Missouri

Side Effects partners with KBIA in Columbia, Missouri. Here are stories from Missouri.

Access to Care

Most states ensure women don’t lose Medicaid shortly after pregnancy. Missouri may join them

Anna Spidel

Policy experts say one way to help close the racial gap in maternal health outcomes is to ensure people on Medicaid don’t lose coverage two months after pregnancy.
Access to Care

Legal abortions in the U.S. dropped 6% after Roe fell, despite an uptick in some states

Farah Yousry

The uptick in legal abortions in states like Kansas, Illinois and Michigan has not made up for the decrease in states that implemented post-Roe restrictions, according to a new report.
Why pediatricians are worried about the end of the federal COVID emergency declaration

Sebastián Martínez Valdivia

A federal emergency declaration that has allowed children to receive continuous Medicaid coverage throughout the pandemic could end soon, and health providers are worried.
Access to Care

How Medicaid enrollment can disrupt the cycle of incarceration

Sebastián Martínez Valdivia

Research suggests access to public health insurance can help curb recidivism. Reentry organizations in Missouri are working to enroll people in Medicaid after they leave prison to keep them from coming back.
Access to Care

Winter weather and a housing shortage are making it difficult for some to find shelter

Sebastián Martínez Valdivia

In Columbia, Missouri, some community members are stepping up to help unhoused individuals find solutions. They say city leaders have not done enough.
Coronavirus

Omicron's mutations are concerning, but also make the variant easier to detect

Sebastián Martínez Valdivia

The first U.S. omicron case was identified Wednesday – about a week after its discovery in South Africa. While there are concerns about the variant’s transmissibility, the number of mutations it possesses make it easier to detect than other strains.
Addiction and Drug Use

As drug overdose deaths reach all-time high, experts say fentanyl is to blame

Sebastián Martínez Valdivia

Public health experts and law enforcement blame the uptick in overdose deaths on fentanyl — a synthetic opioid that is much more deadly than other derivatives.
Access to Care

In Missouri, Medicaid Expansion Sparks a Fight

Sebastián Martínez Valdivia

Medicaid expansion has been a contentious issue across the U.S., and in Missouri, battle lines are drawn at the highest levels of government. State residents voted to expand the health insurance program. But the legislature balked at funding it and the governor says the state will not offer coverage to the estimated 250,000 newly eligible Missourians. That triggered a lawsuit on behalf of three people eligible under expansion. Side Effects Public Media's Sebastian Martinez Valdivia spoke with one of the plaintiffs' lawyers about the case.
Access to Care

COVID Vaccine Outreach Still Spotty In Latinx Community

Through grainy video on a recent Facebook live event, Missouri health director Dr. Randall Williams explained who was currently eligible for a COVID-19…
Medical Practice

COVID-19 Surge Strains Midwest Hospitals

This story was produced by Side Effects Public Media, a news collaborative covering public health.The recent COVID surge was enough to push BJC Healthcare…

Sick Season 2

Incarcerated people are some of the sickest people in our country. Many have chronic conditions such as diabetes or lung disease. And they’re far more likely to suffer from mental illness and addiction. On Season 2 of Sick, listen to stories of what goes wrong in corrections facilities — places meant to keep people healthy, but built to punish them.

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