Public Health Archives - Page 37 of 183

An illustration shows the state of Nevada against a dotted background. A stethoscope hangs over the state's shape.

Mistrust and Polarization Steer Rural Governments to Reject Federal Public Health Funding

As the covid-19 pandemic grinds on, Elko County, Nevada, still lacks a public health department. Yet its elected leaders rejected federal funds that could have helped it create one. Decisions like the one in Elko, and ones made by officials with other state and local governments, leave health experts concerned about whether the country's public health infrastructure will be prepared to handle future health challenges.

By Jazmin Orozco Rodriguez

Nov. 18, 2022

A photo shows a CVS home STI test on a counter next to its contents.

As STDs Proliferate, Companies Rush to Market At-Home Test Kits. But Are They Reliable?

The popularity of at-home covid tests has amplified calls from public health researchers and diagnostic companies to make home testing similarly routine for sexually transmitted diseases. But FDA guidelines are lagging.

By Liz Szabo

Nov. 18, 2022

A photo shows a sign on a window that reads, "Note: Proof of vaccination required upon entry."

COVID-19

Blackfeet Nation Challenges Montana Ban on Vaccine Mandates as Infringement on Sovereignty

The Montana tribe has entered a legal fight over whether the state has the right to enforce a prohibition of vaccine mandates on its reservation.

By Katheryn Houghton

Nov. 17, 2022

Waistlines and Bottom Lines

Patients Complain Some Obesity Care Startups Offer Pills, and Not Much Else

A new wave of obesity care startups offer access to new weight loss medications. But do they offer good health care?

By Darius Tahir

Nov. 15, 2022

Thousands of Experts Hired to Aid Public Health Departments Are Losing Their Jobs

As the covid-19 pandemic raged, an independent nonprofit tied to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention hired an army of seasoned professionals to fill the gaps in the country’s public health system. Now, the money has largely run out, and state and local health departments are again without their expertise.

By Lauren Weber

Nov. 14, 2022

Patients for Profit: How Private Equity Hijacked Health Care

Sick Profit: Investigating Private Equity’s Stealthy Takeover of Health Care Across Cities and Specialties

Private equity firms have shelled out almost $1 trillion to acquire nearly 8,000 health care businesses, in deals almost always hidden from federal regulators. The result: higher prices, lawsuits, and complaints about care.

By Fred Schulte

Nov. 14, 2022

Podcast

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: The Midterm Shake-Up

Election night went better than expected for Democrats. Although they could still lose control of one or both houses of Congress, the predicted “red wave” for Republicans failed to materialize. Meanwhile, voters in both red and blue states approved ballot measures to protect abortion rights. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Rachel Cohrs of Stat, and Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these topics and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Carolee Lee, the former jewelry magnate, about her efforts to boost gender equity in medical research.

Nov. 10, 2022

A pen and ink cartoon depicting a witch lying on the floor, staring in horror at her cell phone. A black cat stands on her stomach and is pawing at the window above them. Outside, you can see ghostly depictions of the following viruses: covid-19, ebola, monkeypox, and influenza.

Readers Boo Medical Debt and Viral Threats in Winning Halloween Haikus

We unmask the winner and runners-up in KHN’s fourth annual Halloween haiku competition — plus the original artwork they inspired as a special treat.

Oct. 31, 2022

KHN On Air

Journalists Talk Medicare and Public Health Infrastructure

KHN and California Healthline staff made the rounds on national and local media this week to discuss their stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances.

Oct. 29, 2022

A photo shows vials of blood samples for testing for monkeypox virus.

When Monkeypox Reaches Rural Communities, It Collides With Strained Public Health Systems

In Nevada, local health officials are assessing the threat of monkeypox, but their response may be hampered by historically limited public health infrastructure worn thin by the covid-19 pandemic.

By Jazmin Orozco Rodriguez

Oct. 28, 2022

Podcast

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Voters Will Get Their Say on Multiple Health Issues

Abortion isn’t the only health issue voters will be asked to decide in state ballot questions next month. Proposals about medical debt, Medicaid expansion, and whether health care should be a right are on ballots in various states. Meanwhile, the latest lawsuit challenging the Affordable Care Act has expanded to cover all preventive care. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Jessie Hellmann of CQ Roll Call, and Victoria Knight of Axios join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these topics and more.

Oct. 27, 2022

A digital illustration in watercolor and pencil. It is a nighttime scene. The artwork shows an off-shore oil rig, drawn in bright red pencil, out at sea. The water is dark black with hints of reflection from a full moon overhead. In the center of the image there are two Louisiana brown pelicans. One is taking flight, highlighted by the gold light of the moon. The other bird, which has its wings tightly closed, appears somewhat ghostly, drawn in red pencil over a black silhouette.

For the Houma People, Displacement Looms With Every Storm

The Houma, an Indigenous tribe, has seen much of its Gulf Coast community washed away by rising sea levels and dangerous storms. Its leaders say the tribe’s lack of federal recognition makes it harder to keep rebuilding.

By Emmarie Huetteman

Oct. 24, 2022

Podcast

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Biden Hits the Road to Sell Democrats’ Record

With the midterm elections rapidly approaching, President Joe Biden has taken to the road to convince voters that he and congressional Democrats have delivered for them during two years in power. Among the health issues highlighted by the administration this week are pandemic preparedness and the availability of over-the-counter hearing aids. The president also promised to sign a bill codifying the abortion protections of Roe v. Wade if Democrats maintain control of the House and Senate — even though it’s a long shot that there will be enough votes for that. Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet, Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call, and Mary Agnes Carey of KHN join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these topics and more. Plus, for extra credit, the panelists recommend their favorite health policy stories of the week they think you should read, too.

Oct. 20, 2022

A syringe is in the center of the image, on a beige background. To the left are coronavirus cells and to the right are autumn leaves.

COVID-19

Will Covid Spike Again This Fall? 6 Tips to Help You Stay Safe

Recent research suggests that the covid virus is mutating to better dodge people’s immune defenses. It could soon evade monoclonal antibodies used to treat covid. KHN examines what public health officials believe is on the horizon and how best to fight the disease.

By Céline Gounder

Oct. 14, 2022

A photo shows panelists on a video call.

KHN On Air

Watch: What Experts Advise for Seniors Living Under the Long Shadow of Covid

For older people, the pandemic is as taxing and worrisome as ever. Experts in geriatric care, mental health, social services, and infectious disease joined a KHN-Hartford Foundation panel to talk about a third covid winter and its outsize toll on seniors.

Oct. 11, 2022

KHN On Air

Watch: Meet the Latest Fact-Checker — Your Doctor

KHN's Mary Agnes Carey talks with American Medical Association President Dr. Jack Resneck Jr. about how misinformation affects doctors and their daily efforts to treat patients.

Oct. 4, 2022

Podcast

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: On Government Spending, Congress Decides Not to Decide

Congress has once again decided not to decide how to fund the federal government in time for the start of the fiscal year, racing toward a midnight Sept. 30 deadline to pass a stopgap bill that would keep the lights on for two more months. However, it does appear the FDA’s program that gets drugmakers to help fund some of the agency’s review staff will be renewed in time to stop pink slips from being sent. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Rachel Cohrs of Stat, and Victoria Knight of Axios join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these topics and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews filmmaker Cynthia Lowen, whose new documentary, “Battleground,” explores how anti-abortion forces played the long game to overturn Roe v. Wade.

Sept. 29, 2022

A photo shows Ana Gonzalez posing for a portrait outside of her home.

Environmental Justice Leader Says Proposition 30 Would Help Struggling Areas Clear the Air

Ana Gonzalez, who leads an environmental justice group in the Inland Empire, has endorsed Proposition 30, a ballot initiative backed by the ride-hailing company Lyft that would tax millionaires to fund zero-emission vehicle subsidies and electric charging stations. She contends most state policies overlook marginalized communities that are disproportionately affected by air pollution.

By Heidi de Marco

Sept. 29, 2022

A digital illustration in watercolor and pencil. A woman with long, braided black hair sits in the center of the image. She looks towards the viewer out of the corner of her eye with a slightly concerned expression. Beside her is a doctor, whose body is transparent and face has completely faded into the background. Behind them is an urban landscape with buildings colored in magenta, yellow, and grey. It is night.

Podcast

‘American Diagnosis’ Episode 12: When Indigenous People Move to Cities, Health Care Funding Doesn’t Follow

When Indigenous people started moving to cities in large numbers after World War II, many found hardship and discrimination there … but not the health care they were entitled to. Episode 12, the season finale, explores the efforts of urban Indian health providers to close those gaps by providing affordable, culturally competent care.

Sept. 28, 2022