Alexa Hornbeck
Alexa Hornbeck is a health care reporter for The Well News. She has over six years of experience covering health and medicine topics. Her reporting focuses on stories that illustrate the intersection of health, politics, social trends and science. She tracks health policy changes, women’s health, telemedicine and Big Pharma news.
Prior to joining the The Well News, Hornbeck worked for hyperlocals in San Francisco, California, and New York City. She attended the University of California, Berkeley, where she received two graduate degrees in public health and journalism. Her undergraduate degree was completed in literary studies at The New School in New York City.
Recent Work
WASHINGTON — The Senate passed the roughly $740 billion tax, climate and health care package known as the Inflation Reduction... Read More
WASHINGTON — The Senate passed the roughly $740 billion tax, climate and health care package known as the Inflation Reduction Act on Aug. 7, by a vote of 51-50. The massive package includes provisions to reduce drug costs for patients and providers by letting Medicare negotiate... Read More
Less than a month after the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine was granted emergency use authorization, demand has dwindled. The Food and... Read More
Less than a month after the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine was granted emergency use authorization, demand has dwindled. The Food and Drug Administration on July 13 authorized the vaccine for use in people aged 18 and older. As of Tuesday, the shares of Novavax fell about 30%... Read More
During the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic children across the U.S. experienced high levels of anxiety and depression. A report released on... Read More
During the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic children across the U.S. experienced high levels of anxiety and depression. A report released on Aug. 8 from the Annie E. Casey Foundation highlights the issue. According to the report, the number of children across the country aged 3-17 who experienced... Read More
The World Health Organization has been studying the gap in patient care exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. A report published Aug. 5... Read More
The World Health Organization has been studying the gap in patient care exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. A report published Aug. 5 highlights patient safety issues across all sectors of the health care system. According to the report, an estimated 134 million adverse events occurred annually due to... Read More
The World Health Organization is exploring ways to quantify the burden associated with brain diseases. In a position paper published Aug. 9, the... Read More
The World Health Organization is exploring ways to quantify the burden associated with brain diseases. In a position paper published Aug. 9, the organization shows how brain health can be optimized throughout life to reduce the prevalence and burden of neurological disorders. According to the WHO, there are many... Read More
New research shows that when adults enroll in Medicaid they are also likely to enroll their eligible children. The additional... Read More
New research shows that when adults enroll in Medicaid they are also likely to enroll their eligible children. The additional enrollment, known as the “woodwork effect,” was shown in a paper published Aug. 9 in the American Economic Journal: Economic Policy. The study used data from the Oregon... Read More
A recent survey led by researchers from Embark, a dog DNA company, examined where in the United States dogs are the healthiest. ... Read More
A recent survey led by researchers from Embark, a dog DNA company, examined where in the United States dogs are the healthiest. The survey found that the top three states with the highest overall score for dog health were Massachusetts, New York and Pennsylvania. The states with the... Read More
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is working to increase awareness about blood and plasma donations after the... Read More
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is working to increase awareness about blood and plasma donations after the supply dropped to historic lows during the COVID-19 pandemic. The department launched a campaign on Aug. 4 to address the shortage. According to HHS, every two seconds someone... Read More
WASHINGTON — For 36 years, the United Network for Organ Sharing has provided a system for sick patients to get... Read More
WASHINGTON — For 36 years, the United Network for Organ Sharing has provided a system for sick patients to get donated vital organs but members from the Senate Committee on Finance are finding continued issues with the technology, and the government has little authority to change... Read More
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Since President Biden announced his preference for South Carolina to be the first Democratic presidential primary state, many have put... Read More
Since President Biden announced his preference for South Carolina to be the first Democratic presidential primary state, many have put in their two cents on the matter. As the South Carolina state director for Beto O’Rourke’s 2020 presidential campaign, I’m... Read More
WASHINGTON — House Democrats are asking the Justice Department's inspector general to investigate whether Special Counsel John Durham and former... Read More
WASHINGTON — House Democrats are asking the Justice Department's inspector general to investigate whether Special Counsel John Durham and former Attorney General Bill Barr abused their authority with their review of Congress' Russia inquiry. The Democrats say they suspect Durham... Read More
WASHINGTON — A bipartisan bill intended to benefit service dogs working with disabled veterans has been reintroduced by Rep. Patrick... Read More
WASHINGTON — A bipartisan bill intended to benefit service dogs working with disabled veterans has been reintroduced by Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C. H.R. 807, The Working Dog Commemorative Coin Act, would direct the Treasury Department to mint a three-coin commemorative... Read More
WASHINGTON — As a full year closes in on what Russia calls its special military operation in Ukraine, the United... Read More
WASHINGTON — As a full year closes in on what Russia calls its special military operation in Ukraine, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees estimates that over 7.8 million Ukrainian refugees have fled to neighboring countries and over 65... Read More
WASHINGTON — Speaking before the National Press Club this week, House Oversight Chair James Comer, R-Ky., said his panel is... Read More
WASHINGTON — Speaking before the National Press Club this week, House Oversight Chair James Comer, R-Ky., said his panel is determined to press investigations into President Joe Biden and his family to ensure they did not illegally profit from relationships... Read More
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden will travel to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Friday afternoon to announce $500 million has been allocated to... Read More
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden will travel to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Friday afternoon to announce $500 million has been allocated to the city's water upgrades and lead pipe removal. According to senior White House officials, about $160 million of that total... Read More
