Rural Dispatch: September 2023
Hep C’s Number Comes Up: Can Biden’s 5-Year Plan Eliminate the Longtime Scourge?
Michelle Andrews
Before covid-19, hepatitis C held the distinction of claiming more American lives each year than any other infectious disease — that’s despite the marketing of several relatively affordable, highly effective treatments.
How Will Rural Americans Fare During Medicaid Unwinding? Experts Fear They’re on Their Own
Jazmin Orozco Rodriguez
As states review their Medicaid rolls after the expiration of a pandemic-era prohibition against kicking recipients off the government insurance program, experts say the lack of help available to rural Americans in navigating insurance options puts them at greater risk of losing health coverage than people in metropolitan areas.
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.
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.
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.
Despite Successes, Addiction Treatment Programs for Families Struggle to Stay Open
Christina Saint Louis
Residential addiction treatment programs that allow parents to bring their children along have been recognized for their success. But a mix of logistical challenges and low reimbursement rates mean they struggle to stay afloat.
Rural Nursing Home Supporters Fear Proposed Staffing Standards Will Trigger More Closures
Tony Leys
The Biden administration says a recently proposed minimum staffing standard would help ensure quality care, but nursing home leaders predict many rural facilities would struggle to meet it.
With Its Two Doctors Planning to Retire, an Alabama Town Patches Together Health Care Options
Arielle Zionts
LaFayette and other rural areas of the country tend to have high rates of health problems but not enough doctors. Many are adapting by investing in nontraditional prevention and treatment options.