Category: states

Medical Exiles: Families Flee States Amid Crackdown on Transgender Care

As more states restrict gender-affirming care for transgender people, some are relocating to more welcoming destinations, such as California, Illinois, Maryland, and Nevada, where they don’t have to worry about being locked out of medical care.

Doctor Lands in the Doghouse After Giving Covid Vaccine Waivers Too Freely

Richard Coble issued vaccine waivers to patients in at least three states without examining them. He was exposed by a Nashville TV station that bought a waiver for a Labrador retriever named Charlie.

California Schools Start Hatching Heat Plans as the Planet Warms

State researchers offer recommendations on how schools can become more heat-resilient in the face of global warming. Proposed changes to state law could make it easier to build shade structures.

California Schools Start Hatching Heat Plans as the Planet Warms

State researchers offer recommendations on how schools can become more heat-resilient in the face of global warming. Proposed changes to state law could make it easier to build shade structures.

Opioid Settlement Payouts to Localities Made Public for First Time

KFF Health News obtained documents showing the exact dollar amounts — down to the cent — that local governments have been allocated in 2022 and 2023 to battle the ongoing opioid crisis.

Montana Clinics Chip Away at Refugees’ Obstacles to Dental Care

As the number of refugees entering the U.S. grows, those arriving in Montana and other rural areas find limited dental care options.

Foster Kids in Casino Hotels? It Happened in Rural Nevada Amid Widespread Foster Home Shortages

A nationwide decline in foster home spots has led to dire situations in some rural areas, including northeastern Nevada, where a state social worker has been pleading with community leaders to help address a shortage that left officials housing children in casino hotels.

Fraudsters Are Duping Homeless People Into Signing Up for ACA Plans They Can’t Afford

Homeless people are being fraudulently enrolled in health plans on the Affordable Care Act’s marketplace, induced with cash payments from insurance agents and brokers. Those who sign up for an ACA plan are disqualified from other forms of free and low-cost care and risk disruption in treatment.

On the Brink of Homelessness, San Diego Woman Wins the Medi-Cal Lottery

Annie Malloy, of San Diego, is among the first to receive a new housing move-in benefit from Medi-Cal, California’s Medicaid program. It’s an effort to help homeless and near-homeless people who might otherwise rack up huge medical bills.

Dental Therapists Help Patients in Need of Care Avoid the Brush-Off

Dental therapists are licensed providers who offer basic care traditionally provided by dentists, including fillings and simple tooth extractions. But opposition from interest groups and the profession’s relative newness mean more than two-thirds of states don’t yet have them.