In Los Angeles, Occupational Therapists Tapped to Help Homeless Stay Housed
By Molly Castle Work
Los Angeles County is deploying a small team of occupational therapists to help newly housed individuals adjust to life indoors. Therapists are trained to recognize disabilities and help with basic living skills, such as hygiene and cleanliness, that can help prevent clients from getting evicted or slipping back onto the streets.
What’s Indoor Air Quality Like in Long-Term Care Facilities During Wildfires? Worse Than You’d Think.
By Kylie Mohr
As climate change-driven wildfires increasingly choke large parts of the United States with smoke each summer, new research shows residents in long-term care facilities are being exposed to dangerously poor air, even those who don’t set foot outside during smoke events.
Daily Edition for Monday, January 22, 2024
Monterey Park Honors Victims Of Ballroom Shooting: The city of Monterey Park held a candlelight vigil Sunday night to remember the 11 people killed in the Jan. 21, 2023, mass shooting at Star Dance Studio and to demand stricter gun laws. “We know all 11 people. We stopped dancing for several months," James Shen said of himself and his wife. "Then we thought the best way to keep them in our mind is [to] start dancing again." Read more from Fox11 Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Times, and Time.
Federal Lawmakers Take First Steps Toward Oversight of $50 Billion in Opioid Settlements
By Aneri Pattani
The four-page bill lists how states should spend settlement money, but it doesn’t specify consequences for flouting the rules or name who is in charge of monitoring compliance.
What the Health Care Sector Was Selling at the J.P. Morgan Confab
By Molly Castle Work and Arthur Allen
When bankers and investors flocked to San Francisco for the largest gathering of health care industry investors, the buzz was all about artificial intelligence, the next hit weight-loss drug, and new opportunities to make money through nonprofit hospitals.
Watch: Older Americans Say They Feel Stuck in Medicare Advantage Plans
By Sarah Jane Tribble
You’ve probably seen advertising about Medicare Advantage plans. KFF Health News’ Sarah Jane Tribble explains the pros and cons of this insurance option as enrollment in these plans increases.
Daily Edition for Friday, January 19, 2024
Rising suicide rates, vaccinations, Homekey project, long covid, fentanyl deaths, mpox, water safety, and more are in the news.
Climate Change Raises Pressure on Biden To Keep Workers Cooler
By Samantha Young
With climate change posing rising threats to human health, the Biden administration is drafting federal rules to protect construction crews, warehouse workers, delivery drivers and the rest of America’s workforce from extreme heat. The regulatory effort has been years in the making, and its fate is far from certain. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration […]
Rising Suicide Rate Among Hispanics Worries Community Leaders
By Andy Miller and Molly Castle Work
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.
KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': The Supreme Court vs. the Bureaucracy
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 KFF 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 KFF Health News-NPR “Bill of the Month” feature about a lengthy fight over a bill for a quick telehealth visit.
