Public Health
Lawmakers hope to use this emerging climate science to charge oil companies for disasters
Under their proposals, state agencies would use computer models to tally up the damages caused by climate change and identify the companies responsible. Then, they would send each company a bill for its portion of the destruction.
How states can give released inmates the best chance of staying clean
A Medicaid waiver can help state corrections facilities finance reentry services aimed at keeping former inmates in recovery and curbing the opioid crisis.
Why a lawsuit may be state and local governments’ best chance to cut insulin prices
The skyrocketing cost of insulin hits employee health plans and limits governments’ ability to finance other projects, such as infrastructure improvements. The multidistrict litigation aims to fix that.
Arkansas led the nation in measuring obesity in kids. Did it help?
In 2003, Arkansas became the first state to send home "fat letters" or BMI reports about all students as part of a broader anti-obesity initiative. At least 23 states followed Arkansas’ lead. Some have since scaled back their efforts.
EPA issues first-ever drinking water standards for ‘forever chemicals’
The Biden administration also announced nearly $1 billion in newly available funding to help public water utilities implement PFAS testing and treatment.
City-country mortality gap widens amid persistent holes in rural health care access
As rural health services continue to erode, population health declines and mortality rates increase. That endangers local economies and employment, rural health experts say.
Oregon rolls back decriminalization of drugs. But is it too soon?
At a time when drug overdoses plague the nation, Oregon will recriminalize hard drugs, walking back a first-in-the nation experiment that critics say the state botched.
End of internet subsidies for low-income households threatens telehealth access
Telehealth enables preventative care and keeps people out of emergency rooms, so loss of the subsidy will have real impacts on health outcomes, experts warn.
In crisis and on hold: How the 988 hotline revamped callers' experience
To avoid people in need hanging up in frustration, the crisis and suicide hotline has changed the voice and the music that callers hear as they wait to be connected to counselors.
Track opioid settlement payouts—to the cent—in your community
Determining how much money has arrived is the first step in assessing whether the settlements will make a dent in the nation’s addiction crisis.
States look to Medicaid to curb maternal mortality
Expanding Medicaid postpartum care from 60 days to 12 months gives states more tools for addressing rising maternal death rates.
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