Colorado Checkup: January 2025

Health Insurers Limit Coverage of Prosthetic Limbs, Questioning Their Medical Necessity
By Michelle Andrews
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.

Dogs Paired With Providers at Hospitals Help Ease Staff and Patient Stress
By John Daley, Colorado Public Radio
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.

Biden Administration Bars Medical Debt From Credit Scores
By Noam N. Levey
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.

Climate Change Threatens the Mental Well-Being of Youths. Here’s How To Help Them Cope.
By Bernard J. Wolfson
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.