‘Dreamers’ Can Enroll in ACA Plans This Year — But a Court Challenge Could Get in the Way

Nineteen states are seeking to stall a Biden administration rule that would allow recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program to enroll in ACA coverage and qualify for subsidies. DACA provides work authorization and temporary deportation protection to people brought to the U.S. as children without immigration paperwork.

Exclusive: Emails Reveal How Health Departments Struggle To Track Human Cases of Bird Flu

Emails show how health officials struggle to track the bird flu, partly in deference to the agricultural industry. As a result, researchers don’t know how often farmworkers are being infected — and could miss alarming signals.

PBM Math: Big Chains Are Paid $23.55 To Fill a Blood Pressure Rx. Small Drugstores? $1.51.

Criticism of prescription drug middlemen has intensified recently in the wake of a federal agency’s actions and legislative reform attempts. Georgia Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, though, vetoed a related bill that would have helped independent pharmacies, citing the unfunded cost of the move.

Colorado’s Naloxone Fund Is Drying Up, Even as Opioid Settlement Money Rolls In

Since Colorado created a pool of money to pay for naloxone in 2019, it has distributed more than half a million doses of the opioid reversal drug to hundreds of organizations throughout the state. Now, its main funding stream is drying up.

Montana Looks To Fast-Track Medicaid Access for Older Applicants

As Montana’s population ages, providers serving low-income seniors say more people aren’t getting the care they need as they wait to get on Medicaid. Montana lawmakers are considering creating a shortcut to that care.

Trump Leads, and His Party Follows, on Vaccine Skepticism

Former President Donald Trump has presided over a landslide shift in Republican views on vaccines, reflected in false claims by candidates in election primaries, puzzling conspiracies from prominent conservatives, and a surge in anti-vaccine policies in statehouses.

Trump lidera el escepticismo por las vacunas, y el partido lo sigue

Trump ha liderado un cambio radical en la visión de su partido sobre las vacunas, reflejado esta temporada de campaña en afirmaciones falsas de candidatos republicanos durante las primarias y en teorías conspirativas desconcertantes de voces conservadoras prominentes.

A Few Rural Towns Are Bucking the Trend and Building New Hospitals

A remote Wyoming community hoped for years to have more access to health care. Now, after receiving federal funding, it is bucking dismal closure trends throughout the rural U.S. and building its own hospital. And it’s not the only one.

Democratic Hopefuls Fault GOP Incumbents for Anti-Abortion Records in Congress

Democratic congressional hopefuls in California are highlighting the anti-abortion records of vulnerable Republican incumbents, many of whom have moderated their stances ahead of the election. With control of the U.S. House at stake, Democrats hope to convince voters that their candidates will do more to protect women’s health.

In Montana Senate Race, Democrat Jon Tester Misleads on Republican Tim Sheehy’s Abortion Stance

Republican Senate candidate Tim Sheehy has said he supports letting states decide the abortion parameters within their borders and supports including exceptions for rape, incest, and the life of the pregnant woman in legislation to restrict abortion.

Deadly High Blood Pressure During Pregnancy Is on the Rise

More pregnant women are being diagnosed with dangerously high blood pressure, which risks the life of the parent and child. Montana is one of the states improving screening and treatment as health facilities work to match care with best practices.

Decades of National Suicide Prevention Policies Haven’t Slowed the Deaths

Despite years of national strategies to address the suicide crisis in the U.S., rates continue to rise. A chorus of researchers and experts say the interventions will work — but that they’re simply not being adopted by state and local governments.

In Montana, 911 Calls Reveal Impact of Heat Waves on Rural Seniors

State and local governments are struggling to keep up with the increasing burden of heat-related illness as summers get hotter because of climate change. In Missoula County, Montana, officials are working with researchers to understand trends in heat-related 911 calls.