Latest KFF Health News Stories
Your New Therapist: Chatty, Leaky, and Hardly Human
With high demand for mental health care, a wave of artificial intelligence-powered chatbots are being marketed as therapy apps — with little evidence they work and few regulations.
Listen: With Little Federal Regulation, States Are Left To Shape the Rules on AI in Health Care
As artificial intelligence embeds itself into health care, some physicians and patient advocates worry it could be used by insurance companies to refuse payment for care. Maryland passed one law banning AI from acting alone on a denial. Meanwhile, Virginia’s then-governor vetoed that state’s attempt at regulating AI in health insurance.
Watch: As AI Makes More Health Coverage Decisions, the Risks to Patients Grow
Major health insurers and even Medicare are using artificial intelligence to make coverage decisions. But class action lawsuits have accused insurers of using AI to wrongfully withhold treatment, and new research illuminates the risks.
¿Puedo decirle a mi médico que no quiero que use la inteligencia artificial para tomar notas?
Casi un tercio de las prácticas médicas están utilizando asistentes de IA para tomar notas, y otras están trabajando para incorporar esta herramienta, con el objetivo de reducir el trabajo administrativo.
Can I Opt Out of Having My Doctor Take Notes With AI?
Your doctor might ask to have an AI tool listen during your next appointment. If you opt in, you will likely get more of your doctor’s attention. But the technology is not perfect. Here’s what to know.
Científicos familiarizados con el proceso esperan que los CDC publiquen muchos más datos en las próximas semanas, lo que permitirá ver si Estados Unidos ha perdido su estatus de país libre de sarampión, logrado con tanto esfuerzo.
US Scientists Sequence 1,000 Genomes From Measles, a Disease Long Eliminated With Vaccines
This week, the CDC began to publish long-awaited data that will reveal the extent of measles’ comeback. While applauding the science, researchers say the Trump administration has done little to contain the virus. “That we’re even talking about this is nuts,” one virologist said.
KFF Health News journalists made the rounds on national and local media recently to discuss topical stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances.
Arizona, Maryland, Nebraska y Texas aprobaron el año pasado leyes que limitan el uso de la IA en los seguros de salud. Otros dos, Illinois y California, habían aprobado leyes similares el año anterior.
Red and Blue States Alike Want To Limit AI in Insurance. Trump Wants To Limit the States.
A revolt is afoot in both red and blue states against the use of artificial intelligence in health insurance determinations — and against efforts led by President Donald Trump to tie states’ hands.
El polémico plan de Alabama: usar robots para atención materna en zonas rurales
En 2024, el año más reciente con datos disponibles, la tasa de mortalidad infantil en Alabama fue de 7,1 muertes por cada 1.000 partos con recién nacidos vivos.
Alabama’s ‘Pretty Cool’ Plan for Robots in Maternity Care Sparks Debate
Alabama, a state with one of the nation’s highest infant mortality rates, is betting on robots to help fix its maternal care crisis. But the state’s plan for telerobotic ultrasounds in rural areas has raised doubts.
La falta de médicos de atención primaria es un problema nacional. Algunas grandes redes de salud están recurriendo a la inteligencia artificial en busca de soluciones.
Your Next Primary Care Doctor Could Be Online Only, Accessed Through an AI Tool
The largest hospital chain in Massachusetts is offering a new AI-assisted telehealth tool to patients who need primary care. Mass General Brigham says this and other AI tools can help relieve staff burnout and worker shortages, but some primary care physicians in the MGB system see it as a way to avoid fixing structural problems.
Doctors Increasingly See AI Scribes in a Positive Light. But Hiccups Persist.
Patients say they find AI summaries of doctor visits user-friendly, but it’s not clear if their appointments are improving. In any case, doctors appear to be embracing the high-tech innovation.
Cada vez más médicos ven con buenos ojos a los asistentes de IA. Pero aún hay tropiezos
Los médicos están considerando a estos asistentes de IA ambiental como una herramienta revolucionaria que les permite concentrarse en sus pacientes en lugar de en el teclado.
These 3 Policy Moves Are Likely To Change Health Care for Older People
Two Trump administration regulatory rollbacks affect nursing home staffing and home care workers, and a new AI experiment in Medicare has alarmed eldercare advocates and congressional Democrats.
States Race To Launch Rural Health Transformation Plans
Every state will receive at least $100 million annually from the federal Rural Health Transformation fund, but some scored millions more based on how the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services judged the “quality” of their plans and willingness to pass policies embracing “Make America Healthy Again” initiatives.
In the Vast Expanses of Indian Country, Broadband Gaps Create Health Gaps, Too
On Idaho’s remote Fort Hall Reservation, thousands live without reliable high-speed internet, which supports health care, education, and daily life. Facing delays and wavering federal policy, Frances Goli is determined to spend more than $22 million in federal grant money before she runs out of time.
Feds Promised ‘Radical Transparency’ but Are Withholding Rural Health Fund Applications
Proposals from states that have shared their applications to a new $50 billion rural health program include using drones to deliver medication, installing refrigerators to expand access to healthy produce, and bringing telehealth to libraries, day cares, and senior centers.
