Under a bill proposed by Gov. Brad Little, low-income residents receiving health coverage through the state’s Medicaid expansion would have to prove they work or volunteer at least 80 hours a month. Sarah A. Miller smiller@idahostatesman.com A proposed law to add a three-month employment verification for low-income residents seeking health care coverage through Idaho’s Medicaid … Read more
JAQUINO / JAQUINO@STARADVERTISER.COM A man walks through floodwaters on Kaupe Street in Waialua on March 20. The Hawaii Department of Health and the Hawaii Humane Society are asking residents and recovery workers to monitor for signs of leptospirosis in the wake of Kona Depression’s storm surge flooding. The Hawaii Department of Health and the Hawaii … Read more
Fresno Unified retirees filed a class action lawsuit against the school district, alleging it caused serious harm to retirees’ health and well-being by switching retirees’ healthcare plan to a Medicare Advantage plan in 2023. [–> The lawsuit, filed by Emily Brandt, a retired Bullard High School English teacher, represents a class of 6,200 retirees. The … Read more
Last week, the Department of Health and Human Services finally implemented a plan it first outlined to several senior officials nearly a year ago. Reassigned them to positions in the Indian Health Service. Many of the reassigned employees — a group that includes at least six top officials at the National Institutes of Health, the … Read more
Six months after Eric Tennant died after a long battle with his health insurance company over doctor-recommended cancer treatment, West Virginia’s Republican governor signed a bill aimed at limiting the damage caused by insurance denials. Subscribe to read this story without ads Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content. Tennant, a coal mine … Read more
As a cancer survivor, watching the Netflix show “Apple Cider Vinegar” was heartbreaking. The show depicts the fatigue and hopelessness that many cancer patients feel, and the seductive appeal of abandoning traditional medicine in the hope of a “natural” cure. It also exposes the dark underworld of the alternative medicine industry, where quacks and influencers … Read more
More than a decade after recreational marijuana was legalized in Washington, a new survey of health care providers suggests that many clinicians are concerned about the impact on patients’ mental health. In a survey of nearly 400 Washington state clinicians, more than half said they were very concerned about the mental health risks associated with … Read more
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) was signed into law 16 years ago, and its advocates often point to simple metrics as evidence of success. That means approximately 20 million people who were previously uninsured were able to enroll in a health insurance plan. While this number is true, it is incomplete and increasingly misleading. The … Read more
A physician experienced at auditing federal detention facilities has been appointed by a federal district judge to monitor healthcare delivery at California’s largest ICE detention facility. [–> On Monday, U.S. District Court Judge Maxine M. Chesney appointed Dr. Muthusamy Anandkumar, MD, as an external monitor to ensure federal immigration authorities comply with a preliminary injunction … Read more
Support and technical staff at Rutland Regional Medical Center are seeking to form a union, but hospital leadership is trying to dissuade them. Medical technologists and aid workers are preparing to vote on whether to organize as part of the American Federation of Teachers. In addition to educators, the federation represents health care workers at … Read more