Health
Americans sickened by radioactive waste press Congress for action on assistance
WASHINGTON — Victims of nuclear contamination rallied in the nation’s capital on Wednesday in support of bipartisan legislation that would extend compensation for those harmed by radioactive waste. U.S. Sens. Josh Hawley, a Missouri Republican, and Ben Ray Luján, a New Mexico Democrat, held a rally and press conference outside the U.S. Capitol as part […]
Louisiana lawmakers want say over Medicaid contract worth hundreds of millions of dollars
Louisiana legislators want the state to revisit — or at very least delay — the award of a Medicaid technology contract worth hundreds of millions of dollars after hearing complaints from one company not selected to do the work. Republican lawmakers criticized Gov. John Bel Edwards’ administration for excluding Gainwell Technologies from a final round […]
Women with serious pregnancy complications sue over state abortion bans
Women and physicians in Idaho and Tennessee have sued their home states after they say they were denied abortion care despite being diagnosed with serious, life-threatening medical conditions while pregnant. The lawsuits are led by the Center for Reproductive Rights, an advocacy organization based in Washington, D.C., which also helped a patient in Oklahoma file […]
40,000 children dropped from Louisiana Medicaid as part of massive review
Louisiana removed 40,000 children from its Medicaid program in June and July as part of a massive nationwide disenrollment process expected to continue through next May, according to state health department figures. The state has also seen 49,000 people added to Medicaid during the COVID-19 pandemic dropped from the government-backed health insurance program. The total […]
Anti-abortion Democrat runs for president to show graphic imagery in campaign ads
The morning of March 25, 2022, had started out like any other workday for Terrisa Bukovinac, as she and fellow anti-abortion rights activist Lauren Handy headed over to protest the Washington Surgi-Clinic in Washington, D.C. — until they asked the driver of a medical waste truck for a box that would change their lives. Inside […]
Louisiana drops 107,000 people from Medicaid during disenrollment process
Louisiana pulled Medicaid coverage from almost 107,000 residents over the first two months of the program’s massive disenrollment process, but state health officials have previously said many of those people may only be cut temporarily. Almost 51,000 people were removed from Medicaid at the end of June and 56,000 people were dropped at the end […]
Democrats push to extend child care grant program
WASHINGTON — Congressional Democrats introduced a bill Wednesday to extend funding for five years for a pandemic-era child care subsidy program set to expire at the end of the month. The legislation would extend the child care stabilization grant program, which Congress established in 2021 to help child care providers meet additional costs during the […]
A men’s movement takes reins in a nationwide quest to end abortion
Wendell Shrock doesn’t believe in condoms. “We should leave the uterus to God,” the street preacher from Tennessee tells States Newsroom, in front of an abortion clinic outside of Atlanta, mid-morning in late July. Sweat drips from his cowboy hat into his salt-and-pepper beard that stretches halfway down his red-plaid shirt. The retired police officer […]
Large donors to Landry paid millions to settle allegations of public health care overcharges
When Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry first took office in 2016, he emphasized his role in combating fraud in Medicaid, the government-backed health insurance program for people who are poor, pregnant or living with a disability. Landry, now the Republican frontrunner in the governor’s race, highlighted the work of the state’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. […]
Here’s where abortions have increased so far in 2023
Seventeen states now ban most abortions, including Georgia and South Carolina, which have laws on the books against terminating pregnancies after six weeks. Despite hurdles, some patients are still able to get care elsewhere. Abortions increased during the first half of 2023 in states bordering restrictive states and in those with protective laws, according to […]
More than a third of calls to Louisiana’s child abuse hotline fail to connect
More than a third of callers to Louisiana’s hotline to report child abuse, even professionals who are required to report indications of abuse, either reached a busy line or hung up before someone could answer. For the calls that were answered, an average of nearly seven minutes passed before someone picked up the phone. The […]
Food and Drug Administration approves COVID boosters for upcoming season
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Monday approved the latest round of COVID-19 boosters, as public health officials brace for another cold and flu season. An advisory panel at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is scheduled to vote on recommendations Tuesday, the final step in the process before people will […]