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A doctor has recommended a course of action that is invasive, expensive, or somehow different from what you'd prefer. Is it OK to get a second opinion? The answer is yes. Here鈥檚 how to make the ask a little less awkward.
Four states will vote on abortion-related ballot measures in November, marking the fourth time in five years that millions of Americans will weigh in on their states鈥 abortion rules. The measures follow the Supreme Court鈥檚 鈥淒obbs鈥 decision, which upended federal abortion protections.
Some mental health experts favor suicide prevention steps that are applied broadly, with protections that aren鈥檛 tied to an individual鈥檚 specific risk.
A century-old rural Michigan hospital converted to a stripped-down model Congress created to help keep small facilities afloat, then it closed. The emergency hospital model, created a few years ago, is stabilizing some hospitals, arrived too late for others, and now faces major challenges under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
吃瓜不打烊 is working to collect and post approved plans as more states respond to emails and public records requests for their documents.
In a church in rural Missouri, mourners lined up to say goodbye to Lloyd Gilmore, a 44-year-old Black father who died in police custody last month. His death sparked protests in a city with a long history of racial violence, even as the national conversation about police brutality has waned. Six years after worldwide calls for change, what鈥檚 happened to the movement?
The opioid settlements are a multibillion-dollar windfall with only loose spending suggestions rather than strict requirements. Some people directly affected by the crisis want stronger guardrails. But New York state鈥檚 experience highlights the challenge in finding a fiscal watchdog.
Last year, the Trump administration announced a voluntary pledge by dozens of insurers to improve prior authorization, which often requires patients to seek approval before treatments. But prior authorization remains commonplace, and there's no evidence the government is trying to hold insurers to account.
A ballot measure to eliminate Missouri鈥檚 income tax would give the state legislature broad authority to levy new sales taxes to replace the lost revenue. Critics say that could mean adding a sales tax on medical services or prescription medicines. Those types of taxes are unusual, but not unheard of, in the U.S.
Over the past 70 years, the number of inpatient psychiatric beds has dropped dramatically, leaving many without critical care when they experience mental health crises. I was one of the lucky ones to get a bed 鈥 after 21 hours of waiting.
When makers of infant formula hear that babies got sick or died while using their products, what happens next is left largely to the manufacturers. They decide whether to inform the FDA about possible harm, which could trigger steps to protect the public.
American hunters skew conservative, rural, and male 鈥 all associated with increased hesitancy about or resistance to vaccines. At the same time, hunters spend more time than most people outdoors and potentially exposed to Lyme disease. So how do they feel about a potential new vaccine against the tick-borne illness?
Margaret Hvatum ended up in the hospital after her insurer denied coverage of a medicine she relies on to boost her immune system. Hvatum got entangled in the preapproval process, which the insurance industry has vowed to improve.
The Trump administration has laid out what millions of Americans on Medicaid must do to prove they鈥檙e working or completing other activities. Health policy researchers and consumer advocates say there are some important takeaways.
Some children are healthy enough to leave the hospital after a medical stay but have no place to go. Across the country, the practice of allowing children to remain hospitalized 鈥渂eyond medical necessity鈥 has become a costly problem, and states have struggled to address the issue.
A KFF survey of state Medicaid officials offers insight into lingering uncertainty and differing plans for work requirement implementation as the Jan. 1 deadline approaches.
A $50 billion federal fund is supposed to modernize rural health with electronic health records, AI, telehealth, and more. But community clinics and rural health advocates fear that the contractors administering the money for states will bite off a big chunk before it reaches rural patients.
Starting next year, about 18.5 million adults will be subject to new Medicaid work rules in 42 states and Washington, D.C. Applicants must show they鈥檝e been working for at least a month before receiving benefits. Some Republican-controlled states want to triple the required work period.
Fourteen states now allow health coverage through state farm bureaus. Though they generally share many features of Affordable Care Act marketplace plans, they aren鈥檛 insurance. Neither are they typically subject to federal or state health insurance requirements, and the benefits may be less generous or predictable than those of Obamacare plans.
Some states already don鈥檛 have enough staff to quickly process Medicaid applications and answer enrollees鈥 phone calls. Researchers say they may not be prepared to handle new Medicaid work rules, predicting people will lose coverage as a result.
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