Daily Edition for Friday, June 30, 2023
Deadly heat, pregnant worker protections, medical education, reparations, homelessness, privacy, fentanyl, RSV, and more are in the news.
Need to Get Plan B or an HIV Test Online? Facebook May Know About It
By Darius Tahir and Simon Fondrie-Teitler, The Markup
Twelve of the largest drugstores in the U.S. sent shoppers’ sensitive health information to Facebook or other platforms, according to an investigation by The Markup and KFF Health News.
A New Law Is Supposed to Protect Pregnant Workers — But What If We Don’t Know How?
By Gina Jiménez
During pregnancy, workers often face hazardous circumstances, including breathing toxic chemicals. On June 27, the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act began requiring employers to provide “reasonable accommodations.” But the new law has a big hole: Not nearly enough is known about which chemical exposures are dangerous for pregnant workers.
KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': A Year Without Roe
It’s been a year since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and, with it, the nationwide right to abortion. The decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization set off widespread uncertainty in government and the courts about the legality or illegality of the procedure. But the decision has had other consequences too, including affecting where health professionals choose to locate. In this special episode of KFF Health News’ “What the Health?” Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Shefali Luthra of The 19th, and Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call join KFF Health News chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews KFF’s Alina Salganicoff about the organization’s research and other work on women’s health policy over the past year.
Daily Edition for Thursday, June 29, 2023
Smoking, hate crimes, homelessness, heat warnings, covid, psychedelics, medical shortages, and more are in the news.
More States Drop Sales Tax on Disposable Diapers to Boost Affordability
By Hannah Critchfield, Tampa Bay Times
Last month, Florida joined a growing number of states in banning sales taxes on diapers to make them more affordable for older adults and families with young children. Though diapers are essential for many, they are not covered by food stamps. Nor are incontinence products for older adults typically covered by Medicare. The cost can easily add up on a fixed income.
As Low-Nicotine Cigarettes Hit the Market, Anti-Smoking Groups Press for Wider Standard
By Don Thompson
The first FDA-authorized cigarettes with 95% less nicotine than traditional smokes will go on sale in California, Florida, and Texas starting in early July. Anti-smoking groups oppose greenlighting just one plant biotech’s products and instead urge federal regulators to set a low-nicotine standard for the entire industry.
Once-Resistant Rural Court Officials Begin to Embrace Medications to Treat Addiction
By Taylor Sisk
As evidence supporting medication treatment for opioid addiction mounts, judges, district attorneys, and law enforcement officials in rural America are increasingly open to it after years of insisting on abstinence only.
Daily Edition for Wednesday, June 28, 2023
Narcan, cost of giving birth, heat warning, homelessness, immigrant health, nurse pay, cancer drug shortage, and more are in the news.
Misinformation Obscures Standards Guiding Gender-Affirming Care for Trans Youth
By Helen Santoro
Many state legislatures have passed or are considering restrictions on gender-affirming care for trans minors. Yet much of the discussion is based on misconceptions about what that care entails.
