Category: states

New California Law Makes It Easier to Get Care for Mental Health and Substance Abuse

The measure, which took effect Jan. 1, removes loopholes that made it easy for insurers to use arcane company guidelines to avoid paying for care. Patients now have an easier way to challenge those denials.

Biden’s Straight-Talking CDC Director Has Long Used Data to Save Lives

Dr. Rochelle Walensky said scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were “muzzled” and “diminished” by the Trump team, especially during the pandemic. She aims to fix that.

With GOP Back at Helm, Montana Renews Push to Sniff Out Welfare Fraud

Montana is one of the latest states looking to aggressively check welfare eligibility to cut costs. Supporters of such steps say it’s about what’s fair — weeding out those who don’t qualify for assistance — while opponents say it will cut loose enrollees who actually need help.

‘It Doesn’t Feel Worth It’: Covid Is Pushing New York’s EMTs to the Brink

Struggling with low pay and high stress, New York paramedics and EMTs are reaching a breaking point.

After Billions of Dollars and Dozens of Wartime Declarations, Why Are Vaccines Still in Short Supply?

The Trump and Biden administrations both imposed wartime production requirements. But industry experts say the vast quantities of raw materials and specialty equipment needed for billions of newfangled vaccines have required herculean logistical efforts.

Organ Transplant Patient Dies After Receiving Covid-Infected Lungs

The first confirmed U.S. case of SARS-CoV-2 being transmitted through an organ transplant has prompted calls for updated transplant protocols and additional testing of samples from deep within donor lungs.

New Single-Payer Bill Intensifies Newsom’s Political Peril

With the introduction of a single-payer bill Friday, a group of California Democratic lawmakers set the terms of the health care debate in the Capitol this year. The move puts Gov. Gavin Newsom in a delicate political position, threatening to alienate voters as he faces a likely recall election.

To Vaccinate Veterans, Health Care Workers Must Cross Mountains, Plains and Tundra

Veterans Affairs officials are flying COVID-19 vaccines to remote locations in Montana and Alaska to quickly inoculate rural veterans before the drugs expire.

Spurred by Pandemic, Little Shell Tribe Fast-Tracks Its Health Service Debut

As the newest federally recognized tribe, the Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians of Montana is starting from scratch to deliver health care to members. While covid-19 has been devastating, it has sped up the tribe’s ability to build a clinic. Yet, lacking a reservation, the tribe faces challenges reaching its scattered members.

Companies Pan for Marketing Gold in Vaccines

Some assisted living facilities, pharmacy chains and health care providers are luring new customers with covid shots.