The Supreme Court on April 21 ruled that the abortion pill mifepristone should remain widely available while the lower courts consider the issue, blocking earlier rulings that banned or restricted access to the drug. KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner joined NPR’s “Weekend All Things Considered” to discuss the complicated case.
Nearly two weeks away from the end of the public health emergency, the CDC has detailed what and how it will continue tracking COVID-19 data as some reporting aspects begin to sunset, according to an April 24 report from CNN.
The federal government’s ambitious plan to end the HIV epidemic, launched in 2019, has generated new ways to reach at-risk populations in targeted communities across the South. But health officials, advocates, and people living with HIV worry significant headwinds will keep the program from reaching its goals.
In light of COVID-19’s origins likely stemming from safety issues at an infectious disease research lab, the U.S. House of Representatives announced a new hearing will take place April 27 as part of further investigations into it.
Four hospitals in Houston have reportedly seen marginal increases in patients being diagnosed with mold-related infections possibly linked to the timeline of Hurricane Harvey in 2017, Houston Public Media reported April 20.
The latest CDC estimates indicate omicron subvariant XBB.1.16 accounts for nearly 10 percent of COVID-19 cases in the U.S.
Each year, firearm-related injuries lead to roughly 30,000 inpatient hospital stays and 50,000 emergency room visits, which generates more than $1 billion in medical costs, an Urban Institute report found.
Billions of dollars are headed to state and local governments to address the opioid crisis. Policy experts and advocates expect the federal government to play a role in overseeing the use of the money. Failure to do so, they say, could lead to wasted opportunities. And, since Medicaid helps pay health care costs, the feds could have a claim to portions of states’ opioid settlements.
The Supreme Court is considering the future of the abortion pill mifepristone, after GenBioPro sued the FDA over limitations that effectively block generic production of the drug, a major part of the market. Congress is considering proposals that would impose Medicaid work requirements, crack down on pharmacy benefit managers, and more. And President Joe Biden moved to expand health coverage to young immigrants known as “Dreamers.” Rachel Cohrs of Stat, Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call, and Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico join KFF Health News’ Mary Agnes Carey to discuss these issues and more.
Emergency department visits for strep throat infections reached a five-year high in February and March, according to unpublished CDC data cited by NBC News in an April 19 report.
