Latest News On Environmental Health

Latest KFF Health News Stories

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Washington’s Slow Churn

KFF Health News Original

Stemming gun violence is back on the legislative agenda following three mass shootings in less than a month, but it’s hard to predict success when so many previous efforts have failed. Meanwhile, lawmakers must soon decide if they will extend current premium subsidies for those buying health insurance under the Affordable Care Act, and the Biden administration acts, belatedly, on Medicare premiums. Margot Sanger-Katz of the New York Times, Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call, and Rachel Cohrs of Stat News join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews KHN’s Michelle Andrews, who reported and wrote the latest KHN-NPR “Bill of the Month” episode about a too-common problem: denial of no-cost preventive care for a colonoscopy under the Affordable Care Act.

‘American Diagnosis’: ‘Water Warriors’ Tap Diné Resilience to Increase Access on Navajo Land

KFF Health News Original

Over decades, federal and state policies have left many tribal communities without access to clean, running water. This episode explores what separates some Diné and other Native people in the western United States from this critical resource.

Climate Change May Push the US Toward the ‘Goldilocks Zone’ for West Nile Virus

KFF Health News Original

Colorado recently recorded the most West Nile virus deaths and cases of neuroinvasive infections in nearly two decades. Scientists warn that climate change will make conditions ripe for more West Nile transmission.

‘American Diagnosis’: From Church Rock to Congress, Uranium Workers Are Still Fighting for Compensation

KFF Health News Original

This episode is the second half of a two-part series about uranium mining on the Navajo Nation. A coalition of Indigenous leaders and non-Native locals are lobbying Congress and fielding research to force the cleanup of abandoned uranium mining sites and expand federal compensation for workers harmed by the uranium industry.

Colorado abre período especial para tener seguro de salud por omicron y un incendio forestal

KFF Health News Original

Funcionarios estatales anunciaron la apertura de un período especial de inscripción hasta el 16 de marzo, abierto para todos los residentes de Colorado sin seguro, independientemente de si fueron afectados por el fuego o por covid-19.

El auge de las ciudades del oeste eleva niveles de ozono nocivo

KFF Health News Original

Aunque ha habido reducciones significativas, en algunas partes del país, especialmente en los valles montañosos densamente poblados del oeste, el gas inodoro e incoloro ha seguido siendo obstinadamente difícil de reducir a niveles seguros.

Hospitals Confront Climate Change as Patients Sick From Floods and Fires Crowd ERs

KFF Health News Original

Patients sickened in heat waves, flooding and wildfire have raised awareness of climate change’s impact on health. Now, some hospitals are building solar panels and cutting waste to reduce their own carbon footprints, with support from a new office at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. But the industry is moving slowly.

The ‘Burn Scars’ of Wildfires Threaten the West’s Drinking Water

KFF Health News Original

Sediment from massive blazes chokes rivers and reservoirs, contaminating water supplies. The problem is only getting worse as climate change intensifies wildfires and lengthens the fire season.

Wildfire Smoke Is Here to Stay. Here’s How to Clean the Air Inside Your Home.

KFF Health News Original

There are many ways to cleanse indoor air of dangerous smoke particles, which are particularly harmful to people with chronic respiratory and cardiac conditions. Some are expensive, but cheap alternatives exist.