Duaa Eldeib
I report on health care and racial inequity, with a focus on maternal and child health.
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What I Cover
I cover health care, particularly as it relates to vulnerable populations, including those on Medicaid. I’m reporting on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, National Institutes of Health, Health Resources and Services Administration, and other federal agencies. I center human stories in my reporting and weave together hard-hitting accountability with the narratives of people who were harmed.
My Background
I joined ProPublica in 2017 and have written about the systemic failures that led to the U.S. stillbirth crisis, the ways insurers interfere with mental health care and the fatal consequences of delaying care during the pandemic. I was a producer and reporter on ProPublica’s documentary “Before a Breath.” During the first Trump administration, I wrote about the devastating effects of COVID-19 on Black Americans and collaborated with colleagues to cover the zero-tolerance policy for immigrants.
My series on stillbirths was a finalist for the 2023 Pulitzer Prize in Explanatory Reporting. My reporting has led to exoneration of a mother who was wrongly convicted of murder and the release of young men who were incarcerated as juveniles and later sent to adult prison for minor offenses.
Before joining ProPublica, I was a reporter at the Chicago Tribune, where I was a finalist with two colleagues for the 2015 Pulitzer Prize in Investigative Reporting. I’m based in Chicago.
They Worked to Prevent Death. The Trump Administration Fired Them.
Public health teams are being gutted, imperiling efforts to safeguard organ donation and prevent maternal and infant death. Many workers expressed fear at what would happen to the work they left behind.
Insurers Continue to Rely on Doctors Whose Judgments Have Been Criticized by Courts
In dozens of cases ProPublica reviewed, judges found that some doctors working for these companies engaged in “selective readings” of medical evidence and “shut their eyes” to medical opinions opposing their conclusions.
Her Child Was Stillborn. She Blames a System That Doesn’t Always Listen to Mothers.
Every year more than 20,000 pregnancies in the U.S. result in a stillbirth, but not all of these tragedies were inevitable. As many as one in four stillbirths are potentially preventable.
A Crisis of Undiagnosed Cancers Is Emerging in the Pandemic’s Second Year
A factory worker didn’t want to call in sick or catch COVID-19, so she tried to ignore the pain. Now she has stage 4 cancer.
Insurers Failed to Comply With Mental Health Coverage Law, Department of Labor Report Finds
The probe found widespread noncompliance and violations of federal law in how health plans and insurers cover mental health care, echoing the findings of a recent ProPublica investigation.
Her Mental Health Treatment Was Helping. That’s Why Insurance Cut Off Her Coverage.
Providers, patients and even some federal judges say progress-based insurance denials harm patients at key moments of mental health treatment.
Sign Up to Screen Our New Documentary About Stillbirths
“Before a Breath” gives voice to parents who have lost children to stillbirth. Screenings for the film will roll out across the country in early 2025. Here’s how you can get involved to help spread the word.
Why It’s So Hard to Find a Therapist Who Takes Insurance
Those who need therapy often have to pay out of pocket or go without care, even if they have health insurance. Hundreds of mental health providers told us they fled networks because insurers made their jobs impossible and their lives miserable.
The Failure to Track Data on Stillbirths Undermines Efforts to Prevent Them
Fetal death records are often missing cause of death, race and other crucial information. ProPublica found that the problem is only getting worse.
Bill to Fund Stillbirth Prevention and Research Passes Congress
The bill expands the use of existing federal money to be used to fight stillbirths. Lawmakers cited ProPublica’s reporting on the issue as key to adding urgency and building support for the measure.
We’re Investigating Mental Health Care Access. Share Your Insights.
ProPublica’s reporters want to talk to mental health providers, health insurance insiders and patients as we examine the U.S. mental health care system. If that’s you, reach out.
A Memorial for the Children Lost to Stillbirth
Each day in the U.S., about 60 babies are stillborn. Here, families share their child’s name and their lasting legacy.
As the U.S. Struggles With a Stillbirth Crisis, Australia Offers a Model for How to Do Better
Australia has emerged as a global leader in the effort to lower the number of babies that die before taking their first breaths. It’s an approach that could benefit America, which lags behind other wealthy nations in reducing stillbirths.
Experts to Examine a Controversial Forensic Test That Has Helped Convict Women of Murder
Responding to a ProPublica investigation into the “lung float test,” which some have likened to a witch trial, lawyers and medical professionals will work to determine whether the test should be used in court.