Author Archives: Ben King

About Ben King

Ben King is an Editor for the Medical Care Blog. He is an epidemiologist by training and an Assistant Professor at the University of Houston's Tilman J Fertitta Family College of Medicine, in the Departments of Health Systems and Population Health Sciences & Behavioral and Social Sciences. He is also a statistician in the UH Humana Integrated Health Systems Sciences Institute at UH, a Scientific Advisor to the Environmental Protection Agency, and the President of Methods & Results, a research consulting service. His own research is often focused on the intersection between poverty, housing, & health. Other interests include neuro-emergencies, diagnostics, and a bunch of meta-topics like measurement validation & replication studies. For what it's worth he has degrees in neuroscience, community health management, and epidemiology.

National VA study tracks homeless veterans over 10 and 20 years

By | July 23, 2026
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Homelessness shortens lives Homelessness is both a housing crisis and a major public health crisis. People experiencing homelessness face more illness, injury, and early death. A recent meta-analysis found excess mortality across many causes. People also face major barriers to timely and respectful care. A new Medical Care study examines these risks among veterans. Both… Read More: National VA study tracks homeless veterans over 10 and 20… »

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Medicaid Work Rules Put Coverage, and Clinicians, Under Pressure

By | July 20, 2026
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Medicaid on a card and stethoscope

What the New Work Rules Require The CMS interim rule takes effect on July 31, 2026. States must start the new eligibility checks by January 1, 2027. The public comment period [pdf] also closes July 31. The rule applies mainly to adults ages 19 through 64 in Medicaid expansion programs. Each month, they must complete… Read More: Medicaid Work Rules Put Coverage, and Clinicians, Under Pressure »

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National Public Health Week 2026: A Time for Action

By | April 3, 2026
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National Public Health Week

Every year, we pause to recognize the systems, people, and infrastructure that quietly shape the health of our communities. Yet in 2026, that pause feels less like a celebration and more like a call to action. As we approach National Public Health Week (NPHW), the stakes are unusually clear: public health is both more essential… Read More: National Public Health Week 2026: A Time for Action »

Hotspotting Hospitalization Risk in Housing-Insecure Veterans

By | January 22, 2026
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Senior man sitting on hospital bed

Veterans experiencing housing insecurity face severe health risks. They have high rates of chronic disease, mental health disorders, and substance use. These conditions drive emergency department visits and hospitalizations far above population norms. Homelessness and unstable housing are powerful social determinants of acute care use. Addressing them is essential to improve outcomes and reduce costs.… Read More: Hotspotting Hospitalization Risk in Housing-Insecure Veterans »

A Quiet Rewrite of American Vaccine Policy, and Why It Matters

By | January 16, 2026
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syringe in gloved hand, preparing an injection into a shoulder

As we enter 2026, U.S. vaccine policy is undergoing one of its most dramatic transformations in decades, with profound implications for public health, trust in science, and the well-being of children and communities. These changes come on the heels of our declaration of Health in All Policies as The Medical Care Blog’s theme for 2026,… Read More: A Quiet Rewrite of American Vaccine Policy, and Why It… »

Health in All Policies: The Medical Care Blog’s Focus for 2026

By | January 2, 2026
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Medical Care section logo

A new year brings a clear choice. In 2026, The Medical Care Blog will focus more directly on how policy decisions shape health. Not just health policy in isolation, but policies across and intersecting between housing, labor, education, transportation, climate, and criminal legal systems. This approach is often called Health in All Policies. The idea… Read More: Health in All Policies: The Medical Care Blog’s Focus for… »

Upcoming Premium Spikes in 2026: The Crisis Everyone Saw Coming

By | December 4, 2025
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Health Insurance-related CC graphics

For years, analysts warned that the enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium subsidies, which were temporarily extended during the COVID-19 pandemic, masked the true cost trajectory of the individual market. This fall, that warning has become reality. The 2026 open enrollment window (Nov 1 – Jan 15, with a deadline of December 15 for coverage… Read More: Upcoming Premium Spikes in 2026: The Crisis Everyone Saw Coming »

Autism and Acetaminophen use during Pregnancy: reviewing the evidence

By | October 20, 2025
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colorful puzzle pieces connecting brains and genes, as evidence links risk factors for autism

What just happened, and why people are talking about it In late September 2025, FDA announced it would start a process to add language to acetaminophen labels noting a possible association with autism and ADHD when used during pregnancy, and it sent a notice to physicians [pdf] summarizing the concern. The move followed statements from… Read More: Autism and Acetaminophen use during Pregnancy: reviewing the evidence »

Assessment of Health for Housing Prioritization

By | September 4, 2025
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Prioritization is at the center of affordable and supportive housing decisions. This is because resources such as these are extremely limited, and the needs of those who need housing support are complex. Communities must decide how to fairly and effectively determine who should receive housing opportunities first, and increasingly, those decisions rely on structured, coordinated… Read More: Assessment of Health for Housing Prioritization »

Bridging Recovery and Housing: Medical Respite Care in a Shifting Policy Landscape

By | August 21, 2025
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View of a medical respite patient room, with medical bed and wheelchair.

Imagine being discharged from the hospital, IV bandage still fresh, only to recover on a sidewalk with no shelter, no food, and no doctor to check on you. In the turbulent landscape of American healthcare, medical respite (MR) services have emerged as one of the most promising interventions for people experiencing homelessness. Medical respite programs… Read More: Bridging Recovery and Housing: Medical Respite Care in a Shifting… »

The Administration for a Healthy America: Streamlining or Sidestepping Public Health?

By | April 24, 2025
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Department of Health & Human Services logo

About a month ago (March 27th to be exact), the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced a sweeping reorganization plan. The government will create a new umbrella agency: the Administration for a Healthy America (AHA). Some have hailed this as a bold step toward modernization. In effect, the AHA will absorb and restructure… Read More: The Administration for a Healthy America: Streamlining or Sidestepping Public… »

Measles Outbreak Updates: A case study on the new era of Government Efficiency

By | March 29, 2025
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Measles virus particles imaged with radiography to enhance colors

As an epidemiologist and assistant professor dedicated to the education of primary care physicians, I feel compelled to address the alarming measles outbreak currently unfolding in Texas and neighboring states.  This situation not only underscores the resurgence of a disease once considered successfully contained but also highlights the detrimental impact of disinformation and recent government… Read More: Measles Outbreak Updates: A case study on the new era… »

Current, Former CDC Staff Warn Against Slashing Support to Local Public Health Departments

By | March 25, 2025
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Protesters wearing and holding signs

This article is from a partnership that includes WABE, NPR, and KFF Health News. It was republished for free. It was selected to run as a part of this year’s theme at The Medical Care Blog, highlighting the Political Determinants of Health. On a sunny weekday in Atlanta, a small crowd of people gathered for a rally… Read More: Current, Former CDC Staff Warn Against Slashing Support to Local… »

Women’s Cancer Screening Inequities and Current Barriers to Care

By | March 13, 2025
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Image of different symbols for women's cancer screening, including a woman in a lab coat, stethoscope, clipboard, and a uterus

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in the US for women. The American Cancer Society estimates that over 40,000 women will die from breast cancer in 2025. On top of that, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are around 11,500 new cases of cervical cancer, and about… Read More: Women’s Cancer Screening Inequities and Current Barriers to Care »

Defense of Medicaid in an Era of Government Efficiency

By | March 29, 2025
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The recent budget resolution passed by the House of Representatives proposes significant spending cuts, including approximately $880 billion from programs under the jurisdiction of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, which encompasses Medicaid. This proposal has raised concerns about potential reductions in Medicaid funding, a program that currently provides health coverage to over 72… Read More: Defense of Medicaid in an Era of Government Efficiency »

Medical Care Update: Incoming Chair’s Message

By | December 13, 2024
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APHA Medical Care section logo

Hi, My name is Dr. Ben King and I’m the new Chair of the Medical Care section of the American Public Health Association (APHA). I am beyond excited about what the next couple of years have in store for us as a professional organization. I also recognize that we are entering a time of immense… Read More: Medical Care Update: Incoming Chair’s Message »

Survival of the Biggest: How Consolidation through Private Equity is Reshaping Primary Care

By | July 25, 2024
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Image of Black or African American Female Clinician in a White Lab Coat Wearing a Mask and Stethascope

Consolidation, broadly, and private equity, specifically, is threatening the survival of primary care. Because of its life-extending, quality-improving, cost-reducing, and equity-promoting benefits, primary care has been declared a common good, worthy of the public stewardship and investment provided to the justice system, highways, and public schools. Through its core functions – coordination, comprehensiveness, access, and… Read More: Survival of the Biggest: How Consolidation through Private Equity is… »

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Impacts of Climate Change on Health and Health Care Utilization

By | May 2, 2024
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Global climate temperature changes

For new readers, the editors and the majority of contributors to The Medical Care Blog recently authored and signed onto a special consensus statement about climate change, labeling it the “greatest threat” to global public health. As part of the plan to publish that statement, we also declared that the drivers and health risks of… Read More: Impacts of Climate Change on Health and Health Care Utilization »

History of Climate Policy and Advocacy by the American Public Health Association

By | February 23, 2024
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In January, the Medical Care Blog’s editors published a consensus statement on climate policy and health. This statement was co-signed by many of our authors, editors, and editorial board members of the Medical Care journal. As we look ahead to our focus theme for 2024, we want to begin with a look backward as well.… Read More: History of Climate Policy and Advocacy by the American Public… »

Special Issue of Medical Care: Implementation and Cost of evidence-based, patient-centered programs

By | November 30, 2023
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The Person-Centered Care Model

As part of its partnership with the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), Medical Care has published its first PCORI-sponsored article collection, which provides specific information about the costs that healthcare systems can expect to incur in promoting the uptake of specific evidence-based programs. In September’s special issue, five project teams that received Implementation Award funding from PCORI… Read More: Special Issue of Medical Care: Implementation and Cost of evidence-based,… »

Health Plans With Deductibles See Lower Lung Cancer Screening Rates

By | November 22, 2023
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The United States Preventive Services Task Force has recommended lung cancer screening for at-risk groups since 2013, and updated again in 2021. This is a simple procedure involving a low dose of radiation used to take a CT image of the chest. If utilized by most eligible Americans, screening could reduce lung cancer mortality by… Read More: Health Plans With Deductibles See Lower Lung Cancer Screening Rates »

Making PrEP Accessible to Patients Experiencing Homelessness

By | November 9, 2023
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Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) has gone from a deadly infection to a manageable health condition in the last thirty years. Today, we have medications available that can treat those with HIV and prevent HIV in uninfected people. Pre-exposure prophylaxis, also known as PrEP, is a medication given to individuals without HIV to keep them from… Read More: Making PrEP Accessible to Patients Experiencing Homelessness »

Meet the Blog’s Newest Addition to the Editorial Team: Ben King

By | November 9, 2023
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Dr. Ben King is joining our editorial team at the Medical Care Blog

Ben King is joining our editorial team at The Medical Care Blog! Dr. King (he/him) is currently an Assistant Professor of Population Health at the new Tilman J Fertitta Family College of Medicine at the University of Houston. He has additional appointments in the Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, with the UH-Humana Integrated Health… Read More: Meet the Blog’s Newest Addition to the Editorial Team: Ben… »

APHA Calls for Single-Payer Health Reform

By | July 6, 2022
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It is not too late to fix the US healthcare system. But every day spent in this folly, the problem gets worse. It is time to move this conversation forward. We are excited to share that in November 2021, the American Public Health Association (APHA) formally adopted a policy statement titled “Adopting a Single-Payer Health… Read More: APHA Calls for Single-Payer Health Reform »

Multimorbidity and Psychosocial Aspects of Homelessness

By | September 13, 2021
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Homelessness persists in the US, and across the world, despite decades of recognition and longstanding efforts to end the condition. There have been major successes in our understanding of what policies and programs work to prevent and end homelessness. However, the work must and will find new ways to adapt and improve if we are… Read More: Multimorbidity and Psychosocial Aspects of Homelessness »

Health and Housing Equity: a new report released by the American Public Health Association

By | October 12, 2020
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Row of stone buildings with boarded up windows, with new tall buildings all around.

Earlier this fall the American Public Health Association (APHA) released a remarkable report on the relationship between Housing Equity and Health, “Creating The Healthiest Nation: Health and Housing Equity.” APHA’s Caucus on Homelessness is deeply appreciative of the report’s focus on US housing inequalities and the shortcomings of our current affordable housing programs to address… Read More: Health and Housing Equity: a new report released by the… »

Implementation of HCV Treatment Programs

By | November 8, 2022
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Successfully implementing an intervention within a complex service delivery system requires multiple, inter-related adoption strategies.  The Veterans Administration’s (VA) renewed emphasis on Hepatitis C treatment offered a perfect opportunity to study which strategies worked. In this post, I will review those findings. Then, I will discuss the importance of accounting for the complexity of strategy… Read More: Implementation of HCV Treatment Programs »

Framing Success for Supportive Housing Services

By | June 11, 2020
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In this post we reflect on the definition of success in a study measuring the value of peer support services administered through the HUD VASH program and discuss client-centered definitions of value. We propose designing and understanding programmatic success goals tailored to unique need categories within veteran participant groups. With stay-at-home orders lifting all across… Read More: Framing Success for Supportive Housing Services »

COVID-19 and homelessness

By | May 1, 2020
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Our neighbors who are experiencing homelessness during this SARS-COV-2 pandemic are facing unique risks and extreme hardships. In the corner of American society almost defined by economic and racial disparities, COVID-19 has compounded and taken advantage of these long-standing vulnerabilities. An outsized burden of risk factors for COVID-19 compound the risks of crowded shelters and… Read More: COVID-19 and homelessness »

COVID-19: High risk of severe illness

By | April 13, 2020
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There is a lot of attention being paid to the proportions of severe and fatal cases in discussions of COVID-19. Unless you’ve been living under a rock since January, you know that there are groups who are more likely to get very sick or die during this pandemic. In this post, we explore the evidence… Read More: COVID-19: High risk of severe illness »

Healthcare utilization in the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic

By | April 22, 2020
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This post summarizes what we know right now about the SARS-CoV-2 virus and the disease it causes, COVID-19. The information contained in this post may change as the situation changes, or may become obsolete. We will attempt to update if any of this changes substantively.  News and social media outlets have fallen short of useful… Read More: Healthcare utilization in the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic »

Witnessing and Responding to Homelessness

By | December 11, 2019
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Homelessness is both a public health issue and a deeply troubling sign of policy failures in a rich country such as the US. Yet what are the right ways to respond, both in the moment and on a larger scale? In early November, the American Public Health Association (APHA) gathered for our annual meeting at… Read More: Witnessing and Responding to Homelessness »

The ICD-10 transition changed the game more than you think

By | July 25, 2019
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The codes of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) serve as the backbone for billing, payment, and surveillance programs across the entire healthcare system – nationally and globally. Recent research published in Medical Care by Alexander Mainor and colleagues from the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy & Clinical Practice has shown that the transition of… Read More: The ICD-10 transition changed the game more than you think »

Homelessness as a Public Health Issue

By | June 12, 2019
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Homelessness and housing are issues of public health significance. This month, we published a Special Commentary about homelessness in Medical Care, informed by the 2017 policy statement we co-authored for the American Public Health Association (APHA) about homelessness and how federal, state, and local authorities can use evidence-based solutions to help bring an end to… Read More: Homelessness as a Public Health Issue »

Veteran Access to Hepatitis C Treatment

By | May 10, 2019
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Hepatitis C treatment has gone through a revolution in the last 5 years. Treatment durations have dropped from 48 to 12 weeks, and success rates have improved dramatically. However, treatment costs have sky-rocketed accordingly, and access to care has become a significant issue, particularly for lower socioeconomic individuals and groups. Eligible veterans should have access… Read More: Veteran Access to Hepatitis C Treatment »

Tailoring VA primary care to address the social determinants of health

By | March 14, 2019
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Tailoring the primary care medical home model improves the care experience for US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) patients with homelessness experience, according to a recent study by Dr. Audrey Jones and colleagues in the journal Medical Care. Researchers from the VA’s Informatics, Decision-Enhancement, and Analytic Sciences (IDEAS) Center and Center for Health Equity Research… Read More: Tailoring VA primary care to address the social determinants of… »

Hospitalizations of Individuals Experiencing Homelessness Driven by Behavioral Health Concerns

By | February 6, 2019
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Individuals experiencing homelessness are among the most medically, socially, economically, and politically vulnerable in our society. Because of this, patterns of service use by these individuals can often serve as indicators of the safety net capacity and overall wellness of the systems of care we have in place – like “canaries in the coal mine.”… Read More: Hospitalizations of Individuals Experiencing Homelessness Driven by Behavioral Health Concerns »

Big differences in detection rates between different data sources: sky falling or business as usual?

By | January 2, 2019
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This post is for the measurement methodologists in the house. Although, the study results have a real impact for anyone reading macro-level studies of health care services and economics. Sure, this is a bit of inside baseball, but it involves a fundamentally important issue at the center of healthcare research and policy that relies on… Read More: Big differences in detection rates between different data sources: sky… »