World Cup events in Kansas City have kicked off, which means thousands of soccer fans are outside in potentially sweltering heat and high humidity. Health officials have been prepared and want people to know best practices for the tournament ahead.

Rural Kansans could see longer drives to access healthcare or fewer health services because of hospital closures. A report found that Kansas has 28 rural hospitals at immediate risk of closure.

More than 300,000 Missouri residents lost Medicaid coverage within the course of the year, and 92% were because of "procedural" terminations due to missing forms, incomplete information or other issues. A new rule proposed by the federal government could add even more paperwork.

After months of planning, Kansas City health leaders said the city’s hospitals are prepared, and bracing for international patients who won’t be able to pay.

The change comes via an executive order from Gov. Mike Kehoe directing the state to discourage the use of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, to buy "foods that are high in sugar and ultra-processed" and incentivize healthy eating.

Research Medical Center closed its labor and delivery and neonatal intensive care departments last year. Emergency room nurses say pregnant patients still come, and staff don’t have the tools to safely treat them.

Some jurisdictions have weakened their public health authorities in response to criticism of lockdowns, school closures, mask mandates, vaccine requirements and other COVID-era restrictions.

Despite a diminished federal presence, public health departments are preparing for common ailments that could afflict fans who gather for the event — and are keeping an eye on the Ebola outbreak, too.

The "Money Follows the Person" program was set to restart this summer, offering more ways for people to live independently. But Kansas pulled back out of fear that the federal funding was disappearing. Now, social service agencies wonder what will happen to those people.

Attorney General Catherine Hanaway sued American Shaman in March, taking particular aim at 7-OH, the company’s more potent products that she argued are “hazardous opioids." The company could face a $5 million penalty if it breaks the settlement.

Pharmacy technicians at the University of Kansas Health System narrowly lost their May union election. But nearly 40% of the ballots arrived in the mail late, potentially changing the results. So far, the Kansas state board hasn’t counted them, but organizers are demanding a redo.

Federal mortality data reveals a 16% decrease in so-called “deaths of despair” caused by alcohol, drugs and suicide, but cuts to public health infrastructure may make it challenging for the trend to continue.