Race and Health

Latest KFF Health News Stories

Nuevos planes de Medicare Advantage adaptan ofertas para asiáticos, latinos y LGTBQ+

KFF Health News Original

A medida que Medicare Advantage gana popularidad entre los adultos mayores, tres compañías del sur de California están lanzando nuevos planes que se enfocan en comunidades culturales y étnicas, con ofertas especiales y profesionales que hablan su idioma nativo.

Californians Headed to HBCUs in the South Prepare for College Under Abortion Bans

KFF Health News Original

As high school graduates prepare to leave states like California that protect abortion rights for historically Black colleges in states where abortion is banned, they’re getting ready to safeguard their reproductive health during college.

The Painful Pandemic Lessons Mandy Cohen Carries to the CDC

KFF Health News Original

Mandy Cohen, the new director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, earned praise for her leadership and communication as the face of North Carolina’s response to covid-19. People in the state’s most vulnerable communities tell a more complicated story.

Doctors Advocate Fresh Efforts to Combat Chagas Disease, a Silent Killer

KFF Health News Original

Chagas disease, caused by a parasite, affects people primarily in rural Latin America. But an estimated 300,000 residents of the U.S. have the disease, which can cause serious heart problems. Patient advocates call for much more aggressive efforts to fight it.

Médicos abogan por nuevos esfuerzos para combatir al Chagas, un asesino silencioso

KFF Health News Original

La enfermedad de Chagas, causada por un parásito, afecta principalmente a personas en las zonas rurales de Latinoamérica. Pero se estima que 300,000 personas en Estados Unidos viven con la enfermedad, que puede causar problemas cardíacos graves. Defensores de pacientes piden esfuerzos mucho más agresivos para combatirla.

Tribal Health Workers Aren’t Paid Like Their Peers. See Why Nevada Changed That.

KFF Health News Original

Community health workers, who often help patients get to their appointments and pick up prescriptions for them, have increasingly been recognized as an integral part of treating chronic illnesses. But state-run Medicaid programs don’t always reimburse them equally, usually excluding those who work on tribal lands.

Seeking Medicare Coverage for Weight Loss Drugs, Pharma Giant Courts Black Influencers

KFF Health News Original

Novo Nordisk, the dominant company in the multibillion-dollar market for weight loss drugs, focuses on Black lawmakers and opinion leaders to spread the message that obesity is a chronic disease that needs treatment.

Mujeres negras sopesan riesgos emergentes de alisadores para el cabello “adictivos”

KFF Health News Original

Los alisadores pueden contener carcinógenos, como agentes liberadores de formaldehído, ftalatos y otros compuestos que alteran el sistema endócrino, según estudios de los Institutos Nacionales de Salud.

Black Women Weigh Emerging Risks of ‘Creamy Crack’ Hair Straighteners

KFF Health News Original

Social and economic pressures have long compelled Black girls and women to straighten their hair. But mounting evidence shows chemical straighteners — products with little regulatory oversight — may pose cancer and other health risks.

Meet the People Deciding How to Spend $50 Billion in Opioid Settlement Cash

KFF Health News Original

As settlement dollars land at the state level, state councils wield significant power in determining how the windfall gets spent. And, though they will likely include the most knowledgeable voices on addiction, these panels also face concerns about conflicts of interest and other issues.

How Health Care May Be Affected by the High Court’s Affirmative Action Ruling

KFF Health News Original

Some medical professionals warn that the Supreme Court’s recent ruling against using race as a factor in admissions could have far-reaching implications for the diversity of medical students, the practice of medicine, and patient care. Here’s what you need to know.

New Charleston Museum Nods to Historical Roots of US Health Disparities

KFF Health News Original

The $120 million International African American Museum that opened this week in Charleston, South Carolina, allows visitors to step back in history at Gadsden’s Wharf, where tens of thousands of enslaved Africans arrived in America, the genesis of generations of health disparities.

Advocates Call for 911 Changes. Police Have Mixed Feelings.

KFF Health News Original

Though most California counties are experimenting with dispatching health professionals rather than law enforcement to respond to people experiencing mental health crises, powerful police unions fear defunding.