Health insurance executives have said using AI to make coverage decisions will save them money. But lawsuits have accused insurers of using the technology to wrongfully withhold treatment. @hannahnorman.bsky.social & @dariustahir.bsky.social explain ⤵️

A lot of people choose their health insurance the same way they shop for a flight - sort by the lowest monthly price and click “buy.” If you have a high-deductible plan, we've got tips to make it work better for you. @kffhealthnews.org @npr.org

NEWS: After an unexplained delay, the CDC has begun publicly releasing taxpayer-funded sequences of genomes from measles outbreaks. The data will help determine whether we've lost our status as a measles-free country. By @amymaxmen.bsky.social kffhealthnews.org/news/article...

OK: Using Rural Health Transformation $ to realign services could mean “shutting down service lines." MT: Rightsizing could mean “downsizing." WY: RHTP bill says facilities getting funding must “reduce unprofitable, duplicative or nonessential service lines." kffhealthnews.org/news/article...

NEW: Most of the Medicaid cuts passed by congressional Republicans last year don't take effect until after the midterms, but the Trump's signature law is already squeezing state Medicaid programs. In Idaho, one service on the possible chopping block is home care for people with disabilities.

Hi — new to BlueSky! I’m a journalist covering how health policy and systems impact people. Lately I’ve reported on federal cuts hitting a rural bioscience hub, a town recovering from meth, and a man who said he had to break Medicaid rules. Based in Montana, I write for both 📰 and 📻

RFK Jr. was sworn in as health secretary one year ago, after promising not to cut funding for vaccine research or change the nation’s vaccine recommendations. Since then, he’s done both. Watch for more on some of the promises Kennedy made during his confirmation process ⤵️

A hospital near Oregon’s coast could collapse in a natural disaster. Hospital leaders got a FEMA grant to build a new one with a tsunami shelter. Then the Trump admin canceled the grant—unlawfully, a judge ruled. My latest for @kffhealthnews.org + @cbsnews.com: kffhealthnews.org/news/article...

New moms all over social media are talking about their incredibly high medical bills after having a baby. I wanted to know, why is that the case? And what are possible solutions? Here's my video for @kffhealthnews.org: kffhealthnews.org/news/article...

Turning 26 has become a birthday many Americans dread. Young adults without jobs that provide health insurance find that their options are limited and expensive. The problem is about to get worse. You can watch/read our story for @kffhealthnews.org + the NYT: www.nytimes.com/2025/08/09/h...

Medicaid work requirements. We've been hearing that a lot lately. But what exactly are they? And how will the affect Americans? Renuka Rayasam breaks down what you need to know about Medicaid work requirements. 📹: @hannahnorman.bsky.social kffhealthnews.org/news/article...

Under the Trump admin, the National Cancer Institute is cutting $ for a program designed to improve disparities in cancer care by linking U.S. cancer centers with minority-serving colleges and universities. These partnerships have trained 8,500+ scientists. kffhealthnews.org/news/article...

Among the thousands of federal workers that HHS fired this year: CDC researchers who advised clinicians on how to prescribe contraception safely for millions of women with underlying medical conditions. My latest on @cbsnews.com.web.brid.gy @kffhealthnews.org www.cbsnews.com/news/hhs-cdc...

NEW: Violent crime was already trending down when Trump campaigned on addressing unbridled crime in America. Now his administration has cut about $500 million for crime prevention. My latest for @cnn.com and @kffhealthnews.org www.cnn.com/2025/06/03/h...

Millions of rural Americans live in counties with doctor shortages and where high-speed internet connections aren’t adequate to access advanced telehealth services. My latest @kffhealthnews.org video with @sjtribble-reports.bsky.social: kffhealthnews.org/news/article...

Melt resistant ice cream? That's due to a super ingredient: Polysorbate 80, an emulsifier. Researchers say such ingredients may cause a variety of health problems like damaging the lining of the gastrointestinal tract, or triggering inflammation. Watch this video by @hannahnorman.bsky.social ⤵️

In the name of science (& @kffhealthnews.org), I left a Drumstick vanilla caramel sundae cone on my kitchen counter for 24 hours. Spoiler: It didn't melt! Here's what happened: www.youtube.com/shorts/YYklG...

Many processed foods are made with chemicals linked to health concerns. To a great extent, the FDA allows food companies to determine whether their ingredients and additives are safe. What could go wrong? 📹 w/ @oonazenda.bsky.social for @kffhealthnews.org: www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLx9...

NEW: The last time Missouri's Medicaid program was strapped for cash: - 100,000 people lost their health insurance, - credit card debt went up, - debt in collections increased. Now, Republicans in Congress are considering cuts that would big even bigger and hit every state. My latest 👇

My latest, for @kffhealthnews.org and @cbsnews.com: Social Security is cracking. It's declaring people wrongly dead. Beneficiaries and lawyers say records are getting misplaced. Checks are getting sent to the wrong address. The agency is getting worse, they think, at sending money to people:

This week marks 100 days into the second Trump administration. Here's what we're watching in health care and health policy:

Do you have an experience related to reductions in the Department of Health and Human Services workforce that you’d like to share with KFF Health News? Message us on Signal at (415) 519-8778 or get in touch here. ⤵️ kffhealthnews.org/hhs-tips/

Exclusive: NIH officials have advised scientists to remove reference to mRNA vaccines from their grant applications, in expectation the Trump administration intends to abandon most research in the field. By @arthurallen202.bsky.social kffhealthnews.org/news/article...

Want to know the top health care and health policy issues each week? KFF Health News will be back with a weekly recap of the news you need to know about. Read our reporting at kffhealthnews.org and be sure you’re following us!

UPDATE: At least some fired CDC workers have had their jobs reinstated and have been cleared to return to work March 5, according to emails I obtained. "We apologize for any disruption that this may have caused," said the CDC email, which was unsigned and sent this afternoon.

What is Medicaid, again??? We made an explainer @kffhealthnews.org: kffhealthnews.org/news/article...

Duo was fatally hit by a Tesla Cybertruck, the language-learning company announced this week. The snarky owl has been the face of Duolingo for over a decade. Why his sudden demise, and what's next?

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

We’d like to speak with personnel from the Department of Health and Human Services or its component agencies who believe the public should understand the impact of what’s happening within the federal health bureaucracy. Share your story: kffhealthnews.org/hhs-tips/

In key moments during his first confirmation hearing for secretary of HHS, RFK Jr. mixed up Medicaid with Medicare and showed limited knowledge of the job’s scope. KFF Health News journalists will break down key takeaways from the hearings in a live web event on Jan. 30 at 3:30pm ET: bit.ly/4hD8ati

Has a denial from your insurer impacted your health or the life of someone you love? We're looking for people to talk to who've experienced difficulty getting treatment due to prior authorization. Share your story with us: kffhealthnews.org/news/article...

Two Senate committees will question RFK Jr. this week about everything from vaccines to abortion to Medicaid. What are the biggest takeaways? What comes next? Tune in for a discussion with Arthur Allen, Phil Galewitz and Julie Rovner, Thurs., Jan. 30, at 3:30pm EST. www.youtube.com/live/_ZzzWrP...

We will be watching the upcoming RFK Jr. nomination hearings closely. @kffhealthnews.bsky.social reporters will break down their biggest takeaways live on Thursday afternoon. You can tune in on YouTube here: www.youtube.com/live/_ZzzWrP...

Some Trump insiders are ready to take on the food industry. It remains to be seen whether their entrée will result in any meaningful change in government oversight of “Big Food” — or in American health. Video for @kffhealthnews.bsky.social: youtube.com/shorts/xSQEI...

Climate anxiety is affecting a generation of young Americans, even those more removed from these latest L.A. wildfires, who are growing up during an onslaught of extreme weather events. Our latest @kffhealthnews.bsky.social video discusses: youtube.com/shorts/A677l...

Homelessness experts say the problem is twofold: Circumstances like poverty, joblessness, or incarceration are more likely to land Black people into homelessness in the 1st place. Then, it’s harder for Black people to qualify for taxpayer-subsidized housing. www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYqe...

really interesting new research on IVF and pollution, via @jkutzie.bsky.social 19thnews.org/2024/12/air-...

Toxic #PFAS are now tainting wells in rural California, impacting communities far from industrial sites. Farmers worry about the safety of their food and water. Story by @hannahnorman.bsky.social for @kffhealthnews.bsky.social @kff.org. #ForeverChemicals kffhealthnews.org/news/article...

PFAS chemicals turned up in well water in California’s rural farmland far from known contamination sites, like industrial areas, airports, and military bases. Researchers have called for more testing. My latest for @kffhealthnews.bsky.social: kffhealthnews.org/news/article...

As the dad of a toddler, I felt this one youtube.com/shorts/nw_pH...

What's it like to live alone in later life? How do older people adapt? I've been writing a series on this topic and will be moderating a zoom webinar next Wednesday, Dec. 11, at 11.30 am ET. Come join us and learn from older adults -- the experts on their lives! www.kff.org/other/event/...

Following the footsteps of former NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg and CA Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, San Francisco Mayor-elect Daniel Lurie will take a salary of $1 once he enters office in January 2025. @kqednews.bsky.social www.kqed.org/news/1201635...

All year, @peggylowe.bsky.social and I have been following survivors of the mass shooting at the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl parade. Here's a thread of what we've learned so far kffhealthnews.org/the-injured/

NEWS: Grieving parents are challenging Idaho's strict abortion ban in a federal trial this week, seeking exceptions to the law to end hopeless or dangerous pregnancies. The state calls the procedure "barbaric and gruesome." Via @kffhealthnews.bsky.social kffhealthnews.org/news/article...

Hey health reporters! I made a starter pack for journalists and bloggers covering health care policy. Please let me know who else belongs on this list! (I do not belong on this list but can’t figure out how to take myself off 🫣) go.bsky.app/4BnB6v9

Hello new friends 👋 I'm Hannah, video producer at KFF Health News. Lots of health policy videos are coming your way! To kick things off, here's one of our latest videos on how government decisions undermine Black health: www.youtube.com/watch?v=uArr...

Built a pillow fort for the firework scaries 🧨