Category: Texas

KFF Health News’ ‘What the Health?’: Newly Minted Doctors Are Avoiding Abortion Ban States

For the second year in a row, medical school graduates across specialties are shying away from applying for residency training in states with abortion bans or significant restrictions, according to a new study. Meanwhile, Medicare’s trustees report that the program will be able to pay its bills longer than expected — which could discourage Congress from acting to address the program’s long-term financial woes. Lauren Weber of The Washington Post, Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins University schools of nursing and public health and Politico Magazine, and Anna Edney of Bloomberg News join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more.

Forget Ringing the Button for the Nurse. Patients Now Stay Connected by Wearing One.

Dozens of hospitals have deployed a device that uses artificial intelligence to monitor patients remotely. One hospital says it reduces nurses’ workloads — but some nurses fear the technology could replace them.

At Stake in Mifepristone Case: Abortion, FDA’s Authority, and Return to 1873 Obscenity Law

The end goal for a conservative Christian group’s mifepristone case before the Supreme Court: a de facto nationwide abortion ban.

Toxic Gas That Sterilizes Medical Devices Prompts Safety Rule Update

The Environmental Protection Agency is tightening regulation of ethylene oxide, a carcinogenic gas used to sterilize medical devices. The agency is trying to balance the interests of the health care industry supply chain with those of communities where the gas creates airborne health risks.

Pregnancy Care Was Always Lacking in Jails. It Could Get Worse.

A lack of oversight and standards for pregnancy care in jails is becoming more problematic as the number of incarcerated women rises and abortion restrictions put medical care further out of reach.

KFF Health News’ ‘What the Health?’: New Year, Same Abortion Debate

Some Supreme Court justices were wrong if they assumed overturning “Roe v. Wade” would settle the abortion issue before the high court. At least two cases are awaiting consideration, and more are in the legal pipeline. Meanwhile, Congress once again has only days until the next temporary spending bill runs out, with no budget deal in sight. Lauren Weber of The Washington Post, Shefali Luthra of The 19th, and Victoria Knight of Axios join KFF Health News chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Sandro Galea, dean of the Boston University School of Public Health, about how public health can regain public trust.

Adult Children Discuss the Trials of Caring for Their Aging Parents

The financial and emotional toll of providing and paying for long-term care is wreaking havoc on the lives of millions of Americans. Read about how a few families are navigating the challenges, in their own words.

How Lawmakers in Texas and Florida Undermine Covid Vaccination Efforts

State legislatures and politicians are pressuring public health officials to keep quiet about covid vaccines.

As Younger Children Increasingly Die by Suicide, Better Tracking and Prevention Is Sought

Decades-long systemic shortcomings have left suicide among children ages 5 to 11 poorly tracked and addressed. Now, as rates appear to be rising, advocates are strengthening efforts to screen for problems and prevent deaths in younger children.

How Will Rural Americans Fare During Medicaid Unwinding? Experts Fear They’re on Their Own

As states review their Medicaid rolls after the expiration of a pandemic-era prohibition against kicking recipients off the government insurance program, experts say the lack of help available to rural Americans in navigating insurance options puts them at greater risk of losing health coverage than people in metropolitan areas.