The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of HIV/AIDS and Infectious Disease Policy (OHAIDP) is seeking input on the development of an inaugural federal action plan for STD prevention, diagnosis, care, and treatment designed to meet specified goals to improve outcomes and employ strategies that maximize long-term population impact. Public health practitioners,…
Read More »The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently launched a new round of media materials from the Tips From Former Smokers, offering a powerful and compelling view into the health consequences of tobacco use. The new media materials include advertisements on national network and cable television, in magazines, and online. The advertisements feature…
Read More »On Monday, the Trump Administration reversed its previous position on ongoing litigation related to the Affordable Care Act (ACA), asking a federal appeals court to strike down the act in its entirety. Recall, in December 2018, U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor of Texas ruled in favor of a group of Republican attorneys general and governors,…
Read More »On Wednesday, a U.S. District Court Judge in the District of Columbia issued a dual-ruling, striking down Medicaid work requirements in Arkansas and Kentucky. Judge James Boasberg determined that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) failed to adequately consider impacts of work requirements, writing, “The Court cannot concur that the Medicaid Act…
Read More »On Monday, the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued its Health Insurance Exchanges 2019 Open Enrollment Report, finding that approximately 11.4 million consumers selected or were automatically reenrolled in coverage during the 2019 enrollment period. This figure is a decrease from 11.8 million consumers during the 2018 enrollment period. 24 percent of…
Read More »On Monday, President Donald Trump released his Administration’s proposed FY 2020 budget, amounting to a record $4.75 trillion plan that increases military and defense spending while significantly cutting health, environmental, and education spending. Notably, spending on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is slated for a 12 percent cut, which includes a $750…
Read More »Late last week, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released the final rule regarding the Title X family planning program. The final rule, set to be published in the Federal Register next week, prohibits Title X providers from referring patients to certain reproductive health services and limits sites that are eligible to…
Read More »This week, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a report finding that the once-significant decline in annual HIV infections has stopped and new infections have stabilized in recent years. The report includes the most recent data on HIV trends in the United States from 2010 to 2016. After approximately five years…
Read More »This week, the Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) released its report “Ready or Not: Protecting the Public’s Health from Diseases, Disasters, and Bioterrorism,” which provides an annual snapshot of states’ public health and emergency response preparedness. This report, authored by TFAH since 2003, has documented significant progress in the nation’s level of emergency readiness, public…
Read More »The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recently released Project Tiny Teeth, an oral health toolkit for medical and dental providers who care for pregnant women and young children. These materials are intended to help raise awareness about the importance of oral health as part of…
Read More »