The Painful Legacy of ‘Law and Order’ Treatment of Addiction in Jail
By Renuka Rayasam
Efforts to improve addiction care in jails and prisons are underway across the country. But a rural Alabama county with one of the nation’s highest overdose rates shows how change is slow, while law enforcement officials continue to treat addiction as a crime rather than a medical condition.
Once the New Over-the-Counter Birth Control Pill Is Available, What About Cost and Coverage?
By Michelle Andrews
The Food and Drug Administration’s approval is viewed as groundbreaking, but many details still must be figured out.
¿Cuánto costará la píldora anticonceptiva de venta libre? ¿La cubrirán los seguros?
By Michelle Andrews
Los defensores de la salud reproductiva celebraron esta histórica aprobación como un paso que puede ayudar a millones de personas a evitar embarazos no deseados, que ocurren casi la mitad de las veces en los Estados Unidos.
Daily Edition for Tuesday, July 18, 2023
Record heat, homelessness, mental health, CARE courts, insurers, smoking, Alzheimer’s drug, RSV shot for infants, and more are in the news.
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.
