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The Latest Breaking News from KFF Health News

In 2023, opioid settlement funds flowed to states. Here's how it's going

Some $1.5 billion flowed to local government coffers this year, sparking debates about transparency and how to spend the money. Here are 5 takeaways from a year's worth of reporting on the issue.

WEKU

When a quick telehealth visit yields multiple surprises beyond a big bill

For the patient, it was a quick and inexpensive virtual appointment. Why it cost 10 times more than she expected became a mystery.

WEKU

Can family doctors deliver rural America from its maternal health crisis?

More than half of American counties don't have an obstetrician. Family physicians, working in teams with proper support, could be the answer to the crisis in rural obstetric care.

WEKU

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‘They see a cash cow’: Officials overseeing billions in opioid settlements are deluged with product offers from companies hoping to cash in

As $50 billion in opioid settlement dollars land in government coffers, a swarm of businesses are positioning themselves to profit from the windfall.

Fortune

With bison herds and ancestral seeds, Indigenous communities embrace food sovereignty

Native Americans are returning to raising buffalo and plants that tribes have grown for millennia. It's a way to reconnect with historic traditions, and to bring healthy eating to their communities.

WEKU

California expands insurance access for teens seeking therapy on their own

A new California law will allow low-income teens on Medicaid to get therapy without parental approval. That's already allowed for teens on private insurance. But the change aroused opposition.

WEKU

Muppets from Sesame Workshop help explain opioid addiction to young children

The educational nonprofit behind Sesame Street has created videos and stories for caregivers or therapists to share with kids 6 and under, to help explain addiction or why parents need treatment.

WEKU

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Kentucky cut off her Medicaid over a clerical error — just days before her surgery

The Medicaid 'unwinding' is in full swing, and thousands of people are being kicked off the rolls due to administrative errors. Kentucky canceled Beverly Likens' coverage even though she is disabled.

WEKU

She was elated about her pregnancy. Then came a $2,400 bill for blood tests

Convenient as it may be, beware of getting your blood drawn at a hospital. The cost could be much higher than at an independent lab, and your insurance might not cover it all.

WEKU

Autoimmune disease patients hit hurdles in diagnosis, costs and care

Despite the prevalence of autoimmune conditions, like the thyroid disease Hashimoto's, finding help can prove frustrating and expensive. Patients may rack up big bills as they search for a diagnosis.

WEKU

Some states are harming vaccine efforts

The states are blocking efforts to promote vaccines and giving advice that is at odds with public health experts

Salon

For kids in crisis, it's getting harder to find long-term residential treatment

A Montana treatment center is one of two places in the U.S. offering long-term residential behavioral treatment for kids as young as 4. Now, administrators say it might have to close.

WEKU

Transgender refugees flock to New Mexico

Many transgender people have fled to states that protect them. But some states lack resources to serve everyone

Salon

As some medical debt disappears from Americans' credit reports, scores are rising

Credit rating agencies have removed small unpaid medical bills from consumer credit, and some people are seeing their credit scores improve, a new study finds.

WEKU

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WEKU

States are getting $50 billion in opioid cash. And it's an issue in governor's races

Some candidates for governor are sparring over bragging rights for their state's share of opioid settlement funds. Some are attorneys general who pursued the lawsuits that produced the payouts.

WEKU

She talked about depression at a checkup — and got billed for two visits

Completing a routine depression screening questionnaire during an annual checkup is cost-free under federal law. But, as one woman discovered, answering a doctor's follow-up questions might not be.

Salon

California expands paid sick days

Plus, other laws Gov. Gavin Newsom recently signed into law, including abortion and miscarriage protections

WEKU

Bernie Sanders will vote no on Biden's pick to lead NIH, but nomination may proceed

The Vermont senator held up the nomination process for Dr. Monica Bertagnolli to lead the health agency in order to make a point about drug prices. Now, he says he'll vote against her.

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Salon

Many workplaces lack abortion access

The share of employers that said they don’t cover abortion under any circumstances has surprised some experts

WEKU

Law enforcement eyes opioid settlement cash for squad cars and body scanners

Some state and local governments have started tapping in to opioid settlement funds for law enforcement expenses. Many argue it should go toward treating addiction instead.

Salon

A third of schools don’t have a nurse

There is no federal law requiring schools to have nurses on staff and those that exist are often overwhelmed

WEKU

A mobile clinic parked at a Dollar General? It says a lot about rural health care

Dollar General's primary care experiment could help solve rural America's care shortage. But it's getting a chilly reception in Tennessee.

WEKU

PrEP prevents HIV infections, but it's not reaching Black women

A significant number of new HIV infections happen among Black women, and a health education effort in Atlanta wants to make sure Black women can access the HIV-prevention medicines known as PrEP.

WEKU

Montana inmates with mental illness languish in jail awaiting treatment before trial

A long waiting list at Montana's only state-run psychiatric hospital has left inmates untreated and stuck in county jails. To fix it, health officials want changes to involuntary commitment laws.

Salon

Drop in teen births is slowing

The war against abortion rights, sex ed and more may unravel decades of progress

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