Sam Whitehead - KFF Health News

The pandemic gave federal officials expanded power to access crucial data about the spread of COVID-19, but that authority will change when the public health emergency sunsets in May.

The plan launched in 2019 has generated ways to reach at-risk populations across the South. But health officials, advocates and people living with HIV worry significant headwinds will keep the program from reaching its goals.

In November, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released new guidelines for prescribing opioids for pain, allowing physicians more flexibility. But doctors, patients, and advocates wonder if the updated standards will be too little, too late to help chronic pain patients in a country still focused on fighting the ongoing opioid crisis.

The network would let parts of the health system share information during emergencies. It still hasn’t been planned, even after the communication and data-sharing failures put on display during the pandemic.

The many options — particularly urgent care and free-standing ERs — can make the head spin. The wrong choice can mean big bills and even poor outcomes. Facilities have little incentive to clear up the confusion.