Public Health Archives - Page 29 of 186

Biden Wins Early Court Test for Medicare Drug Negotiations

Episode 334

Feb. 15, 2024

A federal district court judge dismissed a lawsuit attempting to invalidate the Biden administration’s Medicare prescription-drug price negotiation program. But the suit turned on a technicality, and several more court challenges are in the pipeline. Meanwhile, health policy pops up in Super Bowl ads, as Congress approaches yet another funding deadline. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Lauren Weber of The Washington Post, and Rachel Cohrs of Stat join 51��Ƶ Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these issues 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 screenshot from a video of Celine Gounder on CBS News. Text on the screen reads, "Covid guidelines changing? Report: CDC considers removing five-day isolation for positive tests."

Watch: The Feds Reexamine Covid Protocols. Here’s Why You Should Care.

51��Ƶ Health News' Céline Gounder explains the "five-day rule" on covid safety, how guidelines and testing have evolved, and how best to protect yourself and others.

Feb. 15, 2024

California Prison Drug Overdoses Surge Again After Early Treatment Success

Drug overdose deaths in California state prisons rebounded to near record levels last year, a big setback for corrections officials who thought they were on the right track with medication-assisted treatment efforts. Prison officials and attorneys representing prisoners blame fentanyl.

By Don Thompson

Feb. 14, 2024

A digital illustration shows a black-and-white pencil drawing of the face of an older woman. Some areas of her face are warped and look like ghostly, swirling mist. Surrounding the older woman are various young people who, as they party, exercise, or socialize, look at her with demeaning and dismissive expressions. Gray static expands out from behind the woman’s head and fades into a bright yellow background where the younger people are. Covid-19 virus particles cover the image like polka dots.

Navigating Aging

Do We Simply Not Care About Old People?

Recently, thousands of older Americans have been dying weekly of covid. But most Americans aren’t wearing masks in public, a move that could prevent infections. Many at-risk seniors aren’t getting antiviral therapies, and older adults in nursing homes aren’t getting vaccines. Why?

By Judith Graham

Feb. 9, 2024

A woman wearing sunglasses and a blue jacket gets into a white police sport utility vehicle

Cities Know That the Way Police Respond to Mental Crisis Calls Must Change. But How?

Cities are experimenting with new ways to meet the rapidly increasing demand for behavioral health crisis intervention, at a time when incidents of police shooting and killing people in mental health crisis have become painfully familiar.

By Nicole Leonard, WHYY, Kate Wolffe, CapRadio, and Simone Popperl

Feb. 8, 2024

The photo shows a person holding house keys in their left hand. They prepare to unlock the door in front of them.

Is Housing Health Care? State Medicaid Programs Increasingly Say ‘Yes’

States are using their Medicaid programs to offer poor and sick people housing services, such as paying six months’ rent or helping hunt for apartments. The trend comes in response to a growing homelessness epidemic, but experts caution this may not be the best use of limited health care money.

By Angela Hart

Feb. 6, 2024

51��Ƶ Health News & PolitiFact HealthCheck

Congressman Off-Base in Ad Claiming Fauci Shipped Covid to Montana Before the Pandemic

Facts don’t support claims by a likely Republican Senate candidate that a federal research laboratory in Montana infected bats with a coronavirus from China before the covid-19 outbreak.

By Katheryn Houghton

Feb. 5, 2024

Back From COP28, California Climate Leaders Talk Health Impacts of Warming

Three leading California officials who represented the state at the United Nations climate talks late last year reflect on climate change’s growing threat to human health — and explain what the state is trying to do about it.

By Samantha Young

Feb. 5, 2024

A hunter, wearing a cap, leans over a newly killed buck in a grassland area

Possibility of Wildlife-to-Human Crossover Heightens Concern About Chronic Wasting Disease

A response is ramping up to a potential spillover of the neurological disease to humans from deer, elk, and other animals.

By Jim Robbins

Feb. 2, 2024

a white box of syringes containing a clear medication with a white and blue label wrapped around each

Surge in Syphilis Cases Leads Some Providers to Ration Penicillin

Injectable penicillin is the go-to treatment for syphilis and the only treatment considered safe for pregnant people with the disease. But as rates of syphilis increase across the U.S., a shortage of the injectable has prompted some public health agencies to ration it.

By Catherine Sweeney, WPLN

Feb. 1, 2024

A photograph of a woman using a smartphone as she sits next to an open suitcase on a bed. Her face is cropped out of view.

More ‘Navigators’ Are Helping Women Travel to Have Abortions

After the U.S. Supreme Court ended the federal right to an abortion and many states banned the procedure, reproductive health care organizations hired dozens of people to help patients arrange travel and pay for care.

By Lillian Mongeau Hughes

Feb. 1, 2024

A photo of the exterior of Montana's Department of Health and Human Services.

Montana Vows Changes to Avoid Delayed Contracts. Some Health Providers Still Await Back Pay.

The head of Montana’s health department said the agency is catching up on a months-long backlog of contracts with organizations that connect people to medical care that left organizations without pay, halted some services, and triggered job cuts.

By Katheryn Houghton

Jan. 31, 2024

A photo of protesters holding signs that read, "End all vaccine mandates," and "Don't experiment on our kids."

How Fringe Anti-Science Views Infiltrated Mainstream Politics — And What It Means in 2024

Opposition to vaccines and other public health measures backed by science has become politically charged. That makes dangerous misinformation much harder to fight.

By Amy Maxmen

Jan. 29, 2024

What the Health? From 51��Ƶ Health News

Health Enters the Presidential Race

Episode 331

Jan. 25, 2024

New Hampshire voters have spoken, and it seems increasingly clear that this November’s election will pit President Joe Biden against former President Donald Trump. Both appear to be making health a key part of their campaigns, with Trump vowing (again) to repeal the Affordable Care Act, and Biden stressing his support for contraception and abortion rights. Meanwhile, both candidates will try to highlight efforts to rein in prescription drug prices. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, and Jessie Hellmann of CQ Roll Call join 51��Ƶ Health News chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Sarah Somers of the National Health Law Program about the potential consequences for the health care system if the Supreme Court overturns a key precedent attempting to balance executive vs. judicial power.

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A silhouette of a figure sitting alone in a dark bedroom.

Rising Suicide Rate Among Hispanics Worries Community Leaders

The suicide rate for Hispanics in the United States has increased significantly over the past decade. The reasons are varied, say community leaders and mental health experts, citing factors such as language barriers, poverty, and a lack of bilingual mental health professionals.

By Andy Miller and Molly Castle Work

Jan. 22, 2024

A photo of gloved hands applying a bandage to a child's arm.

Montana’s Effort to Expand Religious Exemptions to Vaccines Prompts Political Standoff

The dispute between state lawmakers and health department officials could delay a broader package of child care licensing changes until 2025.

By Matt Volz

Jan. 19, 2024

What the Health? From 51��Ƶ Health News

The Supreme Court vs. the Bureaucracy

Episode 330

Jan. 18, 2024

The Supreme Court this week heard oral arguments in a case that could radically alter the way federal agencies — including the Department of Health and Human Services — administer laws passed by Congress. A decision in the case is expected this spring or summer. Meanwhile, the Biden administration is struggling over whether to ban menthol cigarettes — a move that could improve public health but also alienate Black voters, the biggest menthol users. Joanne Kenen of Johns Hopkins University and Politico Magazine, Lauren Weber of The Washington Post, and Rachel Cohrs of Stat join 51��Ƶ Health News chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Darius Tahir, who reported and wrote the latest 51��Ƶ Health News-NPR “Bill of the Month” feature about a lengthy fight over a bill for a quick telehealth visit.

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COVID-19

‘Emergency’ or Not, Covid Is Still Killing People. Here’s What Doctors Advise to Stay Safe.

Thousands of people are still dying of covid, but government has mostly handed over responsibility to the people to weather the seasonal surges with their own strategies.

By Amy Maxmen

Jan. 18, 2024

A photo of Former President Donald Trump standing at a microphone with an American flag in the background behind him.

What Would a Second Trump Presidency Look Like for Health Care?

Health policy during Donald Trump’s tenure was dominated by covid-19 and a failed effort to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. His appointments to the Supreme Court led to the end of national abortion rights, and he took steps to increase hospital price transparency and improve care for veterans.

By Julie Rovner

Jan. 16, 2024

The former ambulance entrance at the Keokuk Area Hospital has a large sign that says "closed" taped to the inside of the automatic doors.

Federal Program to Save Rural Hospitals Feels ‘Growing Pains’

Fewer than two dozen rural hospitals were converted into Rural Emergency Hospitals in the program’s first year. Now, advocates and lawmakers say tweaks to the law are necessary to lure more takers and keep health care in rural communities.

By Sarah Jane Tribble and Tony Leys

Jan. 16, 2024

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