KFF Health News Weekly Edition: Sept. 8, 2023
The Shrinking Number of Primary Care Physicians Is Reaching a Tipping Point
Elisabeth Rosenthal
The declining share of U.S. doctors in adult primary care is about 25% — a point beyond which many Americans won’t be able to find a family doctor at all.
Heat-Related Deaths Are Up, and Not Just Because It’s Getting Hotter
Phillip Reese
Excessive heat contributed to 1,670 deaths nationwide last year, according to federal data — the highest rate in at least two decades. An increase in drug use and homelessness, along with hotter temperatures, were among the reasons.
3 Health Policy Experts You Should Know
In this special episode of KFF Health News’ “What the Health?” host Julie Rovner interviews three health policy experts.
How Far Will Montana’s Push to Remove Lead from School Drinking Water Go?
Keely Larson
Montana has earmarked $3.7 million to address widespread high levels of lead in school drinking water. But it likely isn’t enough to solve the problem.
‘Summer Sizzles?’
Fran
Used with the permission of Fran and CartoonStock. Cartoons are the property of their respective artists and are subject to copyright laws. Do not reproduce or redistribute this cartoon without permission of the artist.
When Temps Rise, So Do Medical Risks. Should Doctors and Nurses Talk More About Heat?
Martha Bebinger, WBUR
The medical dangers of heat are real. But people often ignore public heat alerts or don't realize how vulnerable they are. A new alert system prompts clinicians to talk about heat with patients.
Activist Misuses Federal Data to Make False Claim That Covid Vaccines Killed 676,000
Tom Kertscher, PolitiFact
Anti-vaccine tech entrepreneur Steve Kirsch, whose wild assertions have been repeatedly debunked, wrongly attributes deaths following vaccination to the vaccines themselves. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which runs the database, calls that inaccurate and irresponsible.
Biden Administration Proposes New Standards to Boost Nursing Home Staffing
Jordan Rau
The proposal would require major hiring at the most sparsely staffed homes. But the proposal is already badly received by the nursing home industry, which claims it can’t boost wages enough to attract workers.
Mississippi’s Cervical Cancer Deaths Indicate Broader Health Care Problems
Virginia Anderson
Mississippi has among the highest cervical cancer mortality rates in the U.S. When low-income women can't afford regular preventive care, much less gynecological visits, this highly preventable and treatable cancer becomes a killer.
NPR and KFF Health News Share the Story of Two Health Heroes Who Helped Stop Smallpox
Regina G. Barber from NPR’s “Shortwave” podcast speaks with physician-epidemiologist Céline Gounder about two men who were among the public health heroes who helped wipe out a 3,000-year-old virus, and the lessons that victory offers for the next public health emergency.
Workers Pay the Price While Congress and Employers Debate Need for Heat Regulations
Amy Maxmen
Studies suggest official numbers vastly underestimate heat-related injuries and illness on the job. To institute protections, the government must calculate their cost — and the cost of inaction.
‘Don’t Take it Literally’
Trevor White
Used with the permission of Trevor White and CartoonStock. Cartoons are the property of their respective artists and are subject to copyright laws. Do not reproduce or redistribute this cartoon without permission of the artist.
Listen to the Latest ‘KFF Health News Minute’
“Health Minute” brings original health care and health policy reporting from the KFF Health News newsroom to the airwaves each week.
Even in the Most Depressed County in America, Stigma Around Mental Illness Persists
Phil Galewitz
An estimated 32% of adults in Logan County, West Virginia, have been diagnosed with depression, the highest rate in the United States, according to a recent CDC report.
Cozy Images of Plush Toys and Blankets Counter Messaging on Safe Infant Sleep
Colleen DeGuzman
Unsafe sleep environments are among the main reasons accidental suffocation or strangulation is a hard-to-solve public health problem.
Hollywood’s A-List Health Insurance Is Jeopardized by the Labor Strikes
Jackie Fortiér, LAist
Hollywood actors and writers who qualify for their union health plans get a very good deal compared with other Americans. But not working during the strike threatens their eligibility in the system.
Most States Have Yet to Permanently Fund 988. Call Centers Want Certainty.
Christina Saint Louis
For rural Americans, who live in areas often short of mental health services and die by suicide at a far higher rate than urbanites, the federally mandated crisis phone line is one of the few options to connect with a crisis counselor.
‘Like a Russian Roulette’: US Military Firefighters Grapple With Unknowns of PFAS Exposure
Patricia Kime and Hannah Norman
Federal research linking “forever chemicals” to testicular cancer confirms what U.S. military personnel long suspected. But as they seek testing for PFAS exposure, many wonder what to do with the results. There’s no medical treatment yet.
‘A Clean Bill of Health?’
Elisabeth McNair
Used with the permission of Elisabeth McNair and CartoonStock. Cartoons are the property of their respective artists and are subject to copyright laws. Do not reproduce or redistribute this cartoon without permission of the artist.
Welcome Back, Congress. Now Get to Work.
Congress returns from its summer recess with a long list of tasks and only a few work days to get them done. On top of the annual spending bills needed to keep the government operating, on the list are bills to renew the global HIV/AIDS program, PEPFAR, and the community health centers program. Meanwhile, over the recess, the Biden administration released the names of the first 10 drugs selected for the Medicare price negotiation program.
In Move to Slash CDC Budget, House Republicans Target Major HIV Program Trump Launched
Andy Miller and Sam Whitehead
Republicans in Congress have proposed substantial cuts to the budget of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, taking aim at one of former President Donald Trump’s major health programs: a push to end the HIV epidemic in the U.S.