Looming Medicaid Cuts Supercharge California’s Latest Labor-Industry Fight
Federal Medicaid cuts have reignited a high‑stakes clash in California between the SEIU‑United Healthcare Workers West union and the state’s medical industry. The union has qualified two ballot measures for the November vote: a $450,000 cap on senior hospital executive compensation and a requirement that community clinics spend at least 90% of revenue on direct patient services. In response, the California Hospital Association has filed its own initiative to force union political spending to be approved by rank‑and‑file members for any $1 million statewide or $100,000 local expenditure. The proposals arrive as health‑care costs surge and could reshape financing for hospitals and safety‑net clinics.
Could Your Kid Benefit From Counseling? Experts Offer 3 Questions To Help You Decide
HealthQ experts outline three simple criteria—frequency, duration, and intensity—to help parents decide if a child needs professional counseling. The piece highlights real‑world examples, such as an Austin family whose daughter’s anxiety improved after finding a better‑fit therapist, and notes that...
Millions of Kids Could Lose Insurance as GOP Healthcare Cuts Start To Bite
More than 1 million children have lost health insurance since President Donald Trump took office in 2025, and a second million are projected to lose coverage as the administration tightens immigration enforcement and revises Medicaid eligibility. The Republican‑backed One Big Beautiful Bill Act slashed...
‘We Live With Fear’: In Congo, Doctors Face Ebola With Little Protection
An Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Ituri province has surged to 363 confirmed cases and 62 deaths, driven by the high‑mortality Bundibugyo strain. Front‑line health workers lack basic protective gear, testing kits, and clean water, forcing doctors...
RFK Jr. Seeks To Peek at Americans’ Medical Records for Clues on Autism and Vaccines
U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is pressing the Department of Health and Human Services to obtain access to the majority of Americans' medical records through state health information exchanges, aiming to study a disputed link between vaccines and...
Trump’s Medicaid Work Rules Force States To Scrap Plans and Rework Systems
CMS issued new regulations on June 1 tightening Medicaid work‑requirement exemptions, obligating states to assess the severity of medical conditions rather than merely confirming a diagnosis. The rule affects roughly 18.5 million adults in 42 states and the District of Columbia, and...
At a Tennessee Hospital, a Nurse Stole Fentanyl and AI Missed It, State Records Say
A nurse at Erlanger Baroness Hospital in Chattanooga stole fentanyl for months, and the hospital’s AI‑driven drug‑diversion software, Sentri7, failed to flag the missing medication. The Tennessee Board of Nursing’s consent order revealed that Sentri7 missed at least five alerts...
Focused on Work, Needed at Home: A Federal Caregiving Policy Might Help
The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) offers up to 12 weeks of job‑protected, unpaid leave for eligible employees caring for a seriously ill parent, spouse or child. Roughly 60% of U.S. workers meet the eligibility thresholds, but two‑thirds avoid...
Amid Ebola, Hantavirus Outbreaks, Democrats Decry Trump’s Health Cuts
The Trump administration’s sweeping cuts to federal health agencies have become a flash point as a hantavirus outbreak aboard the MV Hondius and a growing Ebola epidemic in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo draw public attention. Democrats argue...
Listen to the Latest ‘KFF Health News Minute’
Suicide‑prevention researchers highlighted that improving Americans’ financial health could significantly reduce suicide rates, urging policymakers to address debt and income insecurity. At the same time, the Trump administration announced plans to ease artificial‑intelligence safeguards in the healthcare sector, aiming to...
Montana Hurries To Adopt Trump’s Medicaid Work Rules Amid Budget Woes
Montana will become the second state to implement President Trump’s Medicaid work requirements on July 1, six months before the federal deadline. The move comes as the state grapples with a $183 million shortfall in Medicaid funding and plans to withhold a...
Cheaper, Alternative Health Plans Are Having a Moment, but Critics Urge Caution
Rising ACA marketplace premiums have driven many consumers toward lower‑cost alternatives such as short‑term, fixed‑indemnity and health‑sharing plans that do not meet federal coverage standards. These plans offer minimal premiums—often under $350 a month—but provide limited benefits, caps on payments,...
Trump Promised Cheaper Drugs. Some Prices Dropped. Many Others Shot Up.
President Trump’s second term has produced a series of high‑profile drug‑price initiatives, including the TrumpRx discount portal, voluntary "most‑favored‑nation" agreements with manufacturers, and accelerated biosimilar approvals. While a handful of cash‑pay patients see steep cuts on fertility drugs and GLP‑1...
Trump’s Drug Strategy Aims To Bolster Addiction Services — Despite Gutting of Government Support
The White House released a 195‑page National Drug Control Strategy that touts easier access to treatment, prevention programs, and new technologies like AI‑driven drug screening. While the plan’s public‑health goals align with experts, the Trump administration simultaneously pursues massive federal...
She Survived 2 Shootings. Research Helps Explain Why Her Pain Persists Years Later.
Mia Tretta survived a 2019 school shooting and later felt a phantom‑bullet pain during the 2025 Brown University shooting. Her experience illustrates a growing cohort of young people exposed to multiple gun attacks. A Rutgers University study published in BMC...