KFF Health News, formerly known as Kaiser Health News (KHN), is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF -- the independent source for health policy research, polling, and journalism.
Health Care Isn’t Working for Homebound Older Adults Living Alone
There is a large population of older adults with physical problems that prevent them from leaving home. Many have significant medical and practical needs that go unmet
Dr. Oz Invested in Businesses Regulated by Agency Trump Wants Him To Lead
Celebrity doctor Mehmet Oz recently held broad investments in health care, tech, and food companies
How Trump Could Weaken the Affordable Care Act
The Trump administration could embolden Republicans to make sweeping changes to how the affordable care act functions and is enforced
What RFK, Jr.’s Role in Trump’s Administration Could Mean for Public Health
Federal health scientists voice concern over an anticipated takeover by medical skeptics in Trump’s second administration
Trump’s Administration Will Attack Health Care from Multiple Angles
The new Trump administration is likely to reduce subsidies for Affordable Care Act insurance plans and roll back Medicaid coverage. Public health authorities worry that antivaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., will be empowered
Millions of Aging Americans Are Facing Dementia by Themselves
In a health care system that assumes older adults have family caregivers to help them, those facing dementia alone often fall through the cracks
Poppy Seed Tea Can Trigger a Morphine Overdose
Food and drinks containing unwashed poppyseeds can make people test positive for opioids—and can in some cases be fatal
Harris’s Focus on Maternal Health Care Gains Support among Black Women
Polls show an increased number of Black women voters back Kamala Harris. Her emphasis on maternal mortality, reproductive rights and gun control may be contributing
Florida Surgeon General Spreads COVID Misinformation in Booster Guidelines
Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo told Floridians to avoid mRNA vaccines, citing false safety concerns
The Vice Presidential Candidates Have Sharply Contrasting Positions on Health Care
As Democrats convene in Chicago to make official their presidential and vice presidential nominees, Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz together are raising the prominence of health care as a 2024 election issue
Self-Managed Abortions Have Increased Since Fall of ‘Roe’
Privacy concerns were one of the most common reasons for seeking a self-managed abortion, a recent study found
Bird Flu Cases in People Are Being Undercounted
Dairy workers in Texas show signs of prior, undetected bird flu infections in a new study
The CDC’s Test for Bird Flu Works, but It Has Issues
Flaws in the CDC's H5N1 test highlight the risks of relying on a single test supplier, some experts say
Kamala Harris’s Record on Abortion Rights Shows Strong Support
If Harris becomes the Democratic presidential nominee, reproductive rights will likely be a key focus of her campaign, experts say
Is It Time for U.S. Farmworkers to Get Bird Flu Shots?
Finland has decided to vaccinate farmworkers against bird flu—and experts say the U.S. should do the same
PMDD Is a Menstrual Disorder Much More Severe than PMS
Premenstrual dysphoric disorder is a condition triggered by hormonal changes that can cause severe symptoms such as despair and suicidal thoughts
Republicans Are Downplaying Abortion, but It Keeps Coming Up
Following the fall of Roe v. Wade, abortion remains a top issue for many voters
The Biden-Trump Debate’s Biggest Health Claims Fact-Checked
This year’s first presidential debate between President Joe Biden and former president Donald Trump featured clashes over insulin costs, inflation, abortion, immigration, and January 6
Lack of Bird Flu Tests Could Hide Pandemic Warning Signs
The FDA has authorized just one type of avian flu test, and it is only available to livestock workers
Fauci Faces Congressional Committee over COVID E-mails
Anthony Fauci, who led the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases early in the COVID pandemic, is facing a congressional committee about questionable e-mails from agency officials
How Bird Flu Slipped Past High-Tech Texas Dairy Farmers
Detecting bird flu signs in dairy cows sooner could have helped staunch the virus's spread
Why Aren’t Better Sunscreens Sold in the U.S.?
A decade after Congress told the FDA to expedite the approval of more effective sunscreens, the federal government still has not approved sunscreen ingredients that are safely being used around the world
FDA Recalls Heart Pumps Linked to Deaths and Injuries
Two medical devices that mechanically pump blood to the heart have caused hundreds of injuries and more than a dozen deaths
Rural Americans Are Dying at Increasingly Higher Rates Than City Dwellers
The urban-rural mortality rate gap in the U.S. is increasing, especially among young women and Native Americans. Limited access to health care could help explain why