Michele Late

Washington, D.C.

Executive Editor, Public Health Journalist and Photographer at The Nation's Health

Public health journalist, photog & executive ed of @nationshealth. Deputy director of comms, @publichealth. @pubhealthwatch contributor 🎀

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Articles

Hospitals, patients face threats to emergency care - Public Health Watch

1 week ago | publichealthwatch.org | Michele Late

A weekly roundup of public health newsLong-festering problems within the nation’s emergency care system are increasing, putting both hospitals and patients at risk, a new report finds. Released April 7 by the RAND research organization, the report said issues such as long emergency department wait times, patient boarding in emergency department beds and high levels of uncompensated care are expanding, threatening the viability of EDs within U.S. hospitals.
Percentage of Americans Who Can't Afford Care Hits Record High

2 weeks ago | publichealthwatch.org | Michele Late

A weekly roundup of public health newsMore than a third of Americans can’t afford to pay for quality health care, a new national poll finds. The affordability gap also widened for people with low incomes and people of color. About 91 million people said they could not access quality health care if they needed it today because of cost, according to the West Health-Gallup Healthcare Affordability Index survey, which was conducted in November and December 2024. The rate is a new high.
APHA lawsuit halts Trump funding freeze: Association leading the way to protect public health from administration threats

3 weeks ago | thenationshealth.org | Michele Late
Avoidable Deaths Rise Across U.S.

4 weeks ago | publichealthwatch.org | Michele Late

Rates of deaths that could be prevented or treated have risen across every U.S. state in recent decades, according to a new study. At the same time, rates of the so-called avoidable deaths — which encompass deaths that could have been avoided through prevention or public health as well deaths that could have been avoided with timely, effective medical care — have been improving in other high-income countries.
Where You Live Impacts Employer-Based Health Care Costs

1 month ago | publichealthwatch.org | Michele Late

How affordable your employer-based health insurance is can depend on where you live in, a new analysis from the Commonwealth Fund finds. More than 61% of U.S. adults under age 65 received health insurance through their employers in 2023, making it the nation’s largest source of coverage for workers. The average U.S. worker contributed about $10,622 toward their family health insurance plan’s premium and deductible, according to the March 13 analysis.
The Watch: January 25, 2025

Jan 23, 2025 | publichealthwatch.org | Michele Late

Herbicide linked to poorer newborn healthA new study links glyphosate — one of the nation’s most widely used herbicides — to lower birthweights among babies in agricultural areas. Researchers at the University of Oregon looked at data on births and herbicide application in areas of the U.S. where glyphosate is likely to be used on crops. The results, published Jan.
The Watch: January 16, 2024

Jan 16, 2025 | publichealthwatch.org | Michele Late

‘Whiplash’ of weather extremes growing with climate change Rapid shifts between dangerously dry and extremely wet weather are increasing worldwide, putting human lives at risk, a new study says. The weather volatility — also referred to as hydroclimate whiplash — has grown as much as 66% since the mid-20th century, intensifying droughts, floods, wildfires and landslides, according to the study, which was published Jan. 8 in Nature Reviews Earth & Environment.
The Watch: January 9, 2024

Jan 9, 2025 | publichealthwatch.org | Michele Late

Medicare Advantage plans lacking in doctor diversitySeniors of color who sign up for Medicare Advantage may find it difficult to find a doctor who shares their race or ethnicity, new research in Health Affairs shows. Published Jan. 6, the study found Black and Hispanic physicians were less likely to be part of a Medicare Advantage network at the county level than white physicians.
The Watch: December 5, 2024

Dec 5, 2024 | publichealthwatch.org | Michele Late

Neighborhood can influence exposure to ‘forever chemicals’Where people live and what they eat and drink can directly influence the amount of “forever chemicals” present in their bodies, a recent study shows. Published in Environmental Research, the study found people who had low access to fresh food, consumed contaminated drinking water or lived near industrial pollution sites had higher levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as PFAS, in their blood.
The Watch: November 21, 2024

Dec 5, 2024 | publichealthwatch.org | Michele Late

US life expectancy gap by race, ethnicity widens How long people in the U.S. can expect to live can vary widely depending on their race or ethnicity and where they live, new research finds. Published Nov. 21 in The Lancet, the study found racial and geographic health disparities have increased in the U.S. over the past two decades, widening life expectancy gaps as much as 20 years between some populations.