Blake Farmer, Nashville Public Radio

If You’re Pregnant and Uninsured, Medicaid Might Be Your Answer

Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Ò•îl Health News Original

Prenatal care can make a huge difference to the long-term health of both the parent and baby. Every state offers health coverage to lower-income pregnant women who might otherwise go uninsured.

Millions of Americans Are Expected To Drop Their Affordable Care Act Plans. They’re Looking for a Plan B.

Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Ò•îl Health News Original

An estimated 4.8 million people are expected to go without health coverage because Congress did not extend enhanced subsidies for Affordable Care Act plans. But even without a health plan, people will need medical care in 2026. Many of them have been thinking through their plan B to maintain their health.

Lice Pose No Health Threat, Yet Some Parents Push Back on Rules To Allow Affected Kids in Class

Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Ò•îl Health News Original

Public health officials see lice as a nuisance, not a health threat, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended for years that students with live lice be allowed to remain in class. But as “no-nit†policies have been dropped in favor of “nonexclusion†rules, some school districts have seen parents and teachers push back.

In Tennessee, a Medicaid Mix-Up Might Land You on a ‘Most Wanted’ List

Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Ò•îl Health News Original

Tennessee posts the names and photos of people arrested for alleged Medicaid fraud on a government website and social media. Some people even wind up on a “most wanted” list.

Some Addiction Treatment Centers Turn Big Profits by Scaling Back Care

Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Ò•îl Health News Original

Private equity groups are cashing in on rising rates of alcohol and drug addiction in the U.S. But they aren’t necessarily investing in centers with the best treatment standards, and they often cut extra services.

Treating Long Covid Is Rife With Guesswork

Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Ò•îl Health News Original

With a dearth of evidence on effective treatments for long covid, patients and doctors in 400 clinics around the country still rely on trial and error.

Ad Goes Too Far With Claim That Joe Biden Promotes Surgery for Trans Teens

Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Ò•îl Health News Original

Even some medical experts who are skeptical of gender-affirming care say the White House is not promoting breast removal and genital surgery for teens. But that’s not what an ad, funded by a group led by a former adviser to President Donald Trump, would have you believe.

Hospital Giant HCA Fends Off Accusations of Questionable Inpatient Admissions

Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Ò•îl Health News Original

The nation’s largest private health system, HCA Healthcare, has faced years of scrutiny over its share of emergency room patients who are admitted to the hospital. And now U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, a Democrat from New Jersey, is calling for a federal investigation, prompting an escalating defense by the hospital system, based in Nashville, Tennessee.

Organ Transplants Are Up, but the Agency in Charge Is Under Fire

Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Ò•îl Health News Original

A two-year congressional investigation has identified troubling lapses in the nation’s organ transplant system. Blood types mismatched, diseased organs transplanted anyway, and — most often — organs lost or damaged before they can save a life.

Some Rural Hospitals Are in Such Bad Shape, Local Governments Are Practically Giving Them Away

Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Ò•îl Health News Original

Coming out of the pandemic, many rural hospitals are in even rougher shape than before. So rough that some are now practically being handed to investors for little more than a pledge to keep them open.

Music Festivals Embrace Overdose Reversal Drugs, but Fentanyl Testing Kits Remain Taboo

Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Ò•îl Health News Original

Music festival promoters are allowing distribution of overdose reversal medication as fentanyl deaths continue to surge. But nonprofits and volunteers are often left to do the work, and more controversial forms of harm reduction aren’t openly allowed.

Self-Managed Abortions Gain Attention, but Helpers Risk Legal Trouble

Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Ò•îl Health News Original

A network of organizations help women use medication to end early pregnancies safely. But it’s a legal gray area in Tennessee and other states that restrict abortion.

Black Women Have Much at Stake in States Where Abortion Access May Vanish

Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Ò•îl Health News Original

For many women, abortion access has also meant better economic opportunities. But that could change in states that plan to ban most abortion access if the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade. And those constraints could have a big impact on Black women. In Tennessee, Black women have abortions at more than four times the rate of white women.

Few Eligible Families Have Applied for Government Help to Pay for Covid Funerals

Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Ò•îl Health News Original

The Federal Emergency Management Agency will reimburse many families up to $9,000 in funeral expenses for loved ones who died of covid-19. But fewer than half of eligible families have applied, while others have run into application problems.

Frente al patio de comidas: sistemas de salud abren consultorios y clínicas en centros comerciales

Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Ò•îl Health News Original

En todo el país, 32 centros comerciales albergan servicios de atención médica en al menos parte de su espacio. Son amplios, fáciles de navegar y tienen amplios estacionamientos.

Shopping for Space, Health Systems Make Over Malls

Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Ò•îl Health News Original

Dying malls have turned out to be good places to care for the living. During the pandemic, mall-to-medicine transitions accelerated, with at least 10 health systems moving in where retail has moved out.