Category: Kaiser Health News

Exits by Black and Hispanic Teachers Pose a New Threat to Covid-Era Education

Schools that serve poor and disadvantaged kids have taken a series of hits during the pandemic. Now, teachers of color are leaving the profession at higher rates than are white teachers.

Don’t Nurse That Moscow Mule — It Could Be a Health Hazard

Researchers in Montana have found that unsafe levels of copper can leach into the cocktail in less than half an hour.

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: FDA Takes Center Stage

Congress is set to start its once-every-five-years review of the law that authorizes user fees to finance the hiring of personnel to speed the FDA review of drugs. The periodic renewals of “PDUFA” also give lawmakers a chance to make other changes to the agency at the hub of the pandemic. Meanwhile, the FDA could also find itself at the center of the abortion debate and a controversial new medication to treat Alzheimer’s disease. Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico, and Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more.

Skirmish Between Biden and Red States Over Medicaid Leaves Enrollees in the Balance

The Biden administration is getting rid of several policies implemented by Trump-era appointees that restricted enrollment. Federal officials now say states can no longer charge premiums to low-income residents enrolled in Medicaid and have ruled out work requirements.

Montana Mice May Hold the Secret to Virus Spillover

Researchers in Montana are working to figure out how climate change and biodiversity affect viruses’ jump from animals to people.

‘Somebody Is Gonna Die’: Medi-Cal Patients Struggle to Fill Prescriptions

Problems with California’s new Medicaid prescription drug program are preventing thousands of patients from getting their medications, including some life-saving ones. State officials say they’re working on fixes.

Polio, Chickenpox, Measles, Now Covid. It’s Time to Consult History on School Vaccine Mandates

As some states adopt covid vaccine requirements, not everyone agrees mandates for children are the way forward. Taking a page from history: We have two paths to putting the pandemic behind us: a quicker, more certain one of mandatory vaccination or a stuttering, drawn-out, likely more deadly affair.

The Doctor Will See You Now — In the Hallway

At Salem Health Salem Hospital in Oregon, the omicron surge is still swamping health care workers. They are ground down emotionally but keep showing up for their patients.

Missouri’s War on Public Health Shows Extent of National Rift

A public health official who said he was anti-abortion and anti-mandate for masks and covid vaccines did not pass the purity test of a Missouri senator who opposes covid public health restrictions. The senator killed the official’s nomination to be state health director, highlighting how hands may be tied in the nationwide fight against infectious diseases.

Federal Investigation Into Spine Surgeries Uses Mob Laws to Target Health Care Fraud

Investigators allege a Texas company that arranges spine surgery and other medical care for people injured in car crashes accepted bribes in violation of 1960s-era racketeering law.