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.

2 weeks ago | publichealthwatch.org | Howard Berkes |Curtis Tate

A federal appeals court has temporarily blocked enforcement of a new rule to limit silica dust exposure for coal and other miners. The rule, from the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), was imposed last year in response to an epidemic of severe black lung disease among coal miners. Reporting by NPR, Public Health Watch, and Louisville Public Media documented more than 4,000 cases of advanced black lung that had been previously unreported.

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.

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.

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.