Category: Kaiser Health News

As Federal Emergency Declaration Expires, the Picture of the Pandemic Grows Fuzzier

The pandemic gave federal officials expanded power to access crucial data about the spread of covid-19, but that authority will change when the public health emergency sunsets in May. That, along with the end of popular covid trackers, will make it harder for policymakers and the public to keep an eye on covid and other threats.

Disability Rights Groups Sue to Overturn California’s Physician-Assisted Death Law

Disability rights advocates and two individuals with disabilities sued Tuesday to overturn the state’s physician-assisted death law, arguing it is unconstitutional, violates the Americans with Disabilities Act, and makes it too easy for people with terminal diseases whose deaths aren’t imminent to kill themselves with a doctor’s help.

A California Physician Training Program Adds Diversity, but Where Do Graduates End Up?

Researchers found that, while a University of California medical training program has diversified the system’s pool of medical students, there’s not enough long-term data to know whether graduates return to practice where they’re needed most.

Did a Military Lab Spill Anthrax Into Public Waterways? New Book Reveals Details of a US Leak

“Pandora’s Gamble” describes how 2,000 to 3,000 gallons of wastewater potentially containing anthrax, Ebola, and other deadly pathogens spilled from an Army facility in Frederick, Maryland, in 2018.

Depressed? Anxious? Air Pollution May Be a Factor

A growing body of research is finding links between air quality and mental health, as therapists report seeing patients with symptoms linked to pollution.

Listen: Mifepristone Remains Available for Now. What Happens Next?

The Supreme Court on April 21 ruled that the abortion pill mifepristone should remain widely available while the lower courts consider the issue, blocking earlier rulings that banned or restricted access to the drug. KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner joined NPR’s “Weekend All Things Considered” to discuss the complicated case.

Pain, Hope, and Science Collide as Athletes Turn to Magic Mushrooms

A group of former professional athletes traveled to Jamaica to try psychedelics as a way to help cope with the aftereffects of concussions and a career of body-pounding injuries. Will this still largely untested treatment work?

US Officials Want to End the HIV Epidemic by 2030. Many Stakeholders Think They Won’t.

The federal government’s ambitious plan to end the HIV epidemic, launched in 2019, has generated new ways to reach at-risk populations in targeted communities across the South. But health officials, advocates, and people living with HIV worry significant headwinds will keep the program from reaching its goals.

Tension Builds in Transgender Policy Debate in Montana

Two transgender lawmakers are trying to lay the groundwork for LGBTQ-friendly policies in a conservative state, but tensions are running high as the legislative session nears its end.

The Biden Administration Vowed to Be a Leading Voice on Opioid Settlements But Has Gone Quiet

Billions of dollars are headed to state and local governments to address the opioid crisis. Policy experts and advocates expect the federal government to play a role in overseeing the use of the money. Failure to do so, they say, could lead to wasted opportunities. And, since Medicaid helps pay health care costs, the feds could have a claim to portions of states’ opioid settlements.