Sabriya Rice
@sabriyarice.bsky.social
Southern Bureau Chief for @kffhealthnews.org
✍🏾Has reported for Dallas Morning News, CNN, Modern Health Care.
🏫Former University of Georgia professor
👩🏿💻Reachable at sabriyar@kff.org
✍🏾Has reported for Dallas Morning News, CNN, Modern Health Care.
🏫Former University of Georgia professor
👩🏿💻Reachable at sabriyar@kff.org
Reposted by Sabriya Rice
We previously reported that the number of people receiving treatment at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center - known as America's research hospital - declined from February-April.
Since then, I obtained newer data through mid-August. And it's gotten worse. youtube.com/shorts/yT5Vc...
Since then, I obtained newer data through mid-August. And it's gotten worse. youtube.com/shorts/yT5Vc...
Patient Numbers at NIH Hospital Continue To Decline Under Second Trump Administration
YouTube video by KFF Health News
youtube.com
September 5, 2025 at 7:26 PM
We previously reported that the number of people receiving treatment at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center - known as America's research hospital - declined from February-April.
Since then, I obtained newer data through mid-August. And it's gotten worse. youtube.com/shorts/yT5Vc...
Since then, I obtained newer data through mid-August. And it's gotten worse. youtube.com/shorts/yT5Vc...
Firearm violence is killing Americans at the scale of a public health epidemic, especially in Black neighborhoods damaged by various forms of racial discrimination. Meanwhile, federal, state, & local government officials have undermined efforts to save lives. Via @kffhealthnews.org
Guns, Race, and Profit: The Pain of America’s Other Epidemic - KFF Health News
Firearm violence is killing Americans at the scale of a public health epidemic. The suffering is concentrated in Black neighborhoods damaged by segregation, disinvestment, hate crimes, and other forms...
kffhealthnews.org
August 19, 2025 at 1:41 PM
Firearm violence is killing Americans at the scale of a public health epidemic, especially in Black neighborhoods damaged by various forms of racial discrimination. Meanwhile, federal, state, & local government officials have undermined efforts to save lives. Via @kffhealthnews.org
Amid political chatter about vaccines and the government entities that oversee them, it’s understandable to wonder where all this leaves the 2025-26 flu vaccine. Here are some answers to common questions.
Via: @madisonczopek.bsky.social
Via: @madisonczopek.bsky.social
It’s Almost Flu Season. Should You Still Get a Shot, and Will Insurance Cover It? - KFF Health News
Doctors and public health leaders, including at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, recommend that most people 6 months old and older get the 2025-26 flu vaccine — and it’s still covered b...
kffhealthnews.org
August 18, 2025 at 1:34 PM
Amid political chatter about vaccines and the government entities that oversee them, it’s understandable to wonder where all this leaves the 2025-26 flu vaccine. Here are some answers to common questions.
Via: @madisonczopek.bsky.social
Via: @madisonczopek.bsky.social
Reposted by Sabriya Rice
There was no doctor on-site when a patient arrived at the emergency room in the small hospital at intersection of two dirt roads in Ekalaka, MT.
There never is.
Experts believe ERs, especially in rural areas, increasingly operate with few or no doctors.
kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
There never is.
Experts believe ERs, especially in rural areas, increasingly operate with few or no doctors.
kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
Experts Say Rural Emergency Rooms Are Increasingly Run Without Doctors - KFF Health News
Some doctors and the groups that represent them say physicians’ extensive training leads to better emergency care, and that some hospitals are trying to save money by not hiring them. They support new...
kffhealthnews.org
August 14, 2025 at 4:30 PM
There was no doctor on-site when a patient arrived at the emergency room in the small hospital at intersection of two dirt roads in Ekalaka, MT.
There never is.
Experts believe ERs, especially in rural areas, increasingly operate with few or no doctors.
kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
There never is.
Experts believe ERs, especially in rural areas, increasingly operate with few or no doctors.
kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
On Aug. 8, a gunman identified by Georgia authorities as Patrick Joseph White fired shots at CDC buildings in Atlanta. White was possibly motivated by his views on vaccines, according to news reports.
Via: Rebecca Grapevine & Andy Miller for @healthbeat.org kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
Via: Rebecca Grapevine & Andy Miller for @healthbeat.org kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
Inside the CDC, Shooting Adds to Trauma as Workers Describe Projects, Careers in Limbo - KFF Health News
Fired-then-reinstated workers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention worry about the future of public health amid proposed agency downsizing.
kffhealthnews.org
August 11, 2025 at 12:57 PM
On Aug. 8, a gunman identified by Georgia authorities as Patrick Joseph White fired shots at CDC buildings in Atlanta. White was possibly motivated by his views on vaccines, according to news reports.
Via: Rebecca Grapevine & Andy Miller for @healthbeat.org kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
Via: Rebecca Grapevine & Andy Miller for @healthbeat.org kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
Reposted by Sabriya Rice
Erica Kahn ended up with a wild bat in her mouth — and nearly $21,000 in medical bills.
Health insurance generally doesn’t cover treatment for injuries sustained shortly before a customer buys a policy. Kahn found that out the hard way.
kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
Health insurance generally doesn’t cover treatment for injuries sustained shortly before a customer buys a policy. Kahn found that out the hard way.
kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
A Tourist Ended Up With a Wild Bat in Her Mouth — And Nearly $21,000 in Medical Bills - KFF Health News
Health insurance generally doesn’t cover treatment for injuries sustained shortly before a customer buys a policy. A Massachusetts woman found that out the hard way.
kffhealthnews.org
July 31, 2025 at 3:20 PM
Erica Kahn ended up with a wild bat in her mouth — and nearly $21,000 in medical bills.
Health insurance generally doesn’t cover treatment for injuries sustained shortly before a customer buys a policy. Kahn found that out the hard way.
kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
Health insurance generally doesn’t cover treatment for injuries sustained shortly before a customer buys a policy. Kahn found that out the hard way.
kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
Native American groups declare that tribal sovereignty trumps state and federal efforts to restrict or ban gender-affirming care for two-spirit and LGBTQ+ tribal citizens. Tribes are analyzing the risk of opposing Trump’s policies, advocates say.
✍️: Jazmin Orozco Rodriguez of @kffhealthnews.org
✍️: Jazmin Orozco Rodriguez of @kffhealthnews.org
Tribal Groups Assert Sovereignty as Feds Crack Down on Gender-Affirming Care - KFF Health News
Native American groups declare that tribal sovereignty trumps state and federal efforts to restrict or ban gender-affirming care for two-spirit and LGBTQ+ tribal citizens. Tribes are analyzing the ris...
kffhealthnews.org
July 30, 2025 at 2:23 PM
Native American groups declare that tribal sovereignty trumps state and federal efforts to restrict or ban gender-affirming care for two-spirit and LGBTQ+ tribal citizens. Tribes are analyzing the risk of opposing Trump’s policies, advocates say.
✍️: Jazmin Orozco Rodriguez of @kffhealthnews.org
✍️: Jazmin Orozco Rodriguez of @kffhealthnews.org
The anti-abortion movement is rallying around new laws that establish fetal “personhood.” As a recent incident in Georgia shows, there remains disagreement over interpretations of such laws. Via Jessica Mador of @wabe.org
kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
A Brain-Dead Pregnant Woman Was Kept Alive in Georgia. It's Unclear if State Law Required It. - KFF Health News
The anti-abortion movement is rallying around new laws that establish fetal “personhood.” Doctors are scrambling to adjust, but even conservatives don’t always agree on how such laws should be applied...
kffhealthnews.org
July 29, 2025 at 1:39 PM
The anti-abortion movement is rallying around new laws that establish fetal “personhood.” As a recent incident in Georgia shows, there remains disagreement over interpretations of such laws. Via Jessica Mador of @wabe.org
kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
A Texas family was charged thousands of dollars for immunizations for their kids. Their insurance didn’t cover the shots, and the $1,400 measles vaccine was more than 5X what health officials say it costs in the private sector. Via @kffhealthnews.org kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
A Texas Boy Needed Protection From Measles. The Vaccine Cost $1,400. - KFF Health News
A family living in Galveston was surprised to be charged thousands of dollars for immunizations for their children. Their insurance plan didn’t cover the shots, and the cost of the measles vaccine in ...
kffhealthnews.org
June 30, 2025 at 1:29 PM
A Texas family was charged thousands of dollars for immunizations for their kids. Their insurance didn’t cover the shots, and the $1,400 measles vaccine was more than 5X what health officials say it costs in the private sector. Via @kffhealthnews.org kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
A history of systemic exclusion from pools is one factor that has led to higher drowning rates among Black children and adults than their white peers. KFF Health News correspondent Cara Anthony appeared on @wamu.org.web.brid.gy's “Health Hub” to discuss the issue. kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
Listen: Black Swimmers Make Waves Overcoming Fear and Old Perceptions - KFF Health News
Segregation and lack of access have kept many Black Americans from learning to swim, which raises their risk of drowning. Groups across the country are working to teach more Black kids and adults the ...
kffhealthnews.org
May 13, 2025 at 6:32 PM
A history of systemic exclusion from pools is one factor that has led to higher drowning rates among Black children and adults than their white peers. KFF Health News correspondent Cara Anthony appeared on @wamu.org.web.brid.gy's “Health Hub” to discuss the issue. kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
The Trump administration’s “Make America Healthy Again” platform has boosted the agenda of a conservative think tank that’s been working for more than a decade to reshape the nation’s public assistance programs.
Via: Katheryn Houghton & Samantha Liss of @kffhealthnews.org
Via: Katheryn Houghton & Samantha Liss of @kffhealthnews.org
Meet the Florida Group Chipping Away at Public Benefits One State at a Time - KFF Health News
The Trump administration’s “Make America Healthy Again” platform has boosted the agenda of a conservative think tank that’s been working for more than a decade to reshape the nation’s public assistanc...
kffhealthnews.org
May 8, 2025 at 4:23 PM
The Trump administration’s “Make America Healthy Again” platform has boosted the agenda of a conservative think tank that’s been working for more than a decade to reshape the nation’s public assistance programs.
Via: Katheryn Houghton & Samantha Liss of @kffhealthnews.org
Via: Katheryn Houghton & Samantha Liss of @kffhealthnews.org
Reposted by Sabriya Rice
My latest, for @kffhealthnews.org and @cbsnews.com: Social Security is cracking.
It's declaring people wrongly dead. Beneficiaries and lawyers say records are getting misplaced. Checks are getting sent to the wrong address.
The agency is getting worse, they think, at sending money to people:
It's declaring people wrongly dead. Beneficiaries and lawyers say records are getting misplaced. Checks are getting sent to the wrong address.
The agency is getting worse, they think, at sending money to people:
At Social Security, these are the days of the living dead
In recent weeks, Social Security has been plagued by problems related to technology, system errors, and even the marking of living people as dead.
www.cbsnews.com
May 5, 2025 at 12:51 PM
My latest, for @kffhealthnews.org and @cbsnews.com: Social Security is cracking.
It's declaring people wrongly dead. Beneficiaries and lawyers say records are getting misplaced. Checks are getting sent to the wrong address.
The agency is getting worse, they think, at sending money to people:
It's declaring people wrongly dead. Beneficiaries and lawyers say records are getting misplaced. Checks are getting sent to the wrong address.
The agency is getting worse, they think, at sending money to people:
Community-based groups in Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana & Tennessee told @kffhealthnews.org they reduced spending on HIV testing & outreach because of delayed or slashed federal funds — or they were making plans to do so, anticipating cuts.
Via: @amymaxmen.bsky.social.
Via: @amymaxmen.bsky.social.
HIV Testing and Outreach Falter as Trump Funding Cuts Sweep the South - KFF Health News
A disruption in federal funds has jeopardized HIV testing and outreach in Mississippi, and researchers warn of a resurgence of the epidemic in the South.
kffhealthnews.org
May 6, 2025 at 1:34 PM
Community-based groups in Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana & Tennessee told @kffhealthnews.org they reduced spending on HIV testing & outreach because of delayed or slashed federal funds — or they were making plans to do so, anticipating cuts.
Via: @amymaxmen.bsky.social.
Via: @amymaxmen.bsky.social.
The U.S. Government Accountability Office expects to release a report this fall on how much 💰 it costs to run Georgia Pathways — the country’s only active Medicaid #workrequirement program — as other states and Congress consider similar programs.
Via: @kffhealthnews.org
Via: @kffhealthnews.org
Government Watchdog Expects Medicaid Work Requirement Analysis by Fall - KFF Health News
This fall, the U.S. Government Accountability Office expects to release a report on how much it costs to run Georgia Pathways to Coverage — the country’s only active Medicaid work requirement program ...
kffhealthnews.org
May 2, 2025 at 12:36 PM
The U.S. Government Accountability Office expects to release a report this fall on how much 💰 it costs to run Georgia Pathways — the country’s only active Medicaid #workrequirement program — as other states and Congress consider similar programs.
Via: @kffhealthnews.org
Via: @kffhealthnews.org
Reposted by Sabriya Rice
BRAG: Our series on racial disparities in health care, led by @sabriyarice.bsky.social, has won the Columbia Journalism School's Paul Tobenkin Memorial Award.
journalism.columbia.edu/news/berger-...
Congratulations to all the @kffhealthnews.org staff involved in this important work.
journalism.columbia.edu/news/berger-...
Congratulations to all the @kffhealthnews.org staff involved in this important work.
Systemic Sickness - KFF Health News
Featured articles More from the Project Discussions of the Project Charlotte Talks With Mike Collins: Examining racial maternal health disparities in the American South Related Articles Credits Report...
kffhealthnews.org
April 9, 2025 at 5:08 PM
BRAG: Our series on racial disparities in health care, led by @sabriyarice.bsky.social, has won the Columbia Journalism School's Paul Tobenkin Memorial Award.
journalism.columbia.edu/news/berger-...
Congratulations to all the @kffhealthnews.org staff involved in this important work.
journalism.columbia.edu/news/berger-...
Congratulations to all the @kffhealthnews.org staff involved in this important work.
Welcome @draveneljoseph.bsky.social! Looking forward to your posts and reading updates about @rwjf.bsky.social's work.
Hi Bluesky 👋🏾
I will be more active on this account, so let me introduce myself: I’m the Interim Executive Vice President at @rwjf.bsky.social, passionate about the intersection of health, race, and policy. I’ll post mainly about healthcare coverage, reproductive justice and equity. Let’s connect!
I will be more active on this account, so let me introduce myself: I’m the Interim Executive Vice President at @rwjf.bsky.social, passionate about the intersection of health, race, and policy. I’ll post mainly about healthcare coverage, reproductive justice and equity. Let’s connect!
March 21, 2025 at 6:26 PM
Welcome @draveneljoseph.bsky.social! Looking forward to your posts and reading updates about @rwjf.bsky.social's work.
As Congress mulls potentially massive cuts to federal Medicaid funding, health centers that serve Native American communities are bracing for catastrophe. Medicaid helps tribes cover chronic funding shortfalls from the Indian Health Service. Via Jazmin Orozco Rodriguez of @kffhealthnews.org
Tribal Health Leaders Say Medicaid Cuts Would Decimate Health Programs - KFF Health News
As Congress mulls significant cuts to Medicaid, Native American tribes are bracing for potentially devastating financial fallout. That’s because Medicaid is the largest third-party payer for Native Am...
kffhealthnews.org
March 19, 2025 at 1:14 PM
As Congress mulls potentially massive cuts to federal Medicaid funding, health centers that serve Native American communities are bracing for catastrophe. Medicaid helps tribes cover chronic funding shortfalls from the Indian Health Service. Via Jazmin Orozco Rodriguez of @kffhealthnews.org
mRNA technology is under study at the NIH for prevention and treatment of infectious diseases, including flu and AIDS, and also cancer. Scientists say they have been asked to remove all references to it from their grant applications. kffhealthnews.org/news/article... 🤷🏿
Scientists Say NIH Officials Told Them To Scrub mRNA References on Grants - KFF Health News
Two senior scientists say National Institutes of Health officials advised them to remove references to mRNA vaccines in grant applications, and they fear the Trump administration will abandon a promis...
kffhealthnews.org
March 17, 2025 at 1:46 PM
mRNA technology is under study at the NIH for prevention and treatment of infectious diseases, including flu and AIDS, and also cancer. Scientists say they have been asked to remove all references to it from their grant applications. kffhealthnews.org/news/article... 🤷🏿
Shootings send ripples of trauma through communities. Exposure to gun killings has been linked to higher levels of depression, suicidal ideation, and other mental health difficulties. Black youth were disproportionately affected.
Via Chaseedaw Giles of @kffhealthnews.org.
Via Chaseedaw Giles of @kffhealthnews.org.
Barbershop Killing Escalates Trauma for Boston Neighborhood Riven by Gun Violence - KFF Health News
American communities plagued by gun violence, including Four Corners in Boston, honor pockets of safety as sacred spaces. A brazen barbershop killing was a new and traumatic violation.
kffhealthnews.org
March 14, 2025 at 1:02 PM
Shootings send ripples of trauma through communities. Exposure to gun killings has been linked to higher levels of depression, suicidal ideation, and other mental health difficulties. Black youth were disproportionately affected.
Via Chaseedaw Giles of @kffhealthnews.org.
Via Chaseedaw Giles of @kffhealthnews.org.
About 93 million CT scans are performed every year in the U.S., market research shows. Yet there is scant regulation of radiation levels. ☢️ Dosages are erratic, varying widely from one clinic to another, and are too often unnecessarily high, reports @joannekenen.bsky.social for @kffhealthnews.org.
Some CT Scans Deliver Too Much Radiation, Researchers Say. Regulators Want To Know More. - KFF Health News
Unnecessarily high radiation doses in scans have been linked to cancers. Under new federal rules, doctors and imaging centers have to more closely track and report the doses of radiation that patients...
kffhealthnews.org
March 13, 2025 at 1:08 PM
About 93 million CT scans are performed every year in the U.S., market research shows. Yet there is scant regulation of radiation levels. ☢️ Dosages are erratic, varying widely from one clinic to another, and are too often unnecessarily high, reports @joannekenen.bsky.social for @kffhealthnews.org.
Reposted by Sabriya Rice
Compared with those in other regions, patients across the rural South, Appalachia, and remote West are most often unable to make a video call to their doctor or log into their patient portals. Both are essential ways to participate in the U.S. medical system. kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
Millions in US Live in Places Where Doctors Don’t Practice and Telehealth Doesn’t Reach - KFF Health News
Nearly 3 million Americans live sicker, shorter lives in the hundreds of rural counties where doctor shortages are the worst and poor internet connections mean little or no access to telehealth servic...
kffhealthnews.org
March 10, 2025 at 8:03 PM
Compared with those in other regions, patients across the rural South, Appalachia, and remote West are most often unable to make a video call to their doctor or log into their patient portals. Both are essential ways to participate in the U.S. medical system. kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
Last year, the government stopped cutting off people’s monthly Social Security benefits to claw back 💲 overpayments. Last week, under President Donald Trump, it reversed that change. 🤔 kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
Under Trump, Social Security Resumes What It Once Called 'Clawback Cruelty' - KFF Health News
Last year, the government stopped cutting off people’s monthly Social Security benefits to claw back overpayments. Last week, under President Donald Trump, it reversed that change.
kffhealthnews.org
March 11, 2025 at 1:25 PM
Last year, the government stopped cutting off people’s monthly Social Security benefits to claw back 💲 overpayments. Last week, under President Donald Trump, it reversed that change. 🤔 kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
Recently terminated CDC employees helped prevent and respond to outbreaks such as dengue fever and the flu. 🤒
They worked with local officials to test for viruses and ensure that public health labs comply with federal regulations. 🦠
Latest from @rachanadpradhan.bsky.social of KFF Health News.
They worked with local officials to test for viruses and ensure that public health labs comply with federal regulations. 🦠
Latest from @rachanadpradhan.bsky.social of KFF Health News.
CDC Firings Undermine Public Health Work Far Beyond Washington - KFF Health News
The Trump administration’s sudden firings have gutted training programs across the nation that bolstered state and local public health departments.
kffhealthnews.org
March 5, 2025 at 1:55 PM
Recently terminated CDC employees helped prevent and respond to outbreaks such as dengue fever and the flu. 🤒
They worked with local officials to test for viruses and ensure that public health labs comply with federal regulations. 🦠
Latest from @rachanadpradhan.bsky.social of KFF Health News.
They worked with local officials to test for viruses and ensure that public health labs comply with federal regulations. 🦠
Latest from @rachanadpradhan.bsky.social of KFF Health News.
Reposted by Sabriya Rice
More police pursuits mean more risks to bystanders. But some officials see little choice.
kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
Law and Order or Bystander Safety? Police Chases Spotlight California’s Competing Priorities - KFF Health News
California’s governor is pressuring Oakland to allow more police pursuits as part of a crackdown on crime. But more pursuits mean a greater risk to public health, with more potential injuries and deat...
kffhealthnews.org
March 4, 2025 at 3:46 PM
More police pursuits mean more risks to bystanders. But some officials see little choice.
kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
Reposted by Sabriya Rice
Updated from West Texas: 146 cases mainly in children, 20 hospitalizations & 1 death.
Some schools have had to close due to sickness. Parents staying home from work, public health departments curbing other programs to handle this. Outbreaks are bad for the economy, too.
Some schools have had to close due to sickness. Parents staying home from work, public health departments curbing other programs to handle this. Outbreaks are bad for the economy, too.
🚨Texas measles outbreak nears 100 cases, w/16 hospitalizations. Officials suspect it's spilled just across the border to New Mexico.
Low vax rates+undetected infections mean it will grow.
“This is going to get a lot worse before it gets better”
My latest kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
Low vax rates+undetected infections mean it will grow.
“This is going to get a lot worse before it gets better”
My latest kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
Texas Measles Outbreak Nears 100 Cases, Raising Concerns About Undetected Spread - KFF Health News
Health officials expect a measles outbreak in West Texas to exceed 100 cases because of low vaccination rates and undetected infections. Vaccine misinformation and new laws may make such situations mo...
kffhealthnews.org
March 3, 2025 at 4:05 PM
Updated from West Texas: 146 cases mainly in children, 20 hospitalizations & 1 death.
Some schools have had to close due to sickness. Parents staying home from work, public health departments curbing other programs to handle this. Outbreaks are bad for the economy, too.
Some schools have had to close due to sickness. Parents staying home from work, public health departments curbing other programs to handle this. Outbreaks are bad for the economy, too.