Category: Public Health

Covid Relief Payments Triggered Feds to Demand Money Back From Social Security Recipients

Some Social Security beneficiaries say the government is clawing back benefits after they received covid stimulus payments that were supposed to be exempt from asset limits

Benchmark Survey: Annual Family Premiums for Employer Coverage Rise 7% to Nearly $24,000 in 2023; Workers Contribute $6,575 on Average Now, But Potentially More Soon

Amid rising inflation, annual family premiums for employer-sponsored health insurance climbed 7% on average this year to reach $23,968, a sharp departure from virtually no growth in premiums last year, the 2023 benchmark KFF Employer Health Benefits Su…

South faces growing threat of yellow fever resurgence, experts say

The spread of mosquito-transmitted viruses is accelerating in the Southern U.S., stirring concerns about the potential return of yellow fever, two infectious disease experts wrote in an Oct. 14 article for The New England Journal of Medicine.

A new long COVID-19 theory emerges: Penn Medicine study

Remnants of the virus that causes COVID-19 may linger in the gut, ultimately causing a reduction in circulating levels of serotonin. This may explain a number of long COVID-19 symptoms, such as brain fog and memory problems, according to new research f…

CDC FluView shows slight uptick in hospitalizations, 5 other notes

Last week, 1,127 patients with laboratory-confirmed flu cases were admitted to a hospital, according to CDC data ending Oct. 7.

Michigan Voters Backed Abortion Rights. Now Democrats Want to Go Further.

Michigan is one of the few remaining abortion havens in the Midwest. But getting an abortion in that state is still more difficult than it should be, providers say.

COVID down. RSV, flu up: 4 notes

New weekly COVID-19 admissions are down for the fourth week straight, according to the latest data from the CDC. Meanwhile, flu and respiratory syncytial virus are starting to rise. 

Medicare Enrollees Can Switch Coverage Now. Here’s What’s New and What to Consider.

Fall is the time when enrollees in the federal program for older people and people with certain disabilities can make changes to their health and drug plans. The decision can be complicated, but here are some key points to keep in mind.

A Third of Schools Don’t Have a Nurse. Here’s Why That’s a Problem.

School nurses treat children daily for a wide range of illnesses and injuries, and sometimes serve as a young patient’s only health provider. They also function as a point person for critical public health interventions. Yet many states don’t require them, and school districts struggle to hire them.

The New Vaccines and You: Americans Better Armed Than Ever Against the Winter Blechs

Flu, covid, and respiratory viruses kill thousands of Americans each year, but the latest batch of vaccines could save lives.