Rachel Bluth, Kaiser Health News California will cover doula services for low-income residents at more than twice the state’s initial proposed rate under a spending plan lawmakers passed last week. Some advocates welcomed the new benefit in Medi-Cal, the state’s Medicaid health insurance program, as a step toward professionalizing this group of nonmedical birth workers. They say better pay may […]

The latest rash of mass shootings has reignited the national conversation on gun violence and mental health.  It’s a pattern that leaves advocates such as Schroeder Stribling, president of Mental Health America, concerned about stigma and misunderstandings of mental illness. But she also sees room for action.  “The most important thing is that people with mental health conditions are far […]

When the new corporate owners of two rural hospitals in Mexico, Missouri, suddenly announced they would stop admitting patients one Friday in March, Kayla Schudel, a nurse, stood resolute in the nearly empty lobby of Audrain Community Hospital: “You’ll be seen; the ER is open.” The hospital — with 40 beds and five clinics — typically saw 24 to 50 […]

Preventive services may help prevent illnesses, disease, and other health problems, or detect illness at an early stage when treatment is likely to work best. They’re free when you get care from an in-network provider. Here are some common benefits for all adults and children. Always ask your doctor what’s right for you. Common benefits for all adults Blood pressure […]

With a number of home health regulatory changes coming once the calendar flips to 2023, agencies are focusing on getting a head start adjusting their staff to changes. Many leaders consider major regulatory shifts as an issue that needs to be dealt with from the top, down. But that’s not necessarily the case. The Home Health Value-Based Purchasing (HHVBP) Model, […]

Tonight, Beyoncé is dropping her first single in two years. It’s called “Break My Soul.” Are you ready?  As COVID vaccines for infants, toddlers and preschoolers start rolling out, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) picked a fight with the White House by not pre-ordering doses ahead of time. We’ll look at some of the implications. Welcome to Overnight Health Care, where we’re […]

Shareholders have hit digital health companies with a spate of securities fraud lawsuits this year as once high-flying companies see share prices drop, and more could be on the horizon. It’s common to see a rise in such complaints, across industries, when the stock market is down. But healthcare and life sciences companies may be more susceptible to litigation. “In […]

Dr. Alex Jahangir, executive medical director of the Trauma Patient Care Center and vice president for business development at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, joined The Check Up to discuss his leadership during the COVID-19 response. Specifically, how Nashville’s health systems banded together to protect the city’s most vulnerable populations.

State health officials in Missouri and Indiana reported their first probable cases of monkeypox on Saturday. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had reported monkeypox cases in 20 other states and Washington, D.C., as of Friday, although health officials continue to stress that the risk to the public remains low. Both states sent samples to the CDC for […]

The U.S. on Saturday opened COVID-19 vaccines to infants, toddlers and preschoolers. The shots will become available this week, expanding the nation’s vaccination campaign to children as young as 6 months. Advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended the vaccines for the littlest children, and the final signoff came hours later from Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the agency’s […]