Epidemic: The Goddess of Smallpox
To defeat smallpox in South Asia, public health workers had to navigate the region’s layered cultural ideas about the virus. They also dreamed big. In Episode 1, host Céline Gounder wonders how the U.S. might tap into similar “moral imagination” to prepare for the next public health crisis.
Daily Edition for Monday, July 17, 2023
Mental health services, tainted drinking water, dangerous heat, covid hospitalizations, Medi-Cal, ACA taxes, and more are in the news.
Readers and Tweeters See Ways to Shore Up Primary Care
KFF Health News gives readers a chance to comment on a recent batch of stories.
In Older Adults, a Little Excess Weight Isn’t Such a Bad Thing
By Judith Graham
Researchers have found that while obesity at any age risks harming health, a few extra pounds in later life isn’t cause for concern.
Daily Edition for Friday, July 14, 2023
Covid vaccines, deadly heat, insurance premiums, hospital news, housing, OTC birth control pills, 988 hotline, and more are in the news.
How a Combination of Covid Lawsuits and Media Coverage Keeps Misinformation Churning
By Darius Tahir
Even as the covid-19 pandemic wanes, litigation — whether about vaccines, masks, or a range of other public health policies made during the pandemic — isn’t about to end.
KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': The Long Road to Reining In Short-Term Plans
It took more than two years, but the Biden administration has finally kept a promise made by then-candidate Joe Biden to roll back the Trump administration’s expansion of short-term, limited-duration health plans. The plans have been controversial because, while they offer lower premiums than more comprehensive health plans, they offer far fewer benefits and are […]
Daily Edition for Thursday, July 13, 2023
Intense Heat Wave Coming To San Diego County This Weekend: The heat wave that began to grip San Diego County this week could intensify enough to push temperatures close to 120 degrees on Sunday in the local deserts, including Ocotillo Wells and Borrego Springs, according to the National Weather Service. Read more from the San Diego Union Tribune.
Got Milk in School? Farmers Fight Health Advocates Over the Creamy ‘Whole’ Variety
By Phil Galewitz
It has been over a decade since whole milk was served in schools through the National School Lunch Program, after U.S. government dietary guidance effectively banned it. But dairy farmers, some health experts, and members of Congress say it’s time to bring it back.
An Arm and a Leg: Wait, What’s a PBM?
By Dan Weissmann
Pharmacy benefit managers, or PBMs, are companies that negotiate the prices of prescription drugs. Hear about their role in raising drug prices and the ongoing efforts to regulate this complex industry.
