Author: Hill Castle
Tired of juggling endless social media messages, missing out on potential leads, and feeling like you’re constantly catching up with your audience? In today’s fast-paced digital world, effective communication is the lifeblood of any successful business. But what about managing it all manually? It’s the secret sauce for burnout and missed opportunities. Enter ManyChat, a game-changing platform that empowers you to build powerful automated conversations on Facebook Messenger and Instagram DMs without writing a single line of code. Imagine having a tireless assistant working 24/7, nurturing leads, answering customer queries instantly, and driving sales while you focus on the…
The Host Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s announcement that the federal government will cancel nearly $500 million in mRNA research funding is unnerving not only for those who develop vaccines, but also for public health experts who see the technology behind the first covid-19 shots as the nation’s best hope to combat a future pandemic. And President Donald Trump is demanding that major pharmaceutical companies offer many American patients the same prices available to patients overseas. It isn’t the first time he’s made such threats, and drugmakers — who scored a couple of wins against Medicare…
National Institutes of Health workers provide interventional radiology services to a patient at the NIH Clinical Center in 2008. (National Institutes of Health/CC BY-NC 2.0) The number of people receiving treatment at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center — the renowned research hospital that cares for patients with rare or life-threatening diseases — has tumbled under the second Trump administration, according to government documents and interviews with current and former NIH employees. NIH documents viewed by KFF Health News show a pronounced decline in patients at the 200-bed hospital from February through April, a time that coincides with the…
WATERLOO, Iowa — John-Paul Sager appreciates the care he has received at Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals and clinics, but he thinks it should be easier for veterans like him to use their benefits elsewhere. Sager, a Marine Corps and Army veteran, uses his VA coverage for non-VA treatment of back injuries stemming from his military service. But he said he sometimes must make several phone calls to obtain approval to see a local chiropractor. “It seems like it takes entirely too long,” he said. Many veterans live hours from VA facilities, or they need health services that aren’t readily…
If you or someone you know may be experiencing a mental health crisis, contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by dialing or texting “988.” REDDING, Calif. 𑁋 This spring, the Good News Rescue Mission, which runs the only emergency homeless shelter in Shasta County, received a game-changing $17.8 million state grant to build a 75-bed residential treatment facility in a region where thousands struggle with drug and alcohol addiction. Now comes the hard part — recruiting and hiring 10 certified substance use counselors and about a dozen other staff members to work at the new site, about 170 miles…
Una larga lista de familiares paternos de Lynda Hollander padecían enfermedades cardíacas y varios habían tenido cirugías importantes. Por eso, cuando llegó a los 50 años y vio que sus niveles de colesterol aumentaban luego de la menopausia dijo que “no quería correr ningún riesgo”. Un cardiólogo le explicó que, basándose en factores como la edad, el sexo, el colesterol y la presión arterial, tenía un riesgo moderado de sufrir un evento cardíaco grave, como un infarto, en los próximos 10 años. Los médicos suelen aconsejar a estos pacientes sobre la importancia de la dieta y el ejercicio, pero Hollander,…
Michelle Andrews Si quieres vacunarte contra covid-19 este otoño, ¿lo cubrirá el seguro médico de tu empleador? No hay una respuesta clara. El secretario de Salud y Servicios Humanos, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., un veterano activista antivacunas, ha modificado radicalmente la forma en que se aprueban estas vacunas, y para quiénes se recomiendan, creando incertidumbre cuando la cobertura era rutinaria. Las agencias dentro del Departamento de Salud y Servicios Sociales (HHS) responsables de especificar quién debe vacunarse no están necesariamente sincronizadas, emitiendo recomendaciones en apariencia contradictorias basadas en la edad o los factores de riesgo de enfermedades graves. Pero la…
Cuando el presidente Donald Trump firmó una ley que agrega requisitos laborales para algunos beneficiarios de Medicaid, es posible que haya perjudicado a legisladores de al menos 14 estados que estaban diseñando sus propios planes, según observadores del sector de salud. Georgia es el único estado con un requisito laboral para Medicaid, pero varios estados llevan años intentando implementarlo, solo para ser bloqueados por los tribunales o, más recientemente, por la administración Biden. Algunos buscan modificaciones específicas a las nuevas normas para cada estado. Otros pretenden implementar los requisitos laborales antes de que la ley federal entre en vigencia a…
When President Donald Trump signed a law adding work requirements for some Medicaid recipients, he may have undercut lawmakers in at least 14 states who were designing their own plans, according to health industry observers. Georgia is the only state with a work requirement in place for Medicaid, but several states have been pursuing such a policy for years, only to be blocked by courts or, most recently, the Biden administration. Some seek state-specific touches to the new rules. Others aim to implement work requirements before the federal law takes effect at the end of 2026. These states’ moves and…
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — As smoke from Canadian wildfires drifted across North America, and western U.S. states girded for their annual fire siege, Neeta Thakur was well into her search for ways to offset the damage of such fumes on people’s health, especially among minority and low-income communities. For more than a decade, the University of California-San Francisco researcher relied on federal grants without incident. But Thakur, a doctor and a scientist, suddenly found herself leading the charge for public health science against President Donald Trump’s political ideology. Thakur, 45, a pulmonologist who also is medical director of the Zuckerberg San…
Now that the Republicans’ big tax-and-spending bill has become law, new bureaucratic hurdles have emerged for millions of Americans who rely on Medicaid for health coverage. A provision in the new law dictates that, in most states, for the first time, low-income adults must start meeting work requirements to keep their coverage. Some states have already tried doing this, but Georgia is the only state that has an active system using work requirements to establish Medicaid eligibility — and recipients must report to the system once a month. When she first started using the system, Tanisha Corporal, a social worker…
If you want a covid-19 shot this fall, will your employer’s health insurance plan pay for it? There’s no clear answer. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime anti-vaccine activist, has upended the way covid vaccines are approved and for whom they’re recommended, creating uncertainty where coverage was routine. Agencies within HHS responsible for spelling out who should get vaccinated aren’t necessarily in sync, issuing seemingly contradictory recommendations based on age or risk factors for serious disease. But the ambiguity may not affect your coverage, at least this year. “I think in 2025 it’s highly likely…
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A new breed of cosmetic surgery chains, some backed by private equity investors, are competing for a slice of the nation’s growing body-contouring market. The chains sell an array of body-reshaping operations, such as “Mommy Makeovers” and liposuction, targeting customers willing to pay up to $20,000 out-of-pocket for a new figure. A joint investigation by KFF Health News and NBC News found that cosmetic surgery chains have been the target of scores of medical malpractice and negligence lawsuits alleging disfiguring injuries — including 12 wrongful death cases filed over the past seven years. Injured patients have accused the chains of…
A long list of Lynda Hollander’s paternal relatives had heart disease, and several had undergone major surgeries. So when she hit her mid-50s and saw her cholesterol levels creeping up after menopause, she said, “I didn’t want to take a chance.” A cardiologist told Hollander that based on factors like age, sex, cholesterol, and blood pressure, she faced a moderate risk of a major cardiac event, like a heart attack, within the next 10 years. Doctors typically counsel such patients about the importance of diet and exercise, but Hollander, now 64, a social worker in West Orange, New Jersey, didn’t…
Sarah Jane Tribble, KFF Health News and Henry Larweh A little-known federal agency that sends more than $12 billion annually to support community health centers, addiction treatment services, and workforce initiatives for America’s neediest people has been hobbled by the Trump administration’s staffing purges. The cuts are “just a little astonishing,” said Carole Johnson, who previously led the Health Resources and Services Administration. She left the agency in January with the administration change and has described the sweeping staff cuts as a “big threat” to the agency’s ability to distribute billions of dollars in grants to hospitals, clinics, nonprofits, and…
The Host Julie Rovner KFF Health News @jrovner @julierovner.bsky.social Read Julie’s stories. Julie Rovner is chief Washington correspondent and host of KFF Health News’ weekly health policy news podcast, “What the Health?” A noted expert on health policy issues, Julie is the author of the critically praised reference book “Health Care Politics and Policy A to Z,” now in its third edition. In his ongoing effort to reshape health policy, Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. reportedly plans to overhaul two more government entities: the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force and the National Vaccine Injury Compensation…
Sandy West A un niño le apareció un sarpullido después de cuatro días sin que le dejaran cambiarse la ropa interior. Otro pequeño, aburrido y abrumado por la desesperación, comenzó a golpearse la cabeza. A un menor con autismo y trastorno por déficit de atención no le dejaron tomar su medicamento, a pesar de las súplicas de su madre. “Escuché a un oficial decir sobre nosotros: ‘huelen a mier–’, y otro agregó: ‘son mier–’”, contó una persona detenida en una declaración presentada ante un tribunal federal. Entre marzo y junio, abogados de menores inmigrantes recopilaron estos testimonios, y otros de…
On a recent weekday evening, Ashly Richards helped her 13-year-old son, Case, with homework. He did math problems and some reading, underscoring how much he’s accomplished at his school for children with autism. Richards has heard Trump administration officials suggest that food dyes and pediatric vaccines cause autism and ADHD. That stance, she said, unfairly blames parents. “There’s no evidence to support it,” said Richards, 44, a marketing director in Richmond, Virginia. “As a parent, it’s infuriating.” In their zeal to “Make America Healthy Again,” Trump administration officials are making statements that some advocacy and medical groups say depict patients…
Tony Leys In retrospect, Erica Kahn realizes she made two big mistakes. The first was choosing to temporarily forgo health insurance when she was laid off from her job. The second was screaming when a wild bat later landed on her face. The bizarre encounter happened last August, while the Massachusetts resident was photographing the night sky during a vacation at the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area in Arizona. Kahn, now 33, noticed a few bats flying around but didn’t worry about them — until one flew up to her and got tangled between her camera and her face. She…
Letters to the Editor is a periodic feature. We welcome all comments and will publish a selection. We edit for length and clarity and require full names. Sounding the Alarm for Ambulances Thank you for shedding much-needed light on the exorbitant costs and lack of reimbursement that have become a harsh reality for many ambulance services across Colorado and the nation (“Insurers Fight State Laws Restricting Surprise Ambulance Bills,” July 9). While it’s vital to protect patients from “surprise” bills — something your coverage highlights — it’s equally important to acknowledge the other side of the equation. Ambulance providers often receive reimbursements well…
Jazmin Orozco Rodriguez ELKO, Nev. — At the Two Spirit Conference in northern Nevada in June, Native Americans gathered in support of the LGBTQ+ community amid federal and state rollbacks of transgender protections and gender-affirming health care. “I want people to not kill themselves for who they are,” said organizer Myk Mendez, a trans and two-spirit citizen of the Fort Hall Shoshone-Bannock Tribes in Idaho. “I want people to love their lives and grow old to tell their stories.” “Two-spirit” is used by Native Americans to describe a distinct gender outside of male or female. The conference in Elko reflects…