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KFF’s policy research provides facts and analysis on a wide range of policy issues and public programs.
KFF designs, conducts and analyzes original public opinion and survey research on Americans’ attitudes, knowledge, and experiences with the health care system to help amplify the public’s voice in major national debates.
KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the organization’s core operating programs.
In the midst of an opioid epidemic in the United States, two-thirds of adults say either they or a family member have been impacted by drug or alcohol addiction. Three in ten say they or their family were addicted to prescription or illegal opioids. This survey explores treatments received by those who battled addiction, impacts of addiction, and support for policies aimed at reducing drug overdoses.
A new KFF poll assessing the broad reach of the nation’s opioids crisis on families across the United States reveals that three-in-ten adults (29%) say they or someone in their family have ever been addicted to opioids, including prescription painkillers and illegal drugs like heroin. Rural residents (42%) and White adults (33%) are among the groups hardest hit. The poll also showed that the opioid crisis is part of a much larger picture of addiction…
KFF Health News today launched a new limited-series podcast, "Epidemic: Eradicating Smallpox," with host Dr. Céline Gounder, senior fellow and editor-at-large for public health at KFF Health News. The eight-episode podcast takes listeners on a journey to South Asia, the site of the last days of variola major smallpox. There, public health workers from India, Bangladesh, and around the world did what many thought was impossible: eradicate smallpox. "Eradicating smallpox was one of humanity’s greatest…
This brief provides an overview of the impact of mpox in the U.S. one year after a case of was identified domestically and the federal response to date, and discusses the future outlook.
KFF hosted CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky for a discussion focused on the status of COVID-19, the CDC’s priorities for the future, including the agency’s recent reorganization and other potential reforms, and how CDC is considering the health implications of climate change. Dr. Drew Altman, president and CEO of KFF, made introductory remarks. Dr. Jen Kates, senior vice president and director of KFF’s work on global health and HIV policy, moderated a discussion with Dr. Rochelle Walensky and Dr.…
KFF Health News has taken top honors in the National Institute for Health Care Management (NIHCM) Foundation’s 2023 Awards in Journalism and Research for its series “Diagnosis: Debt.” The multifaceted reporting partnership among KFF Health News, NPR, and CBS News explores the scale, impact, and causes of medical debt in America. "Diagnosis: Debt” won first place in the digital media category, which included more than 70 entries from news organizations including The Washington Post, ProPublica,…
This survey examines Americans’ experiences with gun-related incidents such as being threatened with a gun, having a family member killed by a gun, or witnessing someone being shot. The survey also explores worries about gun violence, precautions people report taking to protect their families, how gun owners say they store their guns, and discussions about guns with health care providers.
Experiences with gun-related incidents are common across the country, with about one in five adults saying that they have personally been threatened with a gun (21%) or had a family member killed by a gun, including by suicide (19%), finds a new KFF survey about Americans’ experiences with gun-related violence and incidents. One in six (17%) say they personally witnessed someone being shot. Smaller shares say that they have shot a gun in self-defense (4%)…
In a months-long project, KFF’s Kaiser Health News correspondent Brett Kelman joined forces with CBS News National Consumer Investigative Correspondent Anna Werner to investigate an unregulated dental device that is at the heart of numerous accounts of pain and disfigurement. At least 10,000 dental patients have been fitted with the fixed Anterior Growth Guidance Appliance (“AGGA”), which costs about $7,000. The device resembles a retainer, is typically worn for several months, and uses springs to…
KFF’s Kaiser Health News (KHN) is launching a weekly one-minute health information segment for CBS News Radio stations that will help millions of listeners stay informed and make better health decisions. CBS News Radio began offering the KHN Health Minute to its more than 700 affiliate stations weekly on Jan. 12. The brief segments will include a broad range of health stories and consumer information reported by KHN’s nationwide team of health reporters. Listeners can…
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