Category: Public Health

KFF Health News’ ‘What the Health?’: Countdown to Shutdown

Congress appears to be careening toward a government shutdown, as a small band of House conservatives vow to block any funding for the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1 unless they win deeper cuts to health and other domestic programs. Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump continues to roil the GOP presidential primary field, this time with comments about abortion. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Rachel Cohrs of Stat, and Tami Luhby of CNN join KFF Health News chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also, for “extra credit,” the panelists suggest health policy stories they read this week they think you should read, too.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Injects Presidential Politics Into the Covid Vaccine Debate

Losing ground in the Republican primary, Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida and his top medical advisers dismissed the recent federal recommendation that almost everyone get an updated covid shot.

Women less likely than men to get CPR in public

Women are less likely than men to receive CPR in public places, but older people, especially older men, are less likely to get CPR in private locations, new research has found.

Watch: Thinking Big in Public Health, Inspired by the End of Smallpox

A conversation about how the lessons from the victory over smallpox could be applied to public health challenges today.

Health Workers Warn Loosening Mask Advice in Hospitals Would Harm Patients and Providers

Clinicians, researchers, and workplace safety officers worry new guidelines on face masks from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention might reduce protection against the coronavirus and other airborne pathogens in hospitals.

Arkansas resident dies from brain-eating amoeba

The Arkansas Department of Health is reporting one resident has died after contracting a brain-eating amoeba from a splash pad at the Country Club of Little Rock, according to a Sept. 14 news release.

2 scenarios for virus season admissions: CDC

This fall and winter, U.S. hospitals could see similar levels of capacity and resource strain as last year, the CDC said in a Sept. 14 outlook on respiratory virus season. 

Social Security Overpays Billions to People, Many on Disability. Then It Asks for the Money Back.

Beneficiaries in five states described what happened when they received demands to return overpayments that reached up to tens of thousands of dollars or more.

Rural Nursing Home Supporters Fear Proposed Staffing Standards Will Trigger More Closures

The Biden administration says a recently proposed minimum staffing standard would help ensure quality care, but nursing home leaders predict many rural facilities would struggle to meet it.

A New Covid Booster Is Here. Will Those at Greatest Risk Get It?

The CDC says everyone over 6 months old should get the new covid booster. But the emergency response mechanisms that supported earlier vaccine campaigns are gone. As one expert wonders: How to get boosters to people beyond Democrats, college graduates, and those with high incomes?