Health

A new program launched this year out of California called CalAIM helps high-risk and low-income Medi-Cal residents find affordable housing through their health insurance plans. The CalAIM program is intended to improve health outcomes of Medi-Cal enrollees, specifically those with... Read More

Researchers from Washington State University released a study on Monday regarding their development of a smart pacifier that can be used to monitor infant health in hospitals. The wireless, bioelectronic pacifier will eliminate the need for invasive, twice-daily blood draws to monitor... Read More

The World Health Organization and UNICEF released a report on Monday that finds more than 2.5 billion people need one or more assistive products, such as wheelchairs, hearing aids or apps that support communication and cognition.  Despite the need, nearly 1 billion... Read More

During a mark-up session on Wednesday, the House Energy and Commerce Committee voted to advance provisions of the Medication Access and Training Expansion Act, known as the MATE Act. The legislation is designed to ensure controlled medication prescribers have a baseline knowledge of... Read More

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized the first at-home test that can identify and differentiate multiple respiratory viruses at the same time, detecting influenza A and B, respiratory syncytial virus and SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.  “While the... Read More

The Arthritis Foundation released new findings on May 17 showing a link between emotional support and well-being and arthritis pain. The Center for Program Design and Evaluation at Dartmouth College conducted the analysis using data from nearly 27,000 patient responses collected from... Read More

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration amended the emergency use authorization for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine on Tuesday for children as young as 5 to receive a booster.  Under the EUA, children aged 5-11 are now authorized for a single booster shot... Read More

In response to baby formula shortages nationwide, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan issued a consent decree on Monday to allow Abbott Nutrition to restart manufacturing formula at the Sturgis, Michigan, plant within two weeks. The... Read More

WASHINGTON — Members from the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee released a draft of the legislative package to reauthorize user fee agreements for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday, which are set to end on Oct.... Read More

WASHINGTON — The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine hosted a two-day workshop this week, during which academy members examined the future of the public health emergency enterprise and what exactly went wrong with the U.S. public health response... Read More

WASHINGTON — The Department of Health and Human Services extended the COVID-19 public health emergency this week beyond the July 15 expiration to October. The eventual expiration of the declaration will lead to changes in certain flexibilities granted to Medicare... Read More

WASHINGTON — Thousands of protestors gathered on Saturday to march for abortion rights from the Washington Monument to the Supreme Court building. The rally, called "Bans Off Our Bodies" was arranged by health organizations and advocates from across the country,... Read More

WASHINGTON — Abbott Nutrition on Friday committed to continue providing rebates in states with which it holds Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children contracts through August 31 in a bid to ease the ongoing baby formula crisis.... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden will appeal for a renewed international commitment to attacking COVID-19 as he convenes a second virtual summit on the pandemic and marks “a tragic milestone" as the U.S. approaches 1 million deaths. “As a nation, we... Read More

As war, drought and the COVID-19 pandemic increase global food shortages, the United States government is providing funds to ease the blow at home and abroad.  “Before the war began in Ukraine, more than 50 countries … nations like Ethiopia,... Read More

President Joe Biden will hold the second COVID-19 Summit on Thursday to galvanize new actions to address the COVID-19 pandemic and strengthen global health security. The event will bring together multiple countries, partners, nongovernmental organizations and private sector companies that... Read More

This week the nonprofit End Covid Now is holding a People’s COVID-19 Summit from May 9-12 to discuss the role of global vaccine equity in achieving herd immunity.  During a session on Tuesday a handful of policymakers discussed barriers to... Read More

The Health Resources and Services Administration hosted a telementoring and training session on Monday for the health workforce as part of its ongoing educational series.  During the event, participating members learned how to explain the Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes... Read More

The Department of Veterans Affairs will hold a hearing Thursday on innovative care delivery and how to improve infrastructure and operational efficiency.  “VA’s aging infrastructure not only causes many veterans to wait too long and travel too far for care,... Read More

U.S. Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, sent a letter to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Robert Califf and U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on Tuesday, requesting better protections for infant health and to address the nationwide shortage of infant... Read More

A legal brief published on Tuesday by the law firm Ropes & Gray outlines the final rule for Medicare Part D and Medicare Advantage beneficiaries released by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on April 29, 2022. CMS estimated the final rule will... Read More

A new bipartisan mental health package hit the House floor May 6, backed by Reps. Frank Pallone, Jr., D-N.J., and Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., and known as the Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being Act. The act would reauthorize several... Read More

WASHINGTON — Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., attended a press conference on Wednesday where she spoke about the Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act, which she introduced in the U.S. Senate on May 11.  “[Health care... Read More

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is preparing states to return to normal eligibility and enrollment operations after the public health emergency expires, with special attention on how the end of the PHE will impact those... Read More

A new initiative aimed at increasing the number of Black Americans registered as organ donors and combating disparities among transplant recipients was announced Thursday by a coalition that includes the four medical schools at the nation's historically Black colleges and... Read More

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is continuing to roll out the electronic health record modernization program, despite concerns from some members of Congress and reports which show unresolved patient safety issues.  “Implementing a new electronic health record... Read More

We’ve all felt the anxiety of bracing for an X-ray or sliding into a magnetic resonance imaging machine. We’ve all held our breath while a loved one undergoes a medical procedure. Every day, millions of Americans put their faith in... Read More

The Senate Committee on Indian Affairs held a hearing Wednesday to discuss road projects for Native communities through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.  President Joe Biden signed the act into law in November 2021, with a total of $1.2... Read More

This week the World Health Organization held a media briefing to share findings from the 2022 WHO European Regional Obesity Report, which shows that Europe has the potential to reverse its obesity epidemic.  The findings published Tuesday show that 59% of... Read More

The World Health Organization’s Global Tuberculosis Program has informed medical practitioners and other healthcare providers of changes in the treatment of drug-resistant TB. The updates include trimming the six-month all-oral regimens, and an alternative nine-month all-oral regimen.  “This is major progress... Read More