Legislation
241 - 260 of 772 Results
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Most States Ban Shackling Pregnant Women in Custody, Yet Many Report Being Restrained
Advocates for pregnant people in police custody say repeated incidents show prohibitions on handcuffs and other restraints are little more than lip service.
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The Unusual Way a Catholic Health System Is Wielding an Abortion Protest Law
Dignity Health is suing several patients and their advocates for “commercial blockade” for refusing discharge during the covid-19 pandemic. The lawsuits could set precedents for use of the California commercial blockade statute, conceived to constrain abortion protesters, and how hospitals handle discharges.
By Judy Lin -
Biden Administration’s Limit on Drug Industry Middlemen Backfires, Pharmacists Say
A rule taking effect Jan. 1 was intended to stop one set of abuses by pharmacy benefit managers, or PBMs, but some pharmacists say it’s enabling these price brokers to simply do new things unfairly.
By Arthur Allen -
Do Republican Spending Cuts Threaten Federal HIV Funding? For Some Programs, Yes.
Spending cuts proposed by a Republican-led House subcommittee would cut millions from HIV-related spending.
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Another GOP Primary Debate … Another Night of Verbal Clashes
In a faceoff that took some strange turns, five presidential hopefuls focused on foreign affairs and inflation but still revealed the party’s political struggles over its abortion position. Once again, former President Donald Trump did not appear on the debate stage.
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Ohio Voted on Abortion. Next Year, 11 More States Might, Too.
Ohio is the latest state where voters have directly weighed in on abortion, and the next wave of such ballot measures is in the works in at least 11 other states, including Missouri.
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US to Cover HIV Prevention Drugs for Older Americans to Stem Spread of the Virus
The government has proposed that Medicare fully cover preexposure prophylaxis drugs that prevent HIV, a change that could help America catch up with nations in Europe and Africa that are on track to end new infections decades before the U.S. under its current approach.
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New California Law Offers Fresh Protection From Steep Ambulance Bills
The law, which takes effect Jan. 1, prohibits out-of-network ground ambulance operators from billing patients more than they would pay for in-network rides. It also caps how much the uninsured must pay.
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Iowa’s Governor Opposes Abortion — And Has Final Say on Whether Medicaid Pays for It
The federal government requires state Medicaid programs to pay for abortions in limited circumstances, but Iowa hasn’t done so for years. No providers seek Medicaid payments, which require the approval of the governor, an anti-abortion Republican.
By Tony Leys -
Science Says Teens Need More Sleep. So Why Is It So Hard to Start School Later?
Sleep deprivation in adolescents is linked to mental health struggles, worse grades, traffic accidents, and more. That’s why states such as California and Florida have mandated later high school start times. But opposition to later times is less about the science than it is about logistics and costs.
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States Reconsider Religious Exemptions for Vaccinations in Child Care
Providers and health care advocates warn a proposed rule change in Montana would jeopardize immunity levels in child care centers and communities. Efforts to change vaccination exemption rules are underway in other states, too.
By Matt Volz -
Dads Drive Growth in California’s Paid Family Leave Program
The number of men in the state taking paid family leave to bond with a new child has risen nearly 20% since the start of the pandemic.
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California Expands Paid Sick Days and Boosts Health Worker Wages
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation expanding paid sick leave to five days, extending bereavement leave to miscarriages and failed adoptions, and approving an eventual $25-an-hour health care minimum wage. Still, in a possible sign of national ambitions, the Democrat vetoed free condoms in schools and refused to decriminalize psychedelic mushrooms.
By Don Thompson -
California Moves Ahead of the FDA in Banning Common Candy Additives
The legislation bans the use of four additives that are already prohibited in many other countries but remain in popular U.S. foods. Advocates say states need to act because the FDA has done little.
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Michigan Voters Backed Abortion Rights. Now Democrats Want to Go Further.
Michigan is one of the few remaining abortion havens in the Midwest. But getting an abortion in that state is still more difficult than it should be, providers say.
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California Bans Controversial ‘Excited Delirium’ Diagnosis
California is the first state to ban the controversial diagnosis known as “excited delirium,” which has been used increasingly to justify excessive force by law enforcement. A human rights advocate described the law, signed this week by Gov. Gavin Newsom, as a “watershed moment” in criminal justice.
More Medicaid Messiness
Episode 316At least 30 states are reinstating coverage for children wrongly removed from the rolls under Medicaid redetermination, the federal government reported. It’s just the latest hiccup in the massive effort to review the eligibility of Medicaid beneficiaries now that the program’s pandemic-era expansion has expired. And federal oversight of the so-called unwinding would be further complicated by an impending government shutdown. Rachel Roubein of The Washington Post, Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call, and Sarah Karlin-Smith of Pink Sheet join KFF Health News chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews KFF Health News’ Samantha Liss, who reported and wrote the latest KFF Health News-NPR “Bill of the Month” feature, about a hospital bill that followed a deceased patient’s family for more than a year.
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Biden Administration to Ban Medical Debt From Americans’ Credit Scores
The White House said the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau will develop new regulations that would prevent unpaid medical bills from being counted on credit reports.
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California Lawmakers Approve Nation-Leading $25 Minimum Wage for Health Workers
A sweeping agreement approved by state lawmakers would gradually raise the minimum wage for hundreds of thousands of health workers to a nation-leading $25 an hour. The pact would also end labor’s years-long battle with dialysis clinics.
By Don Thompson