HEALTH
Federal judge considers stay in abortion case affecting Montana, Kansas and Virginia
A federal judge in Virginia will likely stay – or pause – a case regarding medical providers and mifepristone, a drug commonly used as part of chemical abortions, because of similar challenges in Texas and Washington. Groups from Virginia, Montana and Kansas had filed the suit in the Charlottesville division of the U.S. District Court […]
A new Medicare proposal would cover training for family caregivers
By Judith Graham / KFF Health News Even with extensive caregiving experience, Patti LaFleur was unprepared for the crisis that hit in April 2021, when her mother, Linda LaTurner, fell out of a chair and broke her hip. LaTurner, 71, had been diagnosed with early-onset dementia seven years before. For two years, she’d been living […]
Abortion pill to stay on the market until U.S. Supreme Court ruling after appeals court order
WASHINGTON — A federal appeals court ruled Wednesday the abortion pill can stay on the market, but it agreed with a lower court that ultimately use should revert to prescribing and dosage instructions that were in place before 2016. That appeals court ruling will immediately be put on hold until the U.S. Supreme Court decides […]
As Medicaid review continues, many Virginians have lost coverage for procedural reasons
Since the start of April, nearly 140,000 Virginians have lost Medicaid coverage as part of the state’s return to normal enrollment processes following the end of the COVID-19 federal public health emergency. For the past three years, anyone enrolled in Medicaid was allowed to keep their coverage regardless of whether or not they still met […]
New silica exposure rules aim to protect miners, but critics say they lack needed enforcement
Proposed federal rules to bring the amount of silica to which coal and mineral miners can be exposed on the job in line with standards for other occupations are poised to provide protections for workers after years of urging by medical and black lung organizations. But while those groups have hailed the change as a […]
Virginians weigh in on new telehealth proposal for controlled substances
In Virginia, most provisions from the now-expired federal public health emergency granting expanded access to health care services through telehealth remain active under state law. This week, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration announced it is considering whether provisions not under the state’s control allowing flexibility for prescribing controlled substances via telehealth should also remain in […]
Henrietta Lacks’ family finally got their due; many more never will
The descendants of Virginia-born miracle woman Henrietta Lacks finally won a major settlement with a biotechnology company that profited billions from Lacks’ ever-reproducing cells; I congratulate them. The hard-won settlement is a glimmer of justice flashing within a dark facet of America’s medical and scientific progress, fields fueled by racist, unethical practices in the past […]
Veterans exposed to burn pits, toxins urged to apply for retroactive benefits
WASHINGTON — A deadline for a year’s worth of backdated benefits is fast approaching for U.S. veterans suffering illnesses after exposure to open burn pits, Agent Orange and other toxins. Nearly a year ago, President Joe Biden signed the PACT Act, a law supporters describe as the largest expansion of veteran benefits in U.S. history. […]
Chesapeake Regional, Cigna reach deal in rate reimbursement fight
Chesapeake Regional Medical Center and health insurer Cigna reached an agreement that will allow Cigna members who get their insurance through their employer to continue to pay lower rates for services through the hospital system. The new contract, which was announced Friday, will be effective through July 31, 2025. Under its terms, Chesapeake Regional will […]
Messy Bon Secours-Anthem dispute threatens to disrupt care for thousands of Virginians on Medicare
A messy contract dispute between Bon Secours Mercy Health and Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield has left 11,000 Virginians who have Medicare plans through Anthem out of network for Bon Secours, which operates numerous hospitals in the Richmond and Hampton Roads regions. If the disagreement isn’t resolved by Oct. 1, an additional 39,000 Virginians who […]
Expanding abortion access would benefit all Virginians
By Brook Smith Just over a year after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, abortion bans and restrictions have swept the South, leaving Virginia by far the least restrictive state in the region. Our position as a bastion of abortion rights is worth taking pride in, but it is also an immense burden […]
Bipartisan backers pledge to reintroduce Virginia Prescription Drug Affordability Board in 2024
Bipartisan backers of a proposal to create a Virginia Prescription Drug Affordability Board vowed Tuesday to reintroduce legislation during the 2024 General Assembly session, saying they believe the new legislature will be more favorable to the idea than prior ones that struck it down. As Virginia approaches the 2023 elections, all 140 seats in the […]