Public Health Archives - Page 22 of 184

SCOTUS Ruling Strips Power From Federal Health Agencies

Episode 353

June 28, 2024

In what will certainly be remembered as a landmark decision, the Supreme Court has overruled a 40-year-old precedent that gave federal agencies, rather than judges, the power to interpret ambiguous laws passed by Congress. Administrative experts say the decision will dramatically change the way key health agencies do business. Also, the court decided not to decide whether a federal law requiring hospitals to provide emergency care overrides Idaho’s near-total ban on abortion. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Victoria Knight of Axios, and Joanne Kenen of Johns Hopkins University and Politico Magazine join KFF Health News chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Plus, for “extra credit,” the panelists suggest health policy stories they read this week they think you should read, too.

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A woman and man sit on a couch, smiling at each other, with arms intertwined

The Injured

$2 Million Disbursed to Victims and Community Groups in Wake of Super Bowl Mass Shooting

The United Way of Greater Kansas City gave $1.2 million to victims and $832,000 to 14 community groups Thursday, hoping to reach other victims from the violence at the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl parade, as well as those working to prevent gun violence.

By Peggy Lowe, KCUR and Bram Sable-Smith

June 28, 2024

A red-eyed cicada rests on the middle finger of Kasey Fowler-Finn.

Chorus or Cacophony? Cicada Song Hits Some Ears Harder Than Others

Cicadas are the song of the summer, but this year’s large broods may be especially irritating for people on the autism spectrum who have hearing sensitivity.

By Zach Dyer

June 27, 2024

A chain link fence with barbed wire at the top

US Judge Finds California in Contempt Over Prison Mental Health Staffing

A federal judge has found top California officials in contempt for failing to hire enough mental health professionals to adequately treat tens of thousands of incarcerated people with serious mental disorders. The judge ordered the state to pay $112 million in fines.

By Don Thompson

June 26, 2024

A photograph of a closed hospital taken from the parking lot.

Closing of Rural Hospitals Leaves Towns With Unhealthy Real Estate

Dozens of small cities and towns across the United States struggle not just with health care access and the loss of jobs, but also with the burden of what to do with big, empty buildings.

By Taylor Sisk

June 26, 2024

U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy gestures with his hands as he talks.

US Surgeon General Declares Gun Violence ‘a Public Health Crisis’

Gun violence is the No. 1 cause of death for children and teens in America. Vivek Murthy says the toll extends beyond deaths, as survivors deal with “a lifetime of physical and mental health impacts” and those who witness shootings become traumatized.

By Rachana Pradhan and Fred Clasen-Kelly

June 25, 2024

A photo of a Latino man driving in his car.

Young Gay Latinos See Rising Share of New HIV Cases, Leading to Call for Targeted Funding

Since being diagnosed with HIV in 2022, Fernando Hermida has had to move three times to access treatment. A KFF Health News-Associated Press analysis found gay and bisexual Latino men account for a fast-growing proportion of new diagnoses and infections, showing they are falling behind in the fight against HIV.

By Vanessa G. Sánchez, Devna Bose, The Associated Press, and Phillip Reese

June 24, 2024

KFF Health News On Air

Journalists Discuss Bird Flu, Tick-Borne Illnesses, and Lessons From Covid Response

KFF Health News and California Healthline staff made the rounds on national and local media in recent weeks to discuss topical stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances.

June 22, 2024

What the Health? From KFF Health News

Live From Aspen: Health and the 2024 Elections

Episode 352

June 21, 2024

Health policy may not be the top issue in this year’s presidential and congressional elections, but it’s likely to play a key role. President Joe Biden and Democrats intend to hold Republicans responsible for the Supreme Court’s unpopular ruling overturning the right to abortion, and former President Donald Trump aims to take credit for government efforts to lower prescription drug prices — even in cases in which he played no role. Meanwhile, some critical health care issues, such as those involving Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act, are unlikely to get discussed much, even though the party in power after the elections would control the future of those programs. This week, in an episode taped before a live audience at the Aspen Ideas: Health festival in Aspen, Colorado, Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times and Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more.

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Jacob Gooch Sr. is standing on crutches in a room in his home. The room is dark, but he stands in a beam of light coming in through a window.

The Injured

Super Bowl Parade Shooting Survivors Await Promised Donations While Bills Pile Up

Families of the people hurt during the Feb. 14 mass shooting are carrying what one expert calls “victimization debt.” In the third story of our series “The Injured,” we learn about the strain of paying small and large medical bills and other out-of-pocket costs.

By Peggy Lowe, KCUR and Bram Sable-Smith

June 21, 2024

‘We’re Flying Blind’: CDC Has 1M Bird Flu Tests Ready, but Experts See Repeat of Covid Missteps

Three months into the U.S. bird flu outbreak, only 45 people have been tested. Laboratories that are the foundation of diagnostic testing have yet to get approval to detect the bird flu virus. They say their path forward has been slowed by miscommunication and uncertainty from the CDC and FDA.

By Amy Maxmen

June 20, 2024

A man and woman embrace outdoors amid flowers and trees. The woman is wearing a black zip up hoodie and the man is wearing a black cap.

Montana Creates Emergency ‘Drive-Thru’ Blood Pickup Service for Rural Ambulances

The network is aimed at helping rural patients, who face higher rates of traumatic injuries and death but may not live near a hospital with a stockpile of blood.

By Arielle Zionts

June 17, 2024

outdoor signage indicating a nearby hospital building

The Only Hospital in Town

Indiana Weighs Hospital Monopoly as Officials Elsewhere Scrutinize Similar Deals

If Indiana officials approve a proposed hospital merger in western Indiana in the coming months, the state will have its first hospital monopoly created by a “Certificate of Public Advantage.” Other such deals have resulted in government reports documenting diminished care in Tennessee and North Carolina.

By Samantha Liss

June 14, 2024

A nurse holds the hand of a patient in a home setting.

Funding Instability Plagues Program That Brings Docs to Underserved Areas

A medical residency program designed to train future primary care physicians in outpatient rather than hospital settings has proved an effective means to bring doctors to rural and underserved areas. But it hinges on unpredictable congressional funding.

By Michelle Andrews

June 13, 2024

A photo of a young man vaping while looking at his phone.

Many Young Adults Who Began Vaping as Teens Can’t Shake the Habit

New data on substance use among young adults suggests that many former teen e-cigarette users are continuing the habit.

By John Daley, Colorado Public Radio

June 12, 2024

Bird Flu Tests Are Hard To Get. So How Will We Know When To Sound the Pandemic Alarm?

If widely used, flu tests could be helpful now. In the meantime, the government needs to clear a path for H5N1 tests, researchers warn, to avoid the early missteps of the covid pandemic.

By Amy Maxmen and Arthur Allen

June 11, 2024

A photo of a fan setup in a classroom as a teacher helps students with their work.

Heat Rules for California Workers Would Also Help Keep Schoolchildren Cool

Proposed state standards to protect indoor workers from extreme heat would extend to schools. The rules come as climate change is bringing more frequent and intense heat waves, causing schools nationwide to cancel instruction.

By Samantha Young

June 10, 2024

Thousands of Children Got Tested for Lead With Faulty Devices: What Parents Should Know

Faulty lead test kits made by Magellan Diagnostics may have been used as late as 2021 to test children for exposure to the toxic metal. The company agreed to pay $42 million to settle criminal charges that it concealed malfunctions.

By Julie Appleby

June 7, 2024

A photo illustration of four black and white images collaged: two handguns in silhouette and two bullet casings.

Exclusive

White House Enlists Doctors and Hospitals To Combat Gun Violence

As Congress remains deadlocked on gun policy, the Biden administration is calling on hospital leaders and doctors to gather more data about gunshot injuries and deaths and step up their violence prevention work.

By Samantha Young

June 6, 2024

Myrna Broncho is standing outdoors beside a wooden fence that lines a large, open field on a sunny day.

End of Pandemic Internet Subsidies Threatens a Health Care Lifeline for Rural America

As the Affordable Connectivity Program runs out of money, millions of people face a jump in internet costs or lost connections if federal lawmakers don't pass a funding extension.

By Sarah Jane Tribble

June 5, 2024

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