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Health Policy 101 is a comprehensive guide covering fundamental aspects of U.S. health policy and programs, including Medicare, Medicaid, the Affordable Care Act, employer-sponsored insurance, the uninsured population, health care costs and affordability, women's health issues, and health care politics. The Public Health chapter examines how public health is governed and delivered in the United States. It includes explanations of key public health frameworks, services, capabilities and characteristics, how the public health system works in state, local and territorial governments, and public health funding, workforce, and communication challenges in an era of declining trust.
The health policy stories included in this month’s Kaiser Health Policy News Index were followed closely by about 4 in 10 Americans. Of the stories asked about this month, the one that garnered the most attention was coverage of the white police officer charged with the murder of an unarmed black man in South Carolina. Over half report closely following other stories, including the Germanwings plane crash in the French Alps, a new religious freedom…
Those Following Measles Story More Likely To Say They Worry About the DiseaseThe public paid more attention to news coverage of the measles outbreak in the U.S. and the resulting debate on whether vaccinations should be required for all kids than any other news story included in this month's Kaiser Health Policy News Index. A total of 70 percent of Americans say they closely followed the measles story, more than say the same about the…
The public paid more attention to news coverage of the measles outbreak in the U.S. and the resulting debate on whether vaccinations should be required for all kids than any other news story included in this month's Kaiser Health Policy News Index. Nearly half correctly identified that the number of confirmed measles cases in the U.S. since the outbreak began late last year is closer to 100, and most say they are not too or…
The World Health Organization (WHO) recently declared a public health emergency due to the Ebola virus outbreak in West Africa, which has accounted for over 13,000 reported cases and 4,800 deaths. Some imported and locally acquired cases in health care workers have also been reported in the United States. As a result, concerns about the further escalation of this epidemic and how to best prepare for and contain this deadly disease exist in both the…
In this column for The Wall Street Journal’s Think Tank, Drew Altman discusses the Christie, Cuomo rift with the federal government over Ebola public health measures and the need for uniform national policies to ease the public’s fears.
Ebola virus has a unique set of characteristics that determine how and why its spreads, and how deadly it can be. To better understand Ebola, a new Kaiser Family Foundation infographic compares it to twelve other infectious diseases that continue to represent public health challenges today and offers five key takeaways about the disease. Other Kaiser Family Foundation resources on the Ebola outbreak and the U.S. response are available online.
In his latest column for The Wall Street Journal’s Think Tank, Drew Altman releases new Foundation polling data on the public’s confidence in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and local health authorities amid the response to Ebola in the U.S. Taken over the weekend, the latest poll finds a majority continues to express confidence in the CDC to handle the Ebola response, though it has fallen with criticism of the response and news about a…
In this column for The Wall Street Journal’s Think Tank, Drew Altman looks at public confidence in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) amid the response to Ebola in the U.S. based on two Foundation polls taken over the past two weeks.
The October Kaiser Health Tracking Poll found that majorities of the public said that if a case of Ebola were diagnosed in their area, they would have a “great deal” or a “fair amount” of confidence in state, local, and federal health authorities to contain the disease and prevent it from spreading. Given the evolving news story, we re-surveyed the public from October 17-19 to determine whether confidence in health authorities to prevent the spread…
Democrats, Republicans and Independents All Support Major U.S. Role Fighting Ebola in West Africa, About Equally, to Protect Americans and to Save Lives As the nation grapples with its first cases of Ebola transmitted in the U.S., a new Kaiser Family Foundation Tracking Poll finds that personal worry about Ebola is reasonably high, with 45% of the public saying they are worried that they or a family member will contract the disease. But most Americans…
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