Disability Rights Activist Pushes Government To Let Him Participate in Society
Garret Frey won a U.S. Supreme Court case as a teenager who needed assistance to attend high school. Now, he鈥檚 gained concessions under Iowa鈥檚 Medicaid program to help him live at home instead of in a care facility.
Patient Underwent One Surgery but Was Billed for Two. Even After Being Sued, She Refused To Pay.
A collection agency sought court authority to garnish a patient鈥檚 wages to pay a disputed surgery bill. But after the patient showed up in court to argue the bill was bogus, the judge declined to let the bill collector seize her money.
Rural Hospitals Built During Baby Boom Now Face Baby Bust
Fewer than half of rural U.S. hospitals offer labor and delivery services. In some areas, births have dropped by three-quarters since the baby boom鈥檚 peak.
Therapists Learn How To Help Farmers Cope With Stress Before It鈥檚 Too Late
Many farmers have traditionally handled their own problems, whether it鈥檚 a busted tractor or debilitating anxiety. 鈥淲ith the older generation, it鈥檚 still, 鈥楽uck it up and get over it,鈥欌 says an Iowa mental health advocate and farmer.
Farmworkers Face High-Risk Exposures to Bird Flu, but Testing Isn鈥檛 Reaching Them
Federal officials are offering $75 to dairy workers who agree to be tested for bird flu. Advocates say the payments aren鈥檛 enough to protect workers from lost wages and health care costs if they test positive.
Los trabajadores agr铆colas enfrentan algunas de las exposiciones m谩s intensas al virus de la gripe aviar, pero defensores dicen que muchos de ellos no tienen recursos a los que recurrir si se enferman.
For-Profit Companies Open Psychiatric Hospitals in Areas Clamoring for Care
State institutions and community hospitals have closed inpatient mental health units, often citing staffing and financial challenges. Now, for-profit companies are opening psychiatric hospitals to fill the void.
Without Medicare Part B鈥檚 Shield, Patient鈥檚 Family Owes $81,000 for a Single Air-Ambulance Flight
Sky-high bills from air-ambulance providers have sparked complaints and federal action in recent years. But a rural Tennessee resident fell through the cracks of billing protections 鈥 and a single helicopter ride could cost much of her estate’s value.
Federal Program to Save Rural Hospitals Feels 鈥楪rowing Pains鈥
Fewer than two dozen rural hospitals were converted into Rural Emergency Hospitals in the program鈥檚 first year. Now, advocates and lawmakers say tweaks to the law are necessary to lure more takers and keep health care in rural communities.
People With Disabilities Hope Autonomous Vehicles Deliver Independence
A pilot project in northern Minnesota aims to pave the way for fully autonomous vehicles to offer independence for people who can鈥檛 drive.
Iowa鈥檚 Governor Opposes Abortion 鈥 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鈥檛 done so for years. No providers seek Medicaid payments, which require the approval of the governor, an anti-abortion Republican.
Millions of Rural Americans Rely on Private Wells. Few Regularly Test Their Water.
More than 43 million Americans drink, bathe, and cook with water from private wells, which can be tainted by farm or industrial runoff, leaky septic systems, or naturally occurring minerals.
As Covid Infections Rise, Nursing Homes Are Still Waiting for Vaccines
鈥淧eople want covid-19 to be in the rearview mirror,鈥 one nursing home official says. Faced with a slow rollout of the updated covid vaccines, and without state mandates for workers to get vaccinated, most skilled nursing facilities are relying on persuasion to boost vaccination rates among staff and residents.
Rural Nursing Home Supporters Fear Proposed Staffing Standards Will Trigger More Closures
The Biden administration says a recently proposed minimum staffing standard would help ensure quality care, but nursing home leaders predict many rural facilities would struggle to meet it.
M谩s estados legalizan la venta de leche sin pasteurizar, a pesar de las advertencias sanitarias
La pasteurizaci贸n, desarrollada en el siglo XIX, consiste en someter la leche a un tratamiento de calor para eliminar las bacterias.
More States Legalize Sales of Unpasteurized Milk, Despite Public Health Warnings
Distrust of public health authorities, who say drinking raw milk is dangerous, fuels demand for unpasteurized milk products, leaders on both sides of the issue say.
As Fewer MDs Practice Rural Primary Care, a Different Type of Doctor Helps Take Up the Slack
The number of DOs is surging, and more than half of them practice in primary care, including in rural areas hit hard by doctor shortages.
People With Down Syndrome Are Living Longer, but the Health System Still Treats Many as Kids
The median life expectancy for a U.S. baby born with Down syndrome jumped from about four years in 1950 to 58 years in the 2010s. That鈥檚 largely because they no longer can be denied lifesaving care, including surgeries for heart defects. But now, aging adults with Down syndrome face a health system unprepared to care for them.
Mental Health Care by Video Fills Gaps in Rural Nursing Homes
In-person mental health care is hard to arrange in rural nursing homes, so video chats with faraway professionals are filling the gap.
After People on Medicaid Die, Some States Aggressively Seek Repayment From Their Estates
States take drastically different approaches to recovering Medicaid money from deceased participants鈥 estates. Demands for repayment of Medicaid spending can drain the assets a person leaves behind, depending on where they lived.
