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Georgia may soon join a growing list of states decriminalizing the use of fentanyl testing strips. Bans of the strips â on the books in about half of states, experts say â stem from laws criminalizing drug paraphernalia adopted decades ago. But the testing devices are now recommended to help prevent overdose deaths.
Nearly all psychiatric residential treatment centers for children in South Carolina operate as for-profit businesses â some backed by private equity â and many prioritize out-of-state kids because itâs better for the bottom line. The scramble to secure treatment for children and teenagers has become so competitive that South Carolina will spend millions more each year as of April 1 to keep out-of-state patients from flooding the state's treatment facilities.
KHN staff made the rounds on national and local media this week to discuss their stories. Hereâs a collection of their appearances.
To contain the spread of covid, hospitals and nursing homes barred visits. The separation and isolation took a toll on patients and families. Florida is one of the latest states to ensure access for visitors.
As overdoses surge and opioid settlement dollars flow, funding to North Carolina rehab foreshadows national discussion about the best approaches to treatment.
Black students at many predominantly white colleges are speaking out about the racial hostility theyâve experienced, which contributes to depression, elevated stress levels, and anxiety. But the students are often not getting the mental health help they need on campus.
Diagnosed with aggressive leukemia on a Western trip, a young man thought his insurance would cover an air ambulance ride home to North Carolina. Instead, questions about medical necessity left him with an astronomical bill.
Kennedy Stonum, a 17-year-old high school junior, resisted getting vaccinated against covid-19, as did 20-year-old Tyler Gilreath, whose mother had nagged him for months to get the shots. Both died.
Almost a year after the American Rescue Plan Act allocated what could amount to $25 billion to home and community-based services run by Medicaid, many states have yet to access much of the money due to delays and red tape.
Snuggle-ready dogs comfort anxious patients at dental offices, but some patients worry about the risks, from slobber to nips. North Carolina is thought to be the first state with regulations to ensure the dogs are appropriately trained.
Service dogs can help people with ailments from autism to epilepsy, but a trained dog can cost up to $40,000 â and insurance wonât cover it.
In tough labor negotiations across the nation, here's what nurses donât want: âappreciation that is lip service,â âmarketing campaignsâ and âshiny new buildings.â And this year might well prove to be a turning point in efforts to organize health careâs essential workers.
Harm-reduction groups say that requiring a doctor to sign off on their orders of the overdose reversal drug is one of the biggest barriers they face in obtaining the lifesaving medication.
A West Virginia pharmacy cleared a Drug Enforcement Administration investigation. But it shut down anyway, highlighting how the agencyâs policies reduce the availability of buprenorphine, an important tool for recovery from opioid addiction.
The latest iteration of President Joe Biden's social-spending package would close the health insurance gap for at least 2.2 million people, making a huge difference especially in the South, where political opposition has blocked Medicaid expansion.
Medical-legal partnerships in Montana, Colorado and elsewhere across the nation operate on the notion that fixing patientsâ legal ills is a vital part of their health care.
College and grad students with chronic health conditions as common as asthma and diabetes may need to clear hurdles to make sure their health needs are covered by insurance if they go to school far from home.
North Carolina claims to be the âNationâs Most Military Friendly State.â Now veterans are trying to capitalize on this dedication to the troops to persuade lawmakers to pass medical marijuana legislation. Itâs an advocacy model that has led to success for pro-cannabis efforts elsewhere.
After being closed for 14 months because of the pandemic, a North Carolina nightclub reopens. But now, in addition to showing an ID to gain entry, patrons also must show their vaccination cards.
Black Americansâ vaccination rates still trail all other groups, while Hispanics show improvement. Native Americans show the strongest rates nationally.
Š 2026 KFF