Category: Disparities

Many New Moms Get Kicked Off Medicaid 2 Months After Giving Birth. Illinois Will Change That.

Each year, hundreds of thousands of new mothers lose Medicaid coverage after 60 days when their income exceeds limits. But deadly childbirth complications persist months longer.

From Racial Justice to Dirty Air, California’s New AG Plots a Progressive Health Care Agenda

In a candid interview, California’s newly appointed attorney general, Rob Bonta, reflects on his progressive roots and says he will pursue a health care agenda centered on the principle that quality medical care is a right, not a privilege.

Racism Derails Black Men’s Health, Even as Education Levels Rise

Researchers who study health among various racial and ethnic groups, as well as the social factors that influence health outcomes, say the findings suggest that the power of discrimination to harm Black men’s health may be more resistant than previously understood.

Telemedicine Is a Tool — Not a Replacement for Your Doctor’s Touch

The pandemic has demonstrated that virtual medicine is great for simple visits. But many new types of telemedicine promoted by start-ups more clearly benefit providers’ and investors’ pockets, rather than yielding more convenient, high-quality and cost-effective medicine for patients.

In Appalachia and the Mississippi Delta, Millions Face Long Drives to Stroke Care

Across Appalachia and the Mississippi Delta, where death rates from stroke are above the national average, routing patients from rural areas to the right level of care can be an intricate jigsaw puzzle. The closest hospital might not offer the full scope of stroke treatments, but hospitals with more advanced care could be hours away.

Pandemic Imperiled Non-English Speakers More Than Others

Covid patients who did not speak English well were 35% more likely to die, data from one Boston hospital shows.

Strides Against HIV/AIDS Falter, Especially in the South, as Nation Battles Covid

Public health resources have shifted from one pandemic to the other, and experts fear steep declines in testing and diagnoses mean more people will contract HIV and die of AIDS.

Events of 2020 Moved Medical Students to Political Activism

The emergence of an organization for med students motivated by progressive concerns highlights the changing attitudes of some physicians in training.

Montana Sticks to Its Patchwork Covid Vaccine Rollout as Eligibility Expands

Montana’s overstretched counties and tribal governments have developed a mishmash of policies and plans that require ingenuity and mutual support to work. A reporting project by KHN, Montana Free Press and the University of Montana School of Journalism finds the biggest test of that disparate system looms as vaccine eligibility expands. Plus: a county-by-county guide to vaccine availability in Montana.

Beating the Pavement to Vaccinate the Underrepresented — And Protect Everyone

In poor neighborhoods and desert towns, community activists — some unpaid — are signing up hard-to-reach people for vaccination appointments. Experts say these campaigns are key to building the country’s immunological armor against new outbreaks.