Dogs Paired With Providers at Hospitals Help Ease Staff and Patient Stress
Some hospitals are bringing in dogs to spend entire shifts with doctors and nurses. The trained canines help staffers cope with the stress of their work amid high levels of burnout.
Climate Change Threatens the Mental Well-Being of Youths. Here’s How To Help Them Cope.
The growing toll of climate-related disasters is a risk to the emotional well-being of young people. An Orange County, California, pediatric emergency doctor wants to add questions about climate change to standard mental health screenings conducted in pediatricians’ offices and other settings where kids seek care.
Biden Administration Bars Medical Debt From Credit Scores
The move, which comes less than two weeks before President-elect Donald Trump is set to take office, represents a challenge to the new administration.
Health Insurers Limit Coverage of Prosthetic Limbs, Questioning Their Medical Necessity
Advocates say it is discrimination and are arguing for “insurance fairness” on the grounds that people who have joints surgically replaced typically don’t face the same kinds of coverage challenges.
How America Lost Control of the Bird Flu, Setting the Stage for Another Pandemic
Exclusive reporting reveals how the United States lost track of a virus that could cause the next pandemic. Problems like the sluggish pace of federal action, deference to industry, and neglect for the safety of low-wage workers put the country at risk of another health emergency.
Cómo Estados Unidos perdió el control de la gripe aviar, abriendo las puertas a otra pandemia
Casi un año después del primer brote de gripe aviar en el ganado, el virus no muestra señales de detenerse. El gobierno estadounidense no consiguió eliminar el virus de los tambos cuando estaba confinado a un puñado de estados.
New Colorado Gun Law Aims To Shore Up Victim Services
A new tax on guns and ammunition in Colorado is set to take effect in the spring. Voters approved the tax, with most of the proceeds going to support services for crime victims and other social programs.
Federal Judge Halts Dreamers’ Brand-New Access to ACA Enrollment in 19 States
A federal judge sided with 19 states seeking an injunction against a Biden administration rule allowing recipients of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals to enroll in Affordable Care Act coverage and qualify for subsidies amid the annual open enrollment period.
With Trump on the Way, Advocates Look to States To Pick Up Medical Debt Fight
Patient and consumer advocates fear a new Trump administration will scale back federal efforts to expand financial protections for patients and shield them from debt.
Florida’s Deloitte-Run Computer System Cut Off New Moms Entitled to Medicaid
Florida discovered a glitch in its Deloitte-run Medicaid eligibility system. The problem, alleged in court testimony, led to new mothers wrongly losing their insurance coverage.
Florida Gov. DeSantis’ Canadian Drug Import Plan Goes Nowhere After FDA Approval
Florida sued the FDA over what it said was a “reckless delay” in approving its drug importation plan. Now, nearly a year after the FDA gave the state the green light, the program has yet to begin.
El plan del gobernador de Florida para importar medicamentos más baratos de Canadá sigue en la nada
Florida solicitó crear un programa de importación en noviembre de 2020, pocos meses después que la administración Trump concediera esta opción a los estados.
California Sets 15% Target for Primary Care Spending Over Next Decade
The state Office of Health Care Affordability has set a goal for insurers to direct 15% of their spending to primary care by 2034, part of a push to expand preventive care services. Health plans say it’s unclear how the policy will mesh with the state’s overarching goal to slow spending growth.
Washington Power Has Shifted. Here’s How the ACA May Shift, Too.
With a new Trump administration poised to move into the White House and Republicans set to control both chambers of Congress, party leaders are making a to-do list for the Affordable Care Act.
El poder en Washington ha cambiado. ACA podría cambiar también
El futuro gobernante prepara el terreno para hacer cambios potencialmente sísmicos que podrían limitar la expansión de Medicaid, aumentar la tasa de personas sin seguro, debilitar las protecciones para los pacientes y elevar los costos de las primas para millones de personas.
Ex-Eye Bank Workers Say Pressure, Lax Oversight Led to Errors
Corneas, the windshields of the eye, are the most transplanted part of the human body. But four former employees at Rocky Mountain Lions Eye Bank told of numerous retrieval problems, including damage to eyes and removal from the wrong body.
Older Americans Living Alone Often Rely on Neighbors or Others Willing To Help
Diverse networks of friends, former co-workers, neighbors, and extended family are often essential sources of support for older adults living alone. Often it is the elderly caring for the elderly.
12 States Promised To Open the Books on Their Opioid Settlement Funds. We Checked Up on Them.
Victims of the opioid crisis, health advocates, and public policy experts have repeatedly called on state and local governments to transparently report how they’re using the funds they are receiving from settlements with opioid makers and distributors.
7 of 10 States Backed Abortion Rights. But Little To Change Yet.
Voters in 10 states weighed in on abortion rights this election. Despite the results supporting abortion rights in seven of those states, much of the abortion landscape on abortion won’t change much immediately, as medical providers navigate the legal hurdles that remain.
A Quick Return to School and Light Exercise May Help Kids Recover From Concussions
With new research and updated guidelines in Colorado and 15 other states, physicians and educators are asking parents not to wait to return their concussed kids to school.
