The Neglected U.S. Victims of Agent Orange
By Hannah Norman
The Department of Veterans Affairs has long given Vietnam veterans disability compensation for illness connected to Agent Orange, widely used to defoliate Southeast Asian battlefields during the U.S. war. Less well known: The powerful herbicide combination was also routinely used to kill weeds at domestic military bases. Those exposed to the chemicals at the bases are still waiting for the same […]
Daily Edition for Tuesday, April 30, 2024
California Will Provide Free Naloxone To Some Groups: Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Monday that California will soon purchase the opioid overdose-reversal drug naloxone for $24 a pack – about half the market price – and will provide it free to first responders, universities, and other qualifying groups. Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle, Los Angeles Times, and Bay Area News Group.
Toxic Gas Adds to a Long History of Pollution in Southwest Memphis
By Andy Miller
People across the nation claim cancer-causing emissions from local sterilizing plants are making them sick. It’s an example of environmental racism, say residents of one predominantly Black area in southwest Memphis, Tennessee, where life expectancy is much shorter than county and state averages.
Sign Here? Financial Agreements May Leave Doctors in the Driver’s Seat
By Katheryn Houghton
Agreeing to an out-of-network doctor’s own financial policy — which generally protects their ability to get paid and may be littered with confusing insurance and legal jargon — can create a binding contract that leaves a patient owing.
AC, Power Banks, Mini Fridges: Oregon Equips Medicaid Patients for Climate Change
By Samantha Young
Oregon is giving Medicaid patients air conditioners and other equipment to help them cope with soaring heat, smoky skies, and other dangers of climate change. Oregon health officials hope to show other states and the federal government that they can save lives and money.
An Arm and a Leg: The Hack
By Dan Weissmann
In this episode of “An Arm and a Leg,” host Dan Weissmann explores what the fallout from a cyberattack says about antitrust concerns in health care.
Daily Edition for Monday, April 29, 2024
Agent Orange, new hospital construction, ACA, insurance approvals, patient privacy, weight-loss medications, bird flu, and more are in the news.
Exposed to Agent Orange at US Bases, Veterans Face Cancer Without VA Compensation
By Hannah Norman and Patricia Kime
The Department of Veterans Affairs has long given vets who served in Vietnam disability compensation for illness connected to Agent Orange harm. But those exposed at U.S. bases are still waiting for the same benefits.
Millions Were Booted From Medicaid. The Insurers That Run It Gained Revenue Anyway.
By Phil Galewitz
Big health insurers that have contracts with state Medicaid programs find themselves making more money even as enrollment in Medicaid programs has dropped. Here’s why.
Daily Edition for Friday, April 26, 2024
Data breach, 911 system crash, single-payer health care, bird flu, HIV, suicide, school nutrition, miscarriages, and more are in the news.
