Every family has secrets. I spent the past few years reporting about racial violence in Sikeston, Missouri. Interviewing Black families there helped me uncover my family’s traumatic past, too.
Category: Kaiser Health News
KFF Health News’ ‘What the Health?’: Trump-Harris Debate Showcases Health Policy Differences
As expected, the presidential debate between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris offered few new details of their positions on abortion, the Affordable Care Act, and other critical health issues. But it did underscore for voters dramatic differences between the two candidates. Meanwhile, the Biden administration issued rules attempting to better enforce […]
In Montana, 911 Calls Reveal Impact of Heat Waves on Rural Seniors
State and local governments are struggling to keep up with the increasing burden of heat-related illness as summers get hotter because of climate change. In Missoula County, Montana, officials are working with researchers to understand trends in heat-related 911 calls.
At Catholic Hospitals, a Mission of Charity Runs Up Against High Care Costs for Patients
Many Catholic health systems, which are tax-exempt, pay their executives millions and can charge some of the highest prices around — while critics say they scrimp on commitments to their communities.
Trump, Harris Spar Over Abortion Rights and Obamacare in Their First Face-Off
The generally combative face-off was marked by a series of false and sometimes bizarre statements from former President Donald Trump.
Fearing the Worst, Schools Deploy Armed Police To Thwart Gun Violence
Officials reason that vigilance and familiarity with campuses would speed responses to shootings. But there is scant research about armed police in schools — and some studies suggest that racial bias in policing offers cause for caution.
Longtime Head of L.A. Care To Retire After Navigating Major Medi-Cal Changes
John Baackes, who steered Medi-Cal’s largest health plan following the Affordable Care Act expansion, and later prepared it for a state overhaul of Medi-Cal, will retire after this year. Baackes believes low payments to doctors and other providers, along with an acute labor shortage, hamper Medi-Cal’s success.
US Uninsured Rate Was Stable in 2023, Even as States’ Medicaid Purge Began
About 8% of Americans lacked health insurance in 2023, the Census Bureau announced. But its report doesn’t capture the effect of states winnowing their Medicaid rolls by millions of people since the pandemic emergency ended.
Silence in Sikeston: Racism Can Make You Sick
The “Silence in Sikeston” podcast explores what it means to live with racism and violence, then charts the toll on health — from hives and high blood pressure to struggles with mental health. The deaths of two Black men killed nearly 80 years apart in the same Missouri community anchor a conversation about the public health consequences of systemic bias.
ACA Enrollment Platforms Suspended Over Alleged Foreign Access to Consumer Data
Federal regulators provided more specifics about why they suspended two private sector Affordable Care Act enrollment sites, including concerns about potential overseas accessing of consumer data and suspicions of involvement in Obamacare enrollment and switching schemes. The companies reject the assertions.
