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Researchers found toxic 鈥渇orever chemicals鈥 in drinking water wells dotting California鈥檚 rural farming regions, far from known contamination sources. The discovery complicates the state鈥檚 drinking water problem, which disproportionately affects farmworkers and communities of color.
A federal judge sided with 19 states seeking an injunction against a Biden administration rule allowing recipients of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals to enroll in Affordable Care Act coverage and qualify for subsidies amid the annual open enrollment period.
Many older adults living alone, isolated and vulnerable, struggle with health issues. But a noteworthy slice of this growing group of seniors maintain a high degree of well-being. Meet Hilda Jaffe, age 102.
Access to information in languages other than English is protected by various federal, state, and local policies. But researchers tracking them say that as rural America grows more diverse, people not proficient in English face added barriers to critical public health information and services.
Aging alone, without a spouse, a partner, or children, requires careful planning. New programs for this growing population offer much-needed help.
Former California social services head Will Lightbourne has come out of retirement to lead the state鈥檚 mental health accountability commission following its executive director鈥檚 resignation in the wake of conflict of interest allegations.
麻豆女优 Health News staff made the rounds on national and local media in recent weeks to discuss topical stories. Here鈥檚 a collection of their appearances.
Ballad Health, with the largest state-sanctioned hospital monopoly in the nation, has failed for years to meet many quality-of-care goals, leaving some patients afraid of their local hospitals but with no other nearby options.
Inoculation campaigns that protect children and adults from dangerous diseases rely on a delicate web of state and federal laws and programs. If senior officials cast doubt on vaccine safety, the whole system might collapse, especially in red states.
President-elect Donald Trump has made his choices to fill some top jobs at the Department of Health and Human Services. They include controversial figures who were vocal critics of the Biden administration鈥檚 handling of the covid pandemic and have proposed sweeping changes to the agencies they would lead. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court heard its first two health-related cases of the term, challenging a Tennessee law barring transgender medical care for minors and, separately, challenging the FDA鈥檚 handling of e-cigarettes. Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins University and Politico, Shefali Luthra of The 19th, and Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet join 麻豆女优 Health News鈥 Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews 麻豆女优 Health News鈥 Bram Sable-Smith, who reported and wrote the latest 麻豆女优 Health News-Washington Post Well+Being 鈥淏ill of the Month鈥 feature, about an emergency room bill for a visit that didn鈥檛 get past the waiting room.
Host Dan Weissmann checks back in on the fight for hospital charity care, with lessons from Dollar For and a savvy listener.
Georgia鈥檚 ability to process applications for Medicaid and other public benefits has lagged since the launch of Republican Gov. Brian Kemp鈥檚 鈥淧athways鈥 Medicaid work requirement, leaving Georgia with persistently slow Medicaid application processing times.
As Donald Trump prepares to reenter the White House with a Republican-controlled Congress, health officials and community advocates in California worry that large-scale Medicaid cuts could be enacted as soon as next year. More than 60% of California鈥檚 $161 billion Medi-Cal budget comes from Washington.
Last winter, only 4 in 10 nursing home residents got an updated covid vaccine. The low uptake leaves a fragile population vulnerable. Some industry watchdogs say it could be a sign of eroding trust between nursing home residents and providers.
About 3.7 million people are at immediate risk of losing health coverage should the federal government cut funding for Medicaid expansions, as some allies of President-elect Donald Trump have proposed. Coverage could be at risk in the 40 states that have expanded Medicaid.
Patient and consumer advocates fear a new Trump administration will scale back federal efforts to expand financial protections for patients and shield them from debt.
California鈥檚 goal was to help 2,000 seriously mentally ill people by the end of this year, but data shows fewer than 600 petitions have been filed. As the CARE program expands to every county, officials say it sometimes takes months to locate eligible adults and get them in treatment plans.
