Category: Public Health

How Easy Are Vaccine Exemptions? Take A Look At The Oregon Model

About 95% of parents in Oregon who skip vaccines opt to use the state’s online education tool to print their own exemption certificates.

Popular Weed Killer’s Alleged Link To Cancer Spreads Concern

The main ingredient in numerous popular herbicides has been implicated by two juries in the cancers of frequent users, but major public health agencies disagree over whether it is a carcinogen. Can you use it safely in your garden? Here are some answers to questions you may have about the weed killer glyphosate.

California Hospitals See Massive Surge In Homeless Patients

Homeless patients accounted for about 100,000 visits to California hospitals in 2017, marking a 28% increase from just two years earlier. Health officials attribute the surge to the overall rise in California’s homeless numbers and the large proportion of people living on the streets with mental illness.

Suicide Risk Grew After Missouri Medicaid Kids Shifted To Managed Care, Hospitals Say

Psychiatric treatment for children in Medicaid managed-care plans in Missouri has declined and suicide risks are up, reveals a study sponsored by the state hospital association.

Health Officials’ Plug For Next FDA Chief: Go Big On E-Cig Regulation

With Scott Gottlieb making his exit from the Food and Drug Administration’s top spot, city and country health officials call for backup in the fight to curb teen use of e-cigarettes.

States Push For Caregiver Tax Credits

Families often spend thousands of dollars caring for ailing loved ones at home. Lawmakers in California and at least seven other states want to provide some financial relief with state income tax credits.

Must-Reads Of The Week (Some Flying Below The Radar)

Executive editor Damon Darlin takes a spin as host of “The Friday Breeze,” whirling through a week of health care news so you don’t have to.

Aspiring Doctors Seek Advanced Training In Addiction Medicine

Once a tiny specialty that drew mostly psychiatrists, addiction medicine is expanding its accredited training to include primary care residents and “social justice warriors” who see it as a calling.

Podcast: KHN’s ‘What The Health’ Surprise! Fixing Surprise Medical Bills Is Harder Than it Looks

Joanne Kenen of Politico, Anna Edney of Bloomberg News and Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss the efforts to curb “surprise” medical bills to patients who inadvertently get out-of-network care; a look at where the 2020 presidential candidates stand on health; and the Trump administration’s efforts to end HIV in the U.S. Also, Rovner interviews Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, who is leaving his job in early April.

Does It Make Sense To Delay Children’s Vaccines?

The renewed squabble over vaccinations obscures a large group of parents who aren’t anti-vaxxers but spread out their children’s vaccines at a more gradual pace than doctors recommend. Pediatricians warn that could leave small children vulnerable to disease.