Rural Dispatch: February 2025
Montana’s Medicaid Expansion Conundrum
Sue O'Connell
State lawmakers appear ready to preserve the state’s Medicaid expansion program without knowing what federal changes might be in store.
Texas Measles Outbreak Nears 100 Cases, Raising Concerns About Undetected Spread
Amy Maxmen
Health officials expect a measles outbreak in West Texas to exceed 100 cases because of low vaccination rates and undetected infections. Vaccine misinformation and new laws may make such situations more common and harder to contain.
An Ice Rink To Fight Opioid Crisis: Drug-Free Fun vs. Misuse of Settlement Cash
Aneri Pattani
A decision about how to spend settlement funds in Carter County, Kentucky, which was hit hard by the opioid epidemic, offers a window into the choices that surround this windfall.
Pain Clinics Made Millions From ‘Unnecessary’ Injections Into ‘Human Pin Cushions’
Brett Kelman and Oona Zenda
Pain MD, which once ran as many as 20 clinics across three states, gave chronic-pain patients about 700,000 total injections near their spines, according to court documents. Last year, federal prosecutors proved at trial that the shots were medically unnecessary and part of an extensive fraud scheme.
Iowa Medicaid Sends $4M Bills to Two Families Grieving Deaths of Loved Ones With Disabilities
Tony Leys
States are required to claw back health care costs from the estates of many Medicaid recipients. Some, including Iowa, are particularly aggressive in their pursuit.
Journalists Talk Southern Health Care: HIV Drug Access, Medicaid Expansion, Vaccination Rates
KFF Health News journalists made the rounds on national and local media recently to discuss topical stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances.
Doctor Wanted: Small Town Offers Big Perks To Attract a Physician
Daniel Chang
The town of Havana, Florida, is seeking a family doctor to practice in the rural community. Incentives include rent-free office space with medical equipment owned by the town. With a physician shortage hitting small communities hard, town leaders put want ads in newspapers and on social media.
House Cats With Bird Flu Could Pose a Risk to Public Health
Sarah Boden
The current strain of bird flu is spreading from wildlife and livestock to house cats. To keep pets healthy, many virologists and veterinarians say, house cats shouldn’t eat raw food and should be kept indoors. Despite no known cases of H5N1 transmission between cats and people, some public health agencies and virologists are warning cat owners to be mindful of the theoretical risks to the health of humans in their households if a pet gets sick.
Blood Transfusions at the Scene Save Lives. But Ambulances Are Rarely Equipped To Do Them.
Michelle Andrews
More than 60,000 people bleed to death every year in the United States. Many of those deaths occur before the patient reaches a trauma center where blood transfusions can be given.
On the Front Lines Against Bird Flu, Egg Farmers Say They’re Losing the Battle
Kate Wells, Michigan Public
Tools used to contain previous bird flu outbreaks aren’t working this time, experts say. The virus has sickened at least 67 people in the U.S. and killed one, with egg producers begging for a new approach. “I call this virus a terrorist,” said one egg farmer, who lost 6.5 million birds to H5N1 in two weeks.
Officials Seek To Dismantle Appeals Board for Montanans Denied Public Assistance
Katheryn Houghton
The Montana health department says the Board of Public Assistance is redundant and a bureaucratic hurdle that helps few people. Current and former board representatives say the rare cases in which the panel helps people are important.
For California Farmworkers, Telehealth Visits With Mexican Doctors Fill a Gap
Victoria Clayton
The MiSalud app enables Spanish-speaking users in the U.S. to meet virtually with health professionals in Mexico via a smartphone app. At Taylor Farms in Salinas, California, the novel program has been a hit.
Across the South, Rural Health Care Has Become ‘Trendy.’ Medicaid Expansion Has Not.
Lauren Sausser
State legislatures nationwide, including several in the South, are spending millions to improve rural health outcomes and access. For years, though, most Southern states have refused billions of federal dollars to provide public health insurance to more low-income adults. That isn’t likely to change with Trump back in office.
Drawn-Out Overhaul of Troubled Montana Hospital Leaves Lawmakers in Limbo
Mara Silvers, Montana Free Press
Unsure how to help the troubled psychiatric facility, legislators look to shore up other parts of the state’s mental health system.
Trump Administration’s Halt of CDC’s Weekly Scientific Report Stalls Bird Flu Studies
Amy Maxmen
An unprecedented freeze on the agency’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report sparks new concerns about political meddling in science.
Led by RFK Jr., Conservatives Embrace Raw Milk. Regulators Say It’s Dangerous.
Stephanie Armour
Controversy over raw milk reflects the push-pull the Trump administration faces in rolling back regulations and offering consumers more choices. For now, the CDC still recommends against consuming raw milk and the FDA bans its interstate sale.