Health
Covering topics such as abortion, pandemic response, health care policy, public health, substance use and addiction and Medicaid.
After borrowing billions from the federal government to pay for unemployment during the pandemic, the state’s debt now stands at about $21 billion and growing. The state also currently accounts for about 20 percent of the nation’s unemployment.
Maryland students are already allowed to carry the drug to combat opioid overdoses, which are spiking among young people. A bill would set standards and outline expectations for students.
In a sweeping State of the Union address before Congress, the president spotlighted the economic comeback under his administration and offered his plans for the future.
Miami-Dade introduced a first-of-its-kind policy that would require employers to provide water, rest and shade to outdoor workers on hot days. The Legislature quickly sought to pre-empt such rules.
The mortality rate for unhoused Americans more than tripled in 10 years. New data makes clear lives are at stake as California leaders try to combat the homelessness crisis. Why are so many people dying?
Only 92 percent of U.S. adolescents are vaccinated against measles and a 95 percent vaccination rate is needed to create herd immunity. So far in 2024, the CDC has reported 35 cases in 15 jurisdictions.
Florida health officials began warning homeowners near the Florida State Fire College that well water may be contaminated and a potential health hazard. But inmates at a nearby women’s prison say they weren’t informed.
If a probable case is confirmed, the total number of infections would be nine in Florida.
A new public health campaign aims to train about one-third of the county’s population in how to do the procedure. In 2021, only 8 percent of those who suffered cardiac arrest in the county, outside of a hospital, survived.
A bill would require each county to offer a treatment option as an alternative to the traditional court process for veterans and active military members. About 8 percent of the state’s corrections system population served in the military.
Ten states have yet to expand eligibility under the Affordable Care Act. Doing so would save lives, improve financial well-being, save states money and support regional economies.
Women across the state are dying from pregnancy-related causes at the highest rate that has been documented by the state in the past decade. Between 35 and 40 mothers die every year.
The state prison system’s medical provider, Wellpath, backed out of its contract with the Department of Corrections after spending millions in unanticipated costs, mostly due to prison violence.
Last May, Oregon became the first state to veer away from the CDC’s COVID-positive recommendations to stay home for five days and wear a mask for another five. Now, the CDC is considering revising its policy to follow Oregon’s.
Legislatures across the nation are confronting several social issues including crime, drug use, immigration and poverty. These issues will continue to hold resonance, of course, in the November elections.
At least 19 states are directing money from Medicaid into housing aid and addressing the nation’s growing homelessness epidemic. Homelessness jumped last year to 12 percent nationally.
Most Read
