Native American Public Health Officials Are Stuck in Data Blind Spot
By Jazmin Orozco Rodriguez
For decades, state and federal agencies have restricted or delayed tribes and tribal epidemiology centers from accessing public health data, a blackout that leaves health workers in Native American communities cobbling together information to guide their work, including tracking devastating disease outbreaks.
Inside Project 2025: Former Trump Official Outlines Hard Right Turn Against Abortion
By Stephanie Armour
Former President Donald Trump has distanced himself from a Heritage Foundation document that outlines positions on abortion and a range of other social issues. But Democrats view it as a window into the far right’s to-do list and a clear opening for political attack.
Social Media Bans Could Deny Teenagers Mental Health Help
By Daniel Chang
Illustration by Oona Zenda
Congress and state legislatures are considering age bans and other limits for Instagram and TikTok out of concern that they harm kids’ mental health. But some researchers and pediatricians question whether there’s enough data to support that conclusion.
Daily Edition for Monday, August 5, 2024
Covid Surge Pushes Into Third Month, Surprising Health Experts: California’s summer covid surge has proved to be particularly strong and enduring, surprising experts with its tenacity. Read more from the Los Angeles Times and Voice of OC. Scroll down for more covid news.
‘I Feel Dismissed’: People Experiencing Colorism Say Health System Fails Them
By Chaseedaw Giles
Illustration by Oona Zenda
Colorism — a form of prejudice and discrimination in which lighter skin is favored over darker skin — has been associated with mental health conditions such as depression, low self-esteem, and anxiety. But skin tone often goes unaddressed with therapists and clinical specialists.
Daily Edition for Friday, August 2, 2024
Patients Begin Moving Into Laguna Honda Hospital: San Francisco’s largest skilled nursing facility, Laguna Honda Hospital and Rehabilitation Center, will begin readmitting former residents it was forced to move out over the past two years while it underwent a grueling process to regain federal certification. This week, one new resident moved in. Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
Urgent Care or ER? With ‘One-Stop Shop,’ Hospitals Offer Both Under Same Roof
By Phil Galewitz
Hospitals in several states are partnering with a private equity-backed company to offer combined emergency and urgent care in a single building. But patients may not realize prices vary between the two services — often by a lot.
Since Fall of ‘Roe,’ Self-Managed Abortions Have Increased
By Sarah Varney
The percentage of people who say they’ve tried to end a pregnancy without medical assistance increased after “Roe v. Wade” was overturned. One of the most common reasons for seeking a self-managed abortion was privacy concerns.
Harris’ California Health Care Battles Signal Fights Ahead for Hospitals if She Wins
By Bernard J. Wolfson and Phil Galewitz
Kamala Harris fought health care consolidation during her tenure as California’s attorney general, and she could escalate the fight nationally if she wins in November. Still, the pace of mergers has accelerated.
KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': Abortion Heats Up Presidential Race
The elevation of Vice President Kamala Harris to the top of the presumed Democratic presidential ticket is newly energizing the debate over abortion, while former President Donald Trump attempts to distance himself from more sweeping proposals in the “Project 2025” GOP blueprint put together by his former administration officials and the conservative Heritage Foundation. Lauren Weber of The Washington Post, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, and Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews KFF Health News’ Elisabeth Rosenthal, who reported and wrote the latest KFF Health News-NPR “Bill of the Month” about a preauthorized surgery that generated a six-figure bill.
