Category: Public Health

The Startlingly High Cost Of The ‘Free’ Flu Shot

Although many consumers pay nothing out of pocket for flu shots, insurers foot the bill. And those prices vary dramatically.

Despite Supreme Court Win, Texas Abortion Clinics Still Shuttered

Three years after winning a big legal battle, abortion providers still find themselves losing the war when it comes to keeping clinics open across the huge, populous state.

Surgeon General’s Marijuana Warning Omits Crucial Context

Surgeon General Jerome Adams said the drug has a “unique impact” on the developing brain ⁠— technically true, but neglecting a vital comparison to other drugs, as well as shortcomings in the existing research.

KHN’s ‘What The Health’: Spending Bill Slowdown

It’s November, do you know where your HHS spending bill is? Still stuck in Congress. Meanwhile, lawmakers move ahead on restricting tobacco products for youth while the administration’s proposal is MIA. Rebecca Adams of CQ Roll Call and Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss this and more health news from the week. Also, Rovner interviews Dan Weissmann, host of the podcast “An Arm and a Leg.”

Nursing Home Safety Violations Put Residents At Risk, Report Finds

A federal audit of 19 California nursing homes released today found hundreds of violations of safety and emergency standards, putting vulnerable nursing home residents at increased risk of injury or death during a wildfire or other disaster.

A Regulatory Haze: Vape Marketers Are Online, Creating New Headaches For Feds

The subculture around vaping has been fueled by social media, and traditional regulations don’t easily address potential pitfalls.

More Adolescents Seek Medical Care For Mental Health Issues

Less than a decade ago, the emergency department at Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego would see maybe one or two young psychiatric patients per day, said Dr. Benjamin Maxwell, the hospital’s interim director of child and adolescent psychiatry. Now, it’s not unusual for the emergency room to see 10 psychiatric patients in a day, […]

More Adolescents Seek Medical Care For Mental Health Issues

Less than a decade ago, the emergency department at Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego would see maybe one or two young psychiatric patients per day, said Dr. Benjamin Maxwell, the hospital’s interim director of child and adolescent psychiatry. Now, it’s not unusual for the emergency room to see 10 psychiatric patients in a day, […]

Some Academics Quietly Take Side Jobs Helping Tobacco Companies In Court

Faced with lawsuits from sick smokers, tobacco firms argue the health risks were “common knowledge” for decades, and they often pay professors to help make that point as expert witnesses.

Some Academics Quietly Take Side Jobs Helping Tobacco Companies In Court

Faced with lawsuits from sick smokers, tobacco firms argue the health risks were “common knowledge” for decades, and they often pay professors to help make that point as expert witnesses.