Daily Edition for Tuesday, March 7, 2023
Newsom cuts ties with Walgreens, abortion access, Medicare solvency, covid, medical schools, housing, and more are in today’s news.
Biden Administration Urged to Take More Aggressive Steps to Relieve Medical Debt
By Noam N. Levey
Consumer and patient advocates push for new federal rules to protect Americans from debt collectors and force hospitals to make financial assistance more accessible.
California Offers Bipartisan Road Map for Protecting Kids Online Even as Big Tech Fights Back
By Mark Kreidler
Last year, state lawmakers adopted the country’s toughest online privacy restrictions. The law offers Congress a path forward on federal protections even as it serves as a cautionary tale for taking on Big Tech.
For Young People on Medicare, a Hysterectomy Sometimes Is More Affordable Than Birth Control
By Gina Jiménez
While Medicare was designed as health insurance for those 65 and older, it also covers people with disabilities who are young enough to still get pregnant. Yet they often struggle to get their birth control covered and end up with large medical bills — or instead opt for hysterectomies or tubal ligations, which Medicare sometimes will cover.
Watch: Walgreens Won’t Sell Abortion Pill in 21 States Under GOP Threat of Legal Action
By Sarah Varney
Under pressure from Republican attorneys general, the nation’s second-largest pharmacy chain says it will not dispense the abortion pill mifepristone.
Daily Edition for Monday, March 6, 2023
Masks in health settings, prison health, snowstorm safety, covid’s future, origins, 911 response times, obesity, and more are in the news.
Struggling to Survive, the First Rural Hospitals Line Up for New Federal Lifeline
By Sarah Jane Tribble
Hospitals in New Mexico, Texas, and Oklahoma are among the first to apply for a new rural hospital payment model that shifts the focus of services away from overnight stays to outpatient and emergency care. Still, experts say the law needs to be amended to provide the right mix of care for rural communities.
Despite Pharma Claims, Illicit Drug Shipments to US Aren’t Full of Opioids. It’s Generic Viagra.
By Phil Galewitz
The FDA has long blocked the importation of cheap medicine, agreeing with pharmaceutical manufacturers that it opens the door to opioids. The agency’s own data shows that rarely happens.
Virtual or In Person: Which Kind of Doctor’s Visit Is Better, And When It Matters
By Michelle Andrews
While there are no hard-and-fast rules about when to opt for a telehealth visit versus seeing a doctor face-to-face, physicians offer guidance about when it may make more sense to choose one or the other.
Hospitales rurales aplican a nuevo programa federal para intentar sobrevivir
By Sarah Jane Tribble
Más de 140 hospitales rurales han cerrado en todo el país desde 2010, y observadores de políticas de salud no están seguros de cuántas de las más de 1,700 instalaciones rurales elegibles para la nueva designación aplicarán a un nuevo programa.
