Stories by KFF Health News

A new variant of the COVID-causing virus SARS-CoV-2 is behind the latest surge in infections this winter, but it doesn't appear to cause more severe disease

Self-driving cars could give people who live outside big cities and are unable to drive more mobility, but the technology must still overcome some hurdles

Critics push back on proposed CDC guidelines that they say leave health care facilities free to cut corners on N95 masks and other measures that protect workers against airborne diseases such as COVID

A deadly food poisoning outbreak highlights how little we know about morel mushrooms

Staggering amounts of toxic “forever chemicals” have been found in freshwater fish, but there is no federal guidance on what is a safe amount to eat

Doctors want to ban the term “excited delirium,” which has been cited as a possible factor in high-profile police killings of George Floyd and others but is not a recognized medical diagnosis

Ten medications, costing tens of billions of dollars, will be the first to be subject to Medicare price negotiations

Limited data on adults age 60 and older raise questions on whether high-priced weight-loss drugs will really help with lowering rates of chronic illness and disability

Experts are more concerned about a lack of activity in older adults who are somewhat overweight than about weight loss

A federal rule would require companies to disclose whether their products contain chemicals known as PFASs

States will get less funding for childhood vaccines, a move linked to the recent debt ceiling deal

Many generic drugs for cancer and ADHD, blood thinners and antibiotics are in short supply, in part because there is little profit in making them

Many physicians say they are reluctant to practice in states with abortion bans, harming access to regular exams and screenings

Criminalizing patients could have adverse consequences, experts warn

After the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, physical and legal attacks against clinics that provide abortions have increased

A federal judge’s ruling that invalidates part of the Affordable Care Act could mean people will have to pay for certain types of preventive care, though likely not immediately

When the U.S.’s national public health emergency for COVID expires on May 11, some costs will shift to the private sector and consumers

New research links bat habitat destruction with the spillover of their viruses to humans

The country’s highest court will decide whether Americans who rely on public assistance can sue states when they believe their rights have been violated

Once available only with a prescription, hearing aids can now be purchased at Walmart and other stores for $199 and up

Climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of wildfires, and those most affected by their pollution must drive miles to access care

Facing more sizzling summers, Colorado tests a new risk formula that raises the likelihood of health warnings

The Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade has put medical providers in the tough position of deciding when emergency abortions and other lifesaving procedures are necessary

Children “are not little adults”—they have more trouble regulating temperature than adults do