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�鶹Ů�� Health News' 'What the Health?'

A Very Good Night for Abortion Rights Backers

Episode 322

Nov. 9, 2023

Abortion rights backers won major victories in at least five states in the 2023 off-year elections Nov. 7, proving the staying power of abortion as a political issue in the wake of the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision overturning Roe v. Wade. Meanwhile, the National Institutes of Health finally has a new director, after Democrats temporarily blocked President Joe Biden’s nominee over a mostly unrelated fight about prescription drug prices. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Tami Luhby of CNN, and Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call join �鶹Ů�� Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews �鶹Ů�� Health News’ Julie Appleby, who reported and wrote the latest “Bill of the Month” feature.
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�鶹Ů�� Health News & PolitiFact HealthCheck

Another GOP Primary Debate … Another Night of Verbal Clashes

In a faceoff that took some strange turns, five presidential hopefuls focused on foreign affairs and inflation but still revealed the party’s political struggles over its abortion position. Once again, former President Donald Trump did not appear on the debate stage.

By �鶹Ů�� Health News and PolitiFact staffs

Nov. 9, 2023
The Health 202

Gubernatorial Candidates Tout Opioid Settlements

By Aneri Pattani

Nov. 9, 2023
An Arm and a Leg

‘Your Money or Your Life’: This Doctor Wrote the Book on Medical Debt

Season 10, Episode 5

Nov. 9, 2023

What happens when you can’t afford the health care you need? On this episode of “An Arm and a Leg,” hear from emergency medicine physician and historian Luke Messac about the history of medical debt collection in the United States.
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Underdiagnosed and Undertreated, Young Black Males With ADHD Get Left Behind

A recent study found that young Black males are substantially more likely to be underdiagnosed and undertreated for the neurological condition than white peers.

By Claire Sibonney

Nov. 9, 2023
A New RSV Shot Could Help Protect Babies This Winter — If They Can Get It in Time

Supply problems, a high price tag, and bureaucratic obstacles are slowing the distribution of a therapy that can protect infants from the respiratory syncytial virus. That will leave them unnecessarily at risk of hospitalization this winter, pediatricians fear.

By Amelia Templeton, Oregon Public Broadcasting

Nov. 9, 2023
Ohio Voted on Abortion. Next Year, 11 More States Might, Too.

Ohio is the latest state where voters have directly weighed in on abortion, and the next wave of such ballot measures is in the works in at least 11 other states, including Missouri.

By Bram Sable-Smith

Nov. 8, 2023
US to Cover HIV Prevention Drugs for Older Americans to Stem Spread of the Virus

The government has proposed that Medicare fully cover preexposure prophylaxis drugs that prevent HIV, a change that could help America catch up with nations in Europe and Africa that are on track to end new infections decades before the U.S. under its current approach.

By Michael Scaturro

Nov. 8, 2023
Perspective

What I Learned From the World’s Last Smallpox Patient

Declaring victory over a disease can be easier than meeting survivors’ needs.

By Céline Gounder

Nov. 8, 2023
The Health 202

Ohio Votes on Abortion Rights Today. Eleven States May Follow in 2024.

By Bram Sable-Smith

Nov. 7, 2023
Epidemic

The Scars of Smallpox

Season 2, Episode 8

Nov. 7, 2023

The series finale of “Epidemic: Eradicating Smallpox” is a visit to the home of Rahima Banu, the last person with a documented case of naturally occurring variola major smallpox. When the virus was declared eradicated, she became a symbol of one of the greatest victories in global public health. What happened to Rahima Banu afterward?
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Iowa’s Governor Opposes Abortion — And Has Final Say on Whether Medicaid Pays for It

The federal government requires state Medicaid programs to pay for abortions in limited circumstances, but Iowa hasn’t done so for years. No providers seek Medicaid payments, which require the approval of the governor, an anti-abortion Republican.

By Tony Leys

Nov. 7, 2023
New California Law Offers Fresh Protection From Steep Ambulance Bills

The law, which takes effect Jan. 1, prohibits out-of-network ground ambulance operators from billing patients more than they would pay for in-network rides. It also caps how much the uninsured must pay.

By Bernard J. Wolfson

Nov. 7, 2023
Children Who Survive Shootings Endure Huge Health Obstacles and Costs

A new study finds that young people who have been injured by firearms are more prone to psychiatric diagnoses and developing a substance use disorder than kids who have not been shot — and their families also suffer long-term ill effects.

By Liz Szabo

Nov. 6, 2023
As Transgender ‘Refugees’ Flock to New Mexico, Waitlists Grow

As many states have moved to restrict or ban gender-affirming care for trans people, a few states, including New Mexico, have codified protections. But those laws don’t always mean accessing care is simple or quick, as a surge in new patients in the state collides with limited doctors and clinics.

By Cecilia Nowell

Nov. 6, 2023
Science Says Teens Need More Sleep. So Why Is It So Hard to Start School Later?

Sleep deprivation in adolescents is linked to mental health struggles, worse grades, traffic accidents, and more. That’s why states such as California and Florida have mandated later high school start times. But opposition to later times is less about the science than it is about logistics and costs.

By Catherine Sweeney, WPLN

Nov. 6, 2023
The Health 202

Nursing Homes Say They Can’t Afford Higher Staffing. But Their Finances Are Often Opaque.

By Jordan Rau

Nov. 3, 2023
Navigating Aging

Medicare Expands the Roster of Available Mental Health Professionals

Medicare is expanding access to mental health counselors and marriage and family therapists come Jan. 1. But the belief that seniors who suffer from mental health problems should just grin and bear it remains a troubling barrier to care.

By Judith Graham

Nov. 3, 2023
�鶹Ů�� Health News / CMG TV Stations Investigation

Biden Pick to Lead Social Security Pledges Action on ‘Heartbreaking’ Clawbacks

At a Senate confirmation hearing, former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley said he would address hardships the Social Security agency has caused by demanding money back from beneficiaries.

By David Hilzenrath and Jodie Fleischer, Cox Media Group

Nov. 3, 2023
States Reconsider Religious Exemptions for Vaccinations in Child Care

Providers and health care advocates warn a proposed rule change in Montana would jeopardize immunity levels in child care centers and communities. Efforts to change vaccination exemption rules are underway in other states, too.

By Matt Volz

Nov. 3, 2023

Morning Briefing

Wednesday, April 29, 2026 • 9:06 a.m. ET

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Noticias en español

Florida retrasa la ampliación de seguro médico infantil mientras aumenta el número de niños sin cobertura

By Daniel Chang

April 28, 2026
La ayuda que más necesitan muchos estadounidenses mayores

By Paula Span

April 27, 2026
En Connecticut, los médicos ahora demandan a pacientes por facturas impagas más que los hospitales

By Noam N. Levey, Katy Golvala, CT Mirror, and Jenna Carlesso, CT Mirror

April 27, 2026
En California, legisladores buscan proteger a pacientes bajo custodia del ICE

By Claudia Boyd-Barrett

April 22, 2026
Tu nuevo terapeuta: conversador, indiscreto… y difícilmente humano

By Darius Tahir

April 17, 2026