News Release Archives

Implementation of the 988 Number Brought More Calls and Texts to the National Suicide Prevention and Crisis Hotline This Summer – And Early Data Show Answer Rates Improved or Held Steady

Oct 17, 2022

News Release

A new KFF analysis finds that more people contacted the new 988 number for the national suicide prevention and crisis hotline following its launch in July, that callers waited less time on hold, and that callers connected with crisis counselors at higher rates than before the 988 number came online through a combination of calls, chats and texts. The easy-to-remember three-digit number steers callers who are suicidal or experiencing a behavioral health crisis to the…

Firearm Deaths of Children and Adolescents Continued to Rise in 2021, Especially Among Black Youth

Oct 14, 2022

News Release

Gun deaths among children and adolescents continued to rise in 2021, particularly among Black youth, a new KFF analysis of federal injury and mortality data finds. The analysis finds that the rate of firearm-related deaths for children ages 17 and younger reached 3.6 per 100,000 children in 2021, a 50% increase from before the COVID-19 pandemic began. This represents about seven children dying each day due to firearms. The rate of firearm-related deaths among Black…

Abortion Grows as a Motivator for Midterm Voters, Particularly for Democrats and in States Where It Has Become Illegal Since the Supreme Court Overturned Roe v. Wade

Oct 12, 2022

News Release

Few Voters Know About the Medicare Drug Provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act, Though Seniors are More Aware and Would Be Likely to Vote for Candidates Who Support Them About a month ahead of the 2022 midterm election, abortion continues to grow as a motivating issue for voters, especially among Democrats and those living in states where abortion is now illegal, the latest KFF Health Tracking Poll finds. Half (50%) of voters now say the…

Few State Medicaid Programs Report Covering a Broad Range of Gender-Affirming Health Services for Adults

Oct 11, 2022

News Release

While many state Medicaid programs cover aspects of gender-affirming health services for adults, only Maine and Illinois reported covering five standard gender-affirming services in 2021: hormone therapy, gender-affirming surgery, mental health counseling related to gender-affirming care, voice and communication therapy, and fertility assistance for adult transgender enrollees, according to a KFF survey. Nine states, including Michigan, Connecticut, and Colorado, reported covering four of the five services. Alabama and Texas reported not covering any of these…

Deaths From COVID-19 Spiked Over The Summer, Especially Among People 65 and Older, Before Dipping Again in September

Oct 6, 2022

News Release

Although COVID-19 fatalities remain much lower than during the peak of last winter’s Omicron surge, deaths among people 65 and older spiked over the summer, more than doubling between April and July 2022, finds a new KFF analysis. The number of deaths topped more than 11,000 people 65 and older in both July and August. For people younger than 65, deaths have increased more slowly since April, rising by 52 percent to about 1,900 in…

New KFF/CNN Survey on Mental Health Finds Young Adults in Crisis; More Than a Third Say Their Mental Health Keeps Them from Doing Normal Activities

Oct 6, 2022

News Release

Most Adults Have Not Heard About New 988 National Suicide Prevention Hotline An overwhelmingly majority (90%) of Americans believe the nation is in the midst of a mental health crisis, and young adults appear to be suffering the most, a new KFF-CNN survey on mental health in America reveals. A third (34%) of adults under age 30 rate their mental health as “only fair” or “poor,” compared to 19% of those ages 30 and older.…

KFF’s Kaiser Health News and “This American Life” Win Loeb Award For Story About the Threats and Menace Toward Local Public Health Officials During the Pandemic

Oct 3, 2022

News Release

KFF’s Kaiser Health News (KHN) and the radio program “This American Life” together have won a Loeb Award in the audio category for a deeply reported account of the threats and hate targeted at local public health officials during the covid-19 pandemic. KHN’s coverage of public health issues will remain a priority beat in the newsroom long after the threat of covid fades. KFF will announce new partnerships and public health reporting plans in the…

Half of Public Has Heard Little or Nothing About the New COVID-19 Booster Aimed at Omicron; Many Don’t Know If the CDC Recommends That They Get the New Booster

Sep 30, 2022

News Release

Nearly 1 in 5 Parents of Children Under 5 Say Their Child Has Gotten a Vaccine, up from 7% in July, Though Half Say They Will “Definitely Not” Get Their Child Vaccinated Less than a month after the Food and Drug Administration authorized new COVID-19 booster shots that target both the omicron and original strains, public awareness is modest, a new KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor survey finds. Half the public says they’ve heard either “a…

A Review of 62 Studies Finds Few Big Differences Between Traditional Medicare and Medicare Advantage on a Variety of Measures

Sep 16, 2022

News Release

With the Medicare open enrollment period set to begin Oct. 15, a perennial decision faced by Medicare beneficiaries is whether to get their coverage through traditional Medicare or the private plans known as Medicare Advantage. A new KFF review of 62 studies published since 2016 that compares Medicare Advantage and traditional Medicare on measures of beneficiary experience, affordability, utilization, and quality finds few differences that are supported by strong evidence or have been replicated across…

Analysis: There is Significant Variation in State and Local Eligibility Criteria for Monkeypox Vaccines, and Vaccine Information is not Always Accessible

Sep 16, 2022

News Release

According to a new KFF analysis assessing monkeypox (MPX) vaccine eligibility across the United States, people who are exposed or presumed exposed to MPX are generally eligible to get a vaccine across the country. However, eligibility varies across the United States for certain workers, including laboratory staff and others who might be at increased risk. The analysis examines MPX vaccine eligibility policies, compared to criteria recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),…

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