Human trafficking (HT) is a global public health crisis and one of the fastest growing criminal enterprises that grosses hundreds of billions of dollars annually, all of which are tax-free profits made off the sale of human cargo. And yet, research shows the problem is poorly understood or recognized among…

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Editor's Note A bill in California that aims to increase oversight of private equity healthcare investments is receiving support from consumer advocates, labor unions, and the California Medical Association and opposition from hospitals worried about losing funding sources, the Los Angeles Times reported August 9. Sponsored by Attorney General Rob…

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Editor's Note Planned Parenthood used the occasion of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago to offer free medication abortions and vasectomies at a mobile clinic, the Chicago Tribune reported August 19. According to the article, the group aims to demonstrate the possibilities of accessible reproductive healthcare when supported by favorable…

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Editor's Note Medicare’s first negotiations on 10 top-selling prescription drugs for older Americans will save the US government $6 billion in the first year, according to an August 15 article in Reuters. Enabled by President Joe Biden’s 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, negotiations for drugs used by Medicare—which covers 66 million…

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Editor's Note A dispute over cameras in ORs reportedly added tension to nurse strike negotiations that recently culminated in a tentative agreement with union nurses at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. According to an August 7 CBS News report, the OR cameras are intended to assist with robotic surgeries.…

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Editor's Note The Affordable Care Act , abortion and contraception, LBGTQ health, prescription drug prices—presidential candidates Donald Trump, the Republican nominee, and Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee, have vastly different positions these and other healthcare issues. KFF Health News has published a detailed comparison in the form of a side-by-side…

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Editor's Note As Governor of Minnesota, Democratic vice-presidential candidate Tim Walz backed off on nurse staffing ratios as well as healthcare affordability after Mayo Clinic—which is based in the state—raised objections, Managed Healthcare Executive reported August 6. Citing earlier reports from Politico and the Star Tribune on various aspects of…

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Editor's Note Advocates of legislation to make physically assaulting healthcare workers a federal crime spoke out at a recent press conference hosted by the American Hospital Association (AHA) and the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP), MedPage Today reported August 2. The Safety From Violence for Healthcare Employees Act (SAVE…

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Editor's Note Having served six terms in Congress and as Governor of Minnesota since 2018, Democratic vice-presidential nominee Tim Walz has a long history of involvement in healthcare issues. MedPage Today published an overview of his track record on August 6, drawing on sources including ABC News, Star-Tribune, and the…

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Editor's Note The Supreme Court’s recent “Chevron” ruling could offer additional financial security to hundreds of so-called "tweener" rural hospitals—those too large to be considered critical access hospitals but too small to be rural referral centers. Modern Healthcare reported the news July 29. According to the article, critical access hospitals,…

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