Population Health News, October 2026

Health Disparities & Equity

Proposed changes to the census could impact health equity efforts: A proposed rule from the Census Bureau would prohibit asking about race, ethnicity, or sexual orientation.  (KFF, September 26, 2026)

Disparities in glycemic control at federally qualified health centers (FQHCs): Glycemic control varied by race, ethnicity, federal poverty level, and insurance status, with more than half of the patients they studied having an HbAqc above 9% in FQHCs. The researchers say the need for targeted interventions is urgent. (BMC Endocrine Disorders, September 2, 2026)

Exploring the changes in the education-health gradient: “Although no single explanation emerged across all states, our findings indicate that broader economic and labor conditions, rather than health behaviors or the changing composition of adults who attain certain education levels, were the main contributors to the increasing gradient across most states.” (Population Research and Policy Review, June 22, 2026; IAPHS members Jennifer Karas Montez, Anna Zajacova, Iliya Gutin, are three of the five authors.)

Environmental and Climate Health & Justice

Guam shows a legacy of pollution left behind by the US military: Unexploded ordnance, PCBs, tainted groundwater and wells: Guam can be seen as a cautionary tale as the Pentagon ramps up its plans in the Pacific. (Grist in partnership with the Intercept, September 24, 2026) 

A Health Impact Evaluation Tool (HIET) for Louisville, KY: This tool allows you to search any address in Louisville to learn about the air pollution residents experience. (West Jefferson County Community Task Force, U of L Christina Lee Brown Envirome Institute, U of L Center for Healthy Air, Water, and Soil. For more information on air pollution in Kentucky, see Page 8 of this issue of Louisville Medicine.)

Built Environments, Spaces, and Places

Some U.S. nursing homes face serious flood risks: Over 100 nursing homes in America face a risk of flooding at least 2 feet. During flooding, nursing home residents are very vulnerable due to medical frailty, cognitive impairment, or disability. (KFF HealthNews, September 30, 2026)

Rural communities face hospice disparities: Some rural communities have barriers to accessing hospice and palliative care. A $20 million philanthropic gift is helping Dartmouth Health to expand access and examine home-based options. (Hospice News, October 14, 2026)

Broadband access linked to better health outcomes: County-level household internet and device adoption was linked to better health outcomes, especially in self-reported health and premature mortality. Associations were generally stronger in urban-majority counties. (Connected Nation, October 20, 2026) 

Policy and Programs

New Jersey eliminates $90 million in medical debt: Twenty thousand NJ residents will see their medical care erased, thanks to a partnership tween the NJ Department of Health and the national nonprofit Undue Medical Debt. (NJ.Gov, September 17, 2026)

DHHS cancels the “disparate impact” provision of the Civil Rights Act of 1964: “As a result, a policy or practice that disproportionately affects a protected group, by itself, is no longer sufficient to establish a violation of Title VI under HHS regulations.” (KFF, October 9, 2026)

Michiganders losing access to SNAP benefits: Work requirements, confusion, paperwork, and red tape are thought to be contributing to a 12% decline in SNAP enrollment in Michigan. (Bridge Michigan, October 13, 2026)

Book Spotlight

Against All Odds: How Health Reform Endures, by Lawrence R. Jacobs, Ling Zhu, and Suzanne Mettler looks at the Affordable Care Act and how it changed the American landscape. (Oxford Academic, October 7, 2026)