Tag

Health Care

All articles tagged with #health care

politics2 days ago•15 min saved

Ohio’s health-care pain could tilt the midterm map for Democrats

Democrats in Ohio see rising health-care costs and looming Medicaid/ACA funding changes as a potential opening to gain power, campaigning in rural and Trump-voting areas with proposals to restore ACA subsidies, bargain drug prices, and forgive medical debt amid hospital closures and higher bills; Republicans focus on fraud crackdown and program integrity, but voters’ anxiety over coverage and costs is driving a broader health-care narrative ahead of the midterms.

via Politico|

#health-care #insurance #medicaid

health-care5 days ago•18 min saved

Costco to Launch Costco-Branded Medicare Plans with SCAN Group

Costco Wholesale and SCAN Health Plan are partnering to offer Costco-branded Medicare plans, marking Costco’s first foray into Medicare. The rollout will begin with Medicare Advantage products in two states and a Medicare supplement plan in a third, subject to CMS approval. Plans will be sold in Costco stores and through traditional channels, with federal rules prohibiting bundling the plans with a Costco membership. SCAN’s footprint covers 33 counties across CA, AZ, NV, TX, NM, and WA, serving about 460,000 members (roughly 500,000 when affiliated programs are included).

via Yahoo Finance|

#costco #health-care #healthcare

courts12 days ago•29 min saved

Dallas birth sparks cross-state surrogacy rights showdown

Texas A.G. Ken Paxton intervened on behalf of an Alaska surrogate in a cross-state surrogacy dispute with California birth parents. The baby, born in Dallas with a congenital heart condition (HLHS), is receiving life-saving care in Texas. A Dallas judge ordered the child remain in Texas for treatment and barred the surrogate from making medical decisions or presenting herself as the child’s mother, even as California rulings recognized the birth parents’ rights; a hearing on parental status and care location is set for Aug. 25.

via The Texas Tribune|

#courts #dallas #health-care

health-care13 days ago•26 min saved

Texas court asked to empower surrogate to secure baby’s life-saving treatment

An Alaskan surrogate in a Texas dispute seeks a Dallas County court’s permission to obtain medically necessary treatment for the fetus she carries after the California couple she surrogates for refuses the procedure. Texas AG Ken Paxton has filed an emergency order backing the surrogate, arguing Texas law recognizes the birth mother as the legal parent and that gestational agreements cannot override state law; he also notified local hospitals to provide care. The case tests surrogacy precedent in Texas, which has allowed intended parents to be recognized before birth, and raises questions about when doctors can treat a child without parental consent in emergencies.

via The Texas Tribune|

#birth-mother #health-care #hypoplastic-left-heart-syndrome

health-care14 days ago•24 min saved

New Perinatal Mental Health Unit Transforms Maternal Care

A new perinatal mental health unit is leading an integrated approach to maternal mental health, combining obstetric care with psychiatry and social support to screen, diagnose, and treat mood and anxiety disorders in pregnant and postpartum women, with the aim of reducing stigma and improving outcomes for both mothers and infants.

via Baton Rouge Business Report|

#health-care #integrated-care #maternal-health

health-care16 days ago•11 min saved

Red States Tighten Medicaid Work Rules, Demanding Proof of Illness Earlier

Eight Republican-led states—Arkansas, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio and Utah—will require earlier proof of medical frailty to remain on Medicaid, adopting stricter work rules than the federal baseline and skipping the 2027 grace period. Democrats warn the tighter rules will leave sick people uninsured and strain clinics, while conservatives argue tighter verification closes fraud loopholes and reduces waste.

via Politico|

#health-care #health-care-policy #medicaid

politics18 days ago•20 min saved

McConnell exits rehab to finish recovery at home

Sen. Mitch McConnell was discharged from a rehabilitation center after his June fall and will continue his recovery at home with physical therapy, while his Senate duties are handled from afar as he remains away ahead of the chamber’s recess.

via The Washington Post|

#elections #health-care #kentucky

health29 days ago•10 min saved

Bipartisan Drive to Make Hospital and Insurance Prices Public

Congressional committees on both sides advanced bipartisan price-transparency bills to require hospitals and insurers to disclose prices, aiming to lower medical costs and premiums; supporters cite potential savings, while opponents warn of administrative burdens, and lawmakers hope to bundle the measures into a lame-duck package for final passage.

via Politico|

#congress #health #health-care

health-care1 month ago•17 min saved

Health insurance tether: a quarter of Americans stay in jobs to keep coverage

A West Health–Gallup survey finds 24% of American workers feel “job-locked”—staying in their current jobs mainly to retain employer-sponsored health insurance, up 8 points since 2021. The burden is higher for people with medical debt, financial strain from healthcare costs, chronic conditions, and women. As of March 2025, about 60% of people under 65 have employer coverage; premiums averaged $1,440 for single and $6,850 for a family. With pandemic-era subsidies expired, ACA marketplace premiums rose, and a median 2027 increase around 14% is anticipated, which may push more people to remain with job-based plans, underscoring policy challenges around affordable care and labor mobility.

via Yahoo Finance|

#aca-marketplace #employer-sponsored-insurance #health-care

politics1 month ago•7 min saved

Divisive Veterans Benefits Bill Tests GOP Unity and the Veteran Community

The Take Care of America's Veterans Act, which would expand retirement and survivor benefits (including the Star Act) and be funded by changes to VA disability ratings, has become a wedge issue in the veteran community and among House Republicans, with Democrats opposing offsets and several GOP members signaling opposition, threatening a floor vote and potentially delaying a broader veterans policy agenda. The Star Act would boost retirement payouts for about 50,000 combat-wounded veterans at an estimated $13 billion over ten years, financed by roughly $57 billion in savings from limiting new disability payouts for tinnitus and sleep apnea. Veterans groups like VFW and DAV oppose using disability benefits as budget offsets, while others push forward, creating a sharp intra-party split even as rallying support continues.

via Politico|

#congress #defense #health-care

health-care1 month ago•15 min saved

Texas school vaccination rates fall as exemptions rise, district data now searchable

Texas public and private schools report declining vaccination rates for required immunizations, with statewide increases in exemptions; the Texas Tribune has published a publicly accessible, searchable database showing 2025-26 coverage by district and changes from the prior year, noting campus-level variation and differences by vaccine.

via The Texas Tribune|

#education-data #exemptions #health-care

national2 months ago•19 min saved

Calif. billionaire tax: ballot battle pits Democrats against tech magnates

California’s proposed 5% tax on billionaires to fund health care is headed for the November ballot, but it faces mounting opposition from top Democrats and liberal groups, with Gov. Gavin Newsom saying the measure would hurt the state as Silicon Valley billionaires prepare heavy spending to defeat it.

via The Washington Post|

#billionaires #california #gavin-newsom

health-care2 months ago•11 min saved

AI-powered ECG clues reveal hidden risk group for sudden cardiac death

A Nature News & Views piece shows a deep-learning model trained on thousands of ECGs and death records uncovers a previously unrecognized high‑risk group for sudden cardiac death by identifying ECG features that may improve risk prediction beyond current tools, potentially guiding targeted use of implantable defibrillators after further validation.

via Nature|

#cardiology #deep-learning #ecg

politics2 months ago•3 min saved

California braces for new health-care and software taxes as budget vote advances

California lawmakers advanced tax measures within a $356 billion state budget, extending a health-care provider tax to private insurance plans (potentially about $2 billion annually and premium increases around $100 a year for individuals or $400 for a family of four) and adding a software sales tax projected to raise about $900 million annually. Republicans criticized the move as worsening costs, while Democrats argued it’s needed amid federal revenue losses, with Gov. Newsom expected to signinto law.

via New York Post|

#budget #california #health-care

health-care2 months ago•23 min saved

Mercola Reverses on Vitamin K Shots, Endorses Neonatal Prophylaxis

ProPublica reports that Dr. Joseph Mercola has reversed his longtime opposition to newborn vitamin K shots, saying the data show the shot saves lives and advising parents to discuss prophylaxis with their pediatrician. The piece notes rising uptake decline, widespread online misinformation, and broader trust issues in health care, while authorities continue to recommend the shot as safe and effective.

via ProPublica|

#health-care #health-care-trust #mercola