Category: Disparities

How One State’s Public Health Defunding Led to Vaccination Chaos

The underfunding of public health and political backlash destabilized Missouri’s vaccine rollout, creating racial inequity and forcing some residents to drive hours to get shots.

Stop Blaming Tuskegee, Critics Say. It’s Not an ‘Excuse’ for Current Medical Racism.

The Tuskegee syphilis study is often cited as a reason Black Americans might hesitate to take the covid-19 vaccine. But many people say that current racism in health care and lack of access deserve more attention to move more Black Americans toward vaccine protection.

‘Press 1 for English’: Vaccination Sign-Ups Prove Daunting for Speakers of Other Languages

In Virginia, if you called 1-877-VAX-IN-VA to register for a vaccine and wanted help in a language other than English or Spanish, the system might hang up on you.

Without a Pandemic Safety Net, Immigrants Living in US Illegally Fall Through the Cracks

Many undocumented immigrants are essential workers at high risk of exposure to the virus — and the pandemic’s economic crash — with no direct access to federal financial lifelines available to U.S. citizens.

Push Is On for States to Ban Organ Transplant Discrimination

States are passing laws that would prevent people with Down syndrome, autism and other disabilities from being denied transplants solely because of their conditions.

‘Into the Covid ICU’: A New Doctor Bears Witness to the Isolation, Inequities of Pandemic

Dr. Paloma Marin-Nevarez graduated from medical school during the pandemic. We follow the rookie doctor for her first months working at a hospital in Fresno, California, as she grapples with isolation, anti-mask rallies and an overwhelming number of deaths.

With GOP Back at Helm, Montana Renews Push to Sniff Out Welfare Fraud

Montana is one of the latest states looking to aggressively check welfare eligibility to cut costs. Supporters of such steps say it’s about what’s fair — weeding out those who don’t qualify for assistance — while opponents say it will cut loose enrollees who actually need help.

Covid Vaccine Websites Violate Disability Laws, Create Inequity for the Blind

A KHN investigation found covid vaccine registration and information websites at the federal, state and local levels are flouting disability rights laws and limiting the ability of people who are blind or visually impaired to sign up for shots.

‘It Doesn’t Feel Worth It’: Covid Is Pushing New York’s EMTs to the Brink

Struggling with low pay and high stress, New York paramedics and EMTs are reaching a breaking point.

Spurred by Pandemic, Little Shell Tribe Fast-Tracks Its Health Service Debut

As the newest federally recognized tribe, the Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians of Montana is starting from scratch to deliver health care to members. While covid-19 has been devastating, it has sped up the tribe’s ability to build a clinic. Yet, lacking a reservation, the tribe faces challenges reaching its scattered members.