Framing the move as a way to protect public resources and preserve the social safety net, the Trump Administration this week issued a final rule on public charge, drastically reshaping the process in which the federal government determines whether an immigrant is likely to utilize public benefits. The rule, published in the Federal Register on…
Read More »This month’s edition of Vital Signs from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) details access to naloxone, the life-saving medication used to reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. Specifically, the report examines naloxone access from pharmacists and other healthcare providers without a prescription under a standing order. Naloxone dispensing has increased…
Read More »The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) recently released a report, “Local Health Department Approaches to Opioid Use Prevention and Response: An Environmental Scan.” The report examines the critical role of LHDs in opioid use disorder-related programming and services throughout the country. By surveying nearly 200 LHDs, the report creates a foundational…
Read More »The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) recently published the report, “Criteria for Selecting the Leading Health Indicators (LHIs) for Healthy People 2030.” The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health has charged NASEM to convene an ad hoc committee to assist in the development of…
Read More »New provisional data released on Wednesday from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicate an approximate five percent drop in total drug overdose deaths in 2018, the first decline in deaths since 1990. While the figures are subject to slight adjustments based on the finalization of data from the CDC, federal public…
Read More »On Monday, President Donald Trump signed an executive order on health care price transparency, seeking to require health insurance companies, providers, and hospitals to give patients more information on the cost of health services before utilizing them. The executive order directs the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, among other agencies, to propose regulations…
Read More »On Thursday, the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals invalidated nationwide injunctions previously put into place by lower court judges in Oregon, Washington, and California, clearing the way for the Trump Administration to enforce its new rules governing the Title X family planning program. Recall, the Trump Administration issued a final rule in March prohibiting…
Read More »This month, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Vital Signs publication examined pregnancy-related deaths in the U.S. According to the CDC, about 700 women die each year from complications of pregnancy, finding that about a third of deaths occurred during pregnancy, a third occurred at delivery or in the week after, and…
Read More »Late yesterday, a U.S. District Judge in the Eastern District of Washington State issued a nationwide preliminary injunction against the Trump Administration’s overhaul of the Title X family planning program, temporarily blocking the new rule that was set to take effect next Friday. Recall, the Trump Administration issued a final rule in March which would…
Read More »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,…
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