government policy

“Millions Missing” protest at the Capitol demands myalgic encephalomyelitis funding, social support

Policy & Advocacy

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By

Miles W. Griffis

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May 12, 2025

Myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), Long COVID, and other chronic disease advocates demonstrated outside the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., this afternoon. Organized by the advocacy group #MEAction, demonstrators demanded that the federal government fund ME research and preserve vital social support systems like Medicaid and telemedicine.
Minnesota House budget proposes eliminating state Long COVID program

Policy & Advocacy

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By

Betsy Ladyzhets

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May 7, 2025

Cuts could end Long COVID research, communications, and grants in Minnesota, which has been a leader in state-level public health responses to the crisis.
$11 billion CDC funding cuts may decimate Long COVID response in several states

Health, Policy & Advocacy

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By

Betsy Ladyzhets

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April 15, 2025

Long COVID research and communications projects in several states may be forced to shut down or curtail their efforts due to recent Trump administration cuts to public health funding. In these cuts, announced in late March, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) abruptly canceled $11 billion in grants for COVID-19 and public health…
Trump administration set to abolish the Office of Long COVID Research and Practice

Policy & Advocacy

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By

sick times

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March 25, 2025

The Trump administration is set to dismantle the federal government’s Office of Long COVID Research and Practice (OLC) this week as part of a larger restructuring of health agencies, sources have told The Sick Times. This news, also reported by POLITICO and the Substack Inside Medicine, represents another blow among several moves this administration has…
Federal workers with Long COVID face firings, loss of accommodations, and more challenges under Trump

Policy & Advocacy

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By

Betsy Ladyzhets

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March 3, 2025

Many federal government employees with Long COVID and other chronic diseases and disabilities are deeply concerned about their future under the Trump administration. The Sick Times spoke to several federal workers with Long COVID who have been part of mass firings, have faced new challenges receiving work accommodations, and have been asked to do work…
Now offline: Government resources about Long COVID as a disability

Health, Policy & Advocacy

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By

Betsy Ladyzhets

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February 11, 2025

Several government resources about accommodations for people with Long COVID have become unavailable in the last week, following purges of government websites and datasets under the Trump administration. These pages offered crucial information about rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) for people with Long COVID and their employers.
Breaking: Vital Long COVID data taken down following Trump order

Health, Policy & Advocacy

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By

Betsy Ladyzhets

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January 31, 2025

A key source of U.S. Long COVID data is now offline following a purge of information related to sexual orientation and gender identity ordered by President Donald Trump’s administration. The Household Pulse Survey, a data collection effort by the U.S. Census and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is among many CDC datasets and…
RECOVER hasn’t been impacted by Trump freezes so far, sources say. But the program’s future is still uncertain.

Policy & Advocacy, Science

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By

Betsy Ladyzhets

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January 31, 2025

As scientists across the country face confusion and uncertainty following drastic changes at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) under President Donald Trump, the agency’s flagship Long COVID research program is continuing its existing work as usual. But future studies could be delayed or interrupted and prospects for additional funding are unclear under Trump’s leadership.
As someone with Long COVID, I’m terrified of what could happen to the Affordable Care Act

Commentary, Health

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By

Bobbi Dempsey

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January 27, 2025

Based on my past experiences, I fear that many Americans – including myself – may soon be deprived of the accessible, affordable healthcare we desperately need. Listen to Bobbi Dempsey discuss this essay on our podcast (timestamp: 14:20): It’s not an exaggeration to say that the Affordable Care Act (ACA) saved my life. Nearly 15…
How America lost control of the bird flu, setting the stage for another pandemic

Health, Policy & Advocacy

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By

Amy Maxmen

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January 6, 2025

Nearly a year into the first outbreak of the bird flu among cattle, the virus shows no sign of slowing. The U.S. government failed to eliminate the virus on dairy farms when it was confined to a handful of states, by quickly identifying infected cows and taking measures to keep their infections from spreading. Now…