Indigenous American and Alaska Native life expectancy dropped by six and a half years during the worst of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020 and 2021. Other Americans faced around a two year decrease in life expectancy. Why was this section of the population hit so hard, and how can we take steps to fortify their health moving forward? More
Overprescribing of antibiotics for Medicare patients with Covid-19 was rampant in the first year of the pandemic, research from the CDC finds. More
The life expectancy of the average American dropped by 2 years in 2020, but by only a few months in peer countries. This discrepancy gets worse when you adjust for sex, race, and ethnicity. This is despite the fact that the US spends the most money on healthcare in the world. How do we get such poor health outcomes with such high spending? More
The rapid switch to telehealth has many potential advantages for expanding access of care. However, if not done with an intentional eye toward equity, telehealth can leave many behind. More
How can the avoidance of routine care during the pandemic benefit patients? New research on the physical and financial harms from low-value preventive care show that the pandemic might have a "silver lining." More
A recent report from Families USA finds that uninsurance was associated with 44% of Covid-19 infections and 32% of deaths in the US. More
Ever since Covid-19 vaccines have been in development, policy experts and activists have been concerned about equity in vaccine distribution. Now, it is clear that in our haste to get "shots in arms," we are leaving behind many people who are most at risk of Covid-19 infection and death. More
Ever since the initial press release from Pfizer came out, the medical community has been waiting for more detailed results to better analyze the vaccine's effectiveness and safety. Here's what the briefing document shows. More
When we call unproven treatments "cures," we not only put patients at risk of harm, we create a framework in which evidence is no longer valued. Kelsey Chalmers and Judith Garber explore how this perspective could impact the "less is more" movement, and how we need to reframe the issue to build a coalition for change. More
Misinformation about Covid-19 spreads as quickly as the virus, through social media and even from government officials. Let's examine some popular myths about Covid-19 and see if there is any truth to these claims. More
Did Trump receive the "best care possible"? Or was he overtreated? More
From drugs to masks to financial assistance, the US government has distributed Covid-19 resources in a way that exacerbates health inequities. How can we make sure that when a vaccine is ready for distribution, that it goes to those who need it most? More
The FDA's about-face on emergency approval of convalescent plasma raises questions about the level of evidence we need for Covid-19 treatments, and the role of politics in these decisions. More
State budgets have been squeezed over the past decade due in large part to the rising cost of health care, and Covid-19 is only making it worse. What can we do about this problem? More
How much should remdesivir cost? This question puts two drug-value organizations at odds. More
Watch the video of Shannon Brownlee and Jeanne Lenzer discussing pandemic misinformation in a Future Tense conversation. More
Even though we have saved lives by locking down, we still have to address the effects of this decision on our country's mental health. More
Visits from pharmaceutical sales reps haven't stopped during the pandemic--they've just moved online... More
Brooke McNaughton shares what she learned as a Lown public health intern during an unprecedented health crisis. More
Like so many other aspects of our health care system, the pandemic has laid bare the flaws in our electronic health record system. More