the Trump administration’s dramatic funding and policy shifts are facing major pushback— not from Congress, but from the courts. @julierovner.bsky.social is joined by @shefali.bsky.social, @jessiehellmann.bsky.social, and @maya-goldman.bsky.social on "What the Health?": bit.ly/41d7eGQ

submitted 10 days ago • 0 comments

(1/4) NEWS: Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the anti-vaccine activist President Donald Trump chose to lead the nation’s top health agency, has been confirmed by a 52 to 48 vote.

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Frustrated by spiraling drug costs, California lawmakers want to increase oversight of pharmaceutical industry intermediaries known as pharmacy benefit managers. It’s unclear whether they can persuade Gov. Gavin Newsom to get on board. kffhealthnews.org/news/article...

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Need to say something about health tech -- inside government, big corporations, hospitals, or insurers? -- but privately? Message me on Signal

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In several red states, officials say few or no abortions happened in 2023, raising alarm among researchers about the politicization of vital statistics. kffhealthnews.org/news/article...

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🚨UPDATE: At least 14 people have been hospitalized in a measles outbreak in an under-vaccinated part of Texas. 24 cases so far, mainly children. Health officials worry some parents might not seek care for their kids. Dangerous & means this will keep spreading. kffhealthnews.org/news/article...

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A new rule requires insurers to improve coverage of PrEP, which can prevent HIV, but Georgians face challenges getting the drug. kffhealthnews.org/news/article...

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A Florida town’s only primary care physician retired in December. Local leaders have tried to recruit a new one with rent-free space and other perks, but it’s tough to stand out amid a national physician shortage. kffhealthnews.org/news/article...

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1/ A 1942 lynching and a 2020 police killing in Sikeston, Mo., leave the community grieving, divided. #SilenceInSikeston, a #LocalUSA special, explores connections between silence, trauma, resilience. Watch on World Channel on 2/17. Check your local listings: worldchannel.org/schedule/202...

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If you’ve ever faced difficult choices in order to afford your medicine, “An Arm and a Leg” would love to hear about it. Learn more. ⤵️ kffhealthnews.org/news/podcast...

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Kaiser Permanente is back in the hot seat as mental health workers in Southern California wage a strike that’s in its fourth month. kffhealthnews.org/news/article...

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NEW: I want to tell you about some of the most courageous people I've ever met. One year ago they were injured during the mass shooting at the Super Bowl parade in Kansas City: Shot, trampled, burned, scarred. They've allowed @peggylowe.bsky.social and me into their lives to see their journeys

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After the Eagles won the Super Bowl, Philadelphia plans to hold a victory parade on Friday. It will be exactly one year since the mass shooting at the Kansas City Chiefs victory parade.

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As the one-year mark since the parade shooting nears, the last installment in our series “The Injured” looks at how some survivors talk about resilience, while others are desperately trying to hang on. kffhealthnews.org/news/article...

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More than 11,000 EMS agencies in the United States provide ground transport to acute care hospitals, but only 1% carry blood. kffhealthnews.org/news/article...

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Incarceration can be traumatic for young people. A new law is aimed at connecting them with care before they are released. kffhealthnews.org/news/article...

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The current strain of bird flu is spreading from wildlife and livestock to house cats. To keep pets healthy, many virologists and veterinarians say, house cats shouldn’t eat raw food and should be kept indoors. kffhealthnews.org/news/article...

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More than 60,000 people bleed to death every year in the United States, but many could survive if they receive a blood transfusion promptly, according to trauma surgeons. kffhealthnews.org/news/article...

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Bird flu in house cats could pose a risk to public health https://www.healthbeat.org/2025/02/10/bird-flu-house-cats-risk-dogs/

submitted 13 days ago • 0 comments