KFF

10/16/2026

Four states, four very different abortion questions on the ballot this November.

Since the Supreme Court's 2022 Dobbs ruling, ballot initiatives have become a powerful tool for advocates on both sides of the abortion debate, and 12 states have passed them so far.

Our experts look at what is at stake in 2026:

- Nevada: A second vote on a constitutional amendment protecting abortion until fetal viability. Voters first approved it in 2024, but state law requires passage in two successive general elections.

- Virginia: A constitutional amendment guaranteeing a right to reproductive freedom, including a right to abortion until the third trimester, contraception, and fertility care.

- Idaho: A citizen-initiated statute, in a state with a total ban on the provision of abortion that would create a right to abortion up to fetal viability and after viability in medical emergencies

- Missouri: A measure placed on the ballot by the legislature that would repeal the abortion rights amendment voters approved in 2024, ban abortion with limited exceptions, and prohibit minors from accessing gender-affirming care.

10/15/2026

Patients are using AI because they’re trying to fill gaps in the health care system: long waits, limited access to clinicians, and a desire for more information and support.

On KFF’s Business of Health podcast, Chip Kahn and Dr. Uché Blackstock discuss why AI governance should be shaped not only by regulators and review boards, but by the communities these tools are meant to serve.

Listen to the full episode where you get your podcasts.

10/15/2026

Health care costs continue to top voters’ affordability worries heading into the midterm elections. Our latest poll shows six in ten voters are worried about being able to afford their health care costs.

Overall, about half of voters (47%) say it’s “extremely important” for candidates to talk about health care costs. Six in ten Democratic voters (59%) and about half of independent voters (49%) say it’s extremely important for candidates to talk about health care costs, compared to a smaller share (31%) of Republican voters.

In addition, voters told us what they want midterm candidates to talk about when it comes to health care costs. The most common response? Voters want to hear about candidates’ plans for how they will lower health care costs for people.

10/14/2026

Health care employment has grown steadily while job growth elsewhere has plateaued in recent years.

Since 1990, health care employment has grown over three times as much as all other non-health, non-farm employment, and over the past year, the health sector added 378,500 jobs — a 2% increase — compared with 0.2% growth in non-health, non-farm employment.

10/14/2026

Health equity is often discussed as an issue affecting specific communities, but Dr. Uché Blackstock believes that framing can cause people to miss the bigger picture.

In this episode, she explains why health equity is fundamentally connected to quality, safety, trust, and accountability in health care and why creating better outcomes for those facing the greatest challenges ultimately strengthens the system for everyone.

Listen to the full episode now: https://on.kff.org/4yQQbJ0

10/13/2026

Health care’s AI future is being built right now. The open question is: for whom?

This week, Chip Kahn talks with Dr. Uché Blackstock about who should help shape health care AI, why “neutral” technology deserves scrutiny, and what it would take to build systems that work for all patients.

Health care's AI future is being built right now. The open question...

10/13/2026

Many discussions about AI focus on what the technology can do. Dr. Uché Blackstock says an equally important question is who helps build it.

In this week’s episode, she argues that AI tools should be co-designed with the communities they’re intended to serve, and explains why equitable AI requires broad validation, community input, and a commitment to preserving the human connection between clinicians and patients.

Listen to the full episode where you get your podcasts!

10/13/2026

With less than a month until the midterms, affordability is the top concern for voters.

New KFF polling finds that health care costs and gas costs are tied as the leading economic worry, and a recent KFF/AP survey shows rural voters sharing those anxieties, along with concerns about reduced access to care.

But who do voters trust to address these challenges, and what else is on their minds heading into Election Day?

Join KFF’s public opinion and survey experts at noon ET on Wednesday, October 14, for a virtual presentation on the latest findings, including where the public stands on Medicare-for-All and how that compares historically, plus Q&A.

Register here: https://on.kff.org/47OEvuj

10/13/2026

Findings from KFF’s 2026 survey of states’ Medicaid home care programs show how states are approaching program integrity in their programs.

More on states’ efforts, including how they are using or planning to incorporate artificial intelligence (AI) into program integrity and data monitoring, in our new brief: https://on.kff.org/3WgLmtV

10/12/2026

Health care employment has grown faster than other sectors of the economy, with jobs in healthcare settings, such as physician offices and hospitals, increasing over the past year even as the rest of the job market plateaued.

Since September 2025, the healthcare sector has added 372,000 jobs (up 2%), while the overall non-farm economy apart from the healthcare sector gained 124,000 jobs (up 0.1%).