To Be One in a Million: ‘Who Thinks It’s Going to Be You?’
By Markian Hawryluk
Stan Thomas’ wife, Monica Melkonian, was one of only nine people in the U.S. confirmed to have died from vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia, a rare side effect associated with the Johnson & Johnson covid vaccine. For the first time, Thomas shares her story of how excited she was to get the shot, how she died, and why he remains firmly pro-vaccine.
HIV Preventive Care Is Supposed to Be Free in the US. So, Why Are Some Patients Still Paying?
By Sarah Varney
The Department of Labor issued rules in July clarifying that health plans need to cover the costs of prescription drugs proven to prevent HIV infection, along with related lab tests and medical appointments, at no cost to patients. More than half a year later, the erroneous billing continues.
Daily Edition for Wednesday, March 2, 2022
Wednesday’s California health news roundup covers the State of the Union, mask mandates, vaccines, long covid, opioids and more.
Fact Check: Biden Sets High Bar in 1st State of the Union Speech
By Victoria Knight and Colleen DeGuzman
What a difference a year makes. The speech was delivered to a largely unmasked crowd of lawmakers, justices, and Cabinet members in the House chamber.
Biden’s Promise of Better Nursing Home Care Will Require Many More Workers
By Jordan Rau
The president wants to set minimum staffing levels for the beleaguered nursing home industry. But, given a lack of transparency surrounding the industry’s finances, it’s a mystery how facilities will shoulder the added costs.
Desperate for Cash: Programs for People With Disabilities Still Not Seeing Federal Funds
By Lauren Weber and Andy Miller
Almost a year after the American Rescue Plan Act allocated what could amount to $25 billion to home and community-based services run by Medicaid, several states have yet to access much of the money due to delays and red tape.
Covid Expert Joins Exodus Into Business, Where Science Parlays Into Profits
By Jay Hancock
Like others in academia or government who’ve served as public health advisers during the pandemic, Dr. Michael Mina traded his university role for a commercial venture. He recently took a top job at eMed, a startup that charges a premium price for monitoring at-home covid tests. Can experts do well by trying to do good?
Daily Edition for Tuesday, March 1, 2022
Tuesday’s California health news roundup covers dropping mask rules, covid infections, vaccines, State of the Union preview, heat and more.
‘American Diagnosis’: From Church Rock to Congress, Uranium Workers Are Still Fighting for Compensation
This episode is the second half of a two-part series about uranium mining on the Navajo Nation. A coalition of Indigenous leaders and non-Native locals are lobbying Congress and fielding research to force the cleanup of abandoned uranium mining sites and expand federal compensation for workers harmed by the uranium industry.
Biden’s Blanket Statement — ‘No More Surprise Billing’ — Doesn’t Quite Cover It
By Victoria Knight
The president used broad language to say that Americans no longer needed to worry about surprise bills, but there are exceptions to the new law that could cost unsuspecting consumers.
