HEALTH
Virginia policymakers consider changing hemp bill to reduce impact on CBD products
Before many people even knew what CBD was, a particular group of families was asking Virginia lawmakers to legalize it. At the urging of parents with children diagnosed with severe epilepsy, Virginia passed a law in 2015 creating a legal shield allowing families to possess cannabis-derived CBD oils for medical use without fear of being […]
Moderna plan to hike COVID vaccine price to $130 a dose rebuked at U.S. Senate hearing
WASHINGTON — The CEO of Moderna on Wednesday defended the company’s decision to drastically increase the price of its COVID-19 vaccine later this year, arguing that an expected drop in demand, changes to its distribution process and the overall benefit of the vaccine warrant the higher cost. That decision was met with bipartisan condemnation from […]
Another death in custody
By Bruce N. Cruser Henrico resident Irvo Otieno died on March 6 while in the process of being admitted to Central State Hospital. Otieno’s family, their attorneys and the prosecutor who reviewed the video of his death all said deputies assaulted the 28-year-old as he endured a mental health crisis, even though Otieno was handcuffed, […]
Virginia expanded dental coverage under Medicaid — but not enough dentists accept it
Lillian Hamilton, a Virginia Medicaid enrollee and 21-year-old tattoo shop manager from Hampton Roads, is still trying to get her wisdom teeth removed after years of living with a constantly swollen jaw, the pain from which has resulted in multiple visits to the emergency room. Hamilton said every time she tries to schedule an appointment […]
Youngkin says he will sign legislation ending higher insurance premiums for tobacco users
In an about-face, Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s administration said he supports legislation that would eliminate higher premiums on health insurance for tobacco users in Virginia. Youngkin vetoed similar bipartisan legislation last year on the grounds that it would increase health care costs for Virginians who don’t use tobacco and get rid of a tool meant to […]
Remaining abortion clinics face more challenges if abortion pill limited by Texas judge
JACKSON, MISS. The Pink House — otherwise known as Jackson Women’s Health Organization — was the center of the U.S. Supreme Court case that overturned the federal right to abortion in June. Today, the clinic, the only abortion clinic to serve Mississippi and the greater area for years, is shuttered. On a hot day in […]
Cuts to Medicare Advantage threaten Virginia seniors, people with disabilities
By Julie Mathews As the manager of a senior living community in Exmore, I know that residents and staff were watching closely during President Joe Biden’s recent visit to Virginia Beach. We were especially hoping that the president would talk about protecting Medicare from cuts that could threaten the quality of life for older […]
New study finds Central Appalachian miners at highest risk of dying from lung diseases
Central Appalachian coal miners including those in Virginia are over eight times more likely than men in the general population to die from respiratory diseases like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and black lung, according to recent research. “This higher mortality has also worsened over time with modern miners facing greater risk than their predecessors,” wrote […]
Virginia lawmakers approve bill limiting emergency restrictions on houses of worship
Legislation heading to Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s desk would prevent future Virginia governors from issuing any emergency orders that would shut down church services and other religious gatherings while leaving businesses and other secular facilities open, a proposal that grew out of frustration with COVID-19 shutdown orders. As originally drafted and approved by the GOP-led House […]
Given a chance to apologize for the theft of a Black man’s heart, House Republicans declined.
In what can only be characterized as a stunningly callous decision, last week members of a Rules subcommittee of Virginia’s House of Delegates killed a resolution to acknowledge and apologize for the state-sanctioned medical misuse of Black bodies in Virginia, a common practice in the 19th and 20th centuries. Four of the subcommittee’s five members […]
Black people live every day with hurdles that former health chief tried to diminish
News this week that the richest Black mothers and their babies are twice as likely to die in the year after childbirth than their white counterparts is just one indicator of why Colin Greene, the onetime chief of the Virginia Health Department, was rejected by the state Senate. Similar medical facts contribute to why Democratic […]
House panel kills Prescription Drug Affordability Board proposal
A proposal to create a state Prescription Drug Affordability Board that would have the power to review and in some cases set upper price limits on prescription drugs died a swift death Thursday in a Republican-led House subcommittee. “This committee has heard this before,” said House Commerce and Energy Chair Kathy Byron, R-Bedford. “We are […]