Rae Ellen Bichell

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rbichell@kff.org

States Advance Medical Debt Protections as Federal Support Turns to Opposition

Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Ò•îl Health News Original

Federal officials reversed their stance on medical debt credit reporting, then came a lawsuit in Colorado. As lawmakers in other states forge ahead with attempts to protect consumers from medical debt, some are reconsidering how they go about it.

Officials Show Little Proof That New Tech Will Help Medicaid Enrollees Meet Work Rules

Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Ò•îl Health News Original

The Trump administration says it’s developing a digital tool to help people prove they’re meeting new Medicaid work requirements. Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Ò•îl Health News talked to officials from the two states running pilot programs and found little evidence of new — or effective — technology.

A pesar de las protecciones al consumidor, embargan parte del sueldo a trabajadores para saldar deudas médicas

Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Ò•îl Health News Original

Detrás del cobro de esas deudas hay todo tipo de proveedores médicos: grandes cadenas de salud, hospitales rurales pequeños, grupos de médicos, servicios públicos de ambulancia, entre otros.

Workers’ Wages Siphoned To Pay Medical Bills, Despite Consumer Protections

Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Ò•îl Health News Original

Health care providers and debt collectors are biting from people’s paychecks to cover old medical bills. A Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Ò•îl Health News investigation in Colorado shows that this aggressive collection practice is widespread even in a state considered to have strong consumer protections.

Blue States That Sued Kept Most CDC Grants, While Red States Feel Brunt of Trump Clawbacks

Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Ò•îl Health News Original

The Trump administration’s cuts of public health funds to state and local health departments had vastly uneven effects depending on the political leanings of where someone lives, a new Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Ò•îl Health News analysis shows.

Insurers Fight State Laws Restricting Surprise Ambulance Bills

Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Ò•îl Health News Original

A Colorado bill banning surprise billing for ambulance rides passed unanimously in both legislative chambers, only to be met with a veto from the governor. As more states pass such legislation, some are hitting the same snag — concerns about raising premiums.

Listen: With Vital Health Research Defunded, Who’s Losing Out? 

Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Ò•îl Health News Original

From Florida to California, National Institutes of Health grant cuts have halted research studies on HIV, vaccines, and health equity — affecting red and blue states alike.

Beyond Ivy League, RFK Jr.’s NIH Slashed Science Funding Across States That Backed Trump

Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Ò•îl Health News Original

A Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Ò•îl Health News analysis underscores how the terminations have spared no part of the country, politically or geographically. Of the organizations that had grants cut in the first month, about 40% are in states President Donald Trump won in November.

Families of Transgender Youth No Longer View Colorado as a Haven for Gender-Affirming Care

Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Ò•îl Health News Original

Colorado was long considered a haven for gender-affirming care. But under this Trump administration, hospitals in the state have limited the treatments available for people under 19. Some services have been restored, but trans youth and their families say the state isn’t the rock they thought it was.

New Colorado Gun Law Aims To Shore Up Victim Services

Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Ò•îl Health News Original

A new tax on guns and ammunition in Colorado is set to take effect in the spring. Voters approved the tax, with most of the proceeds going to support services for crime victims and other social programs.

Ex-Eye Bank Workers Say Pressure, Lax Oversight Led to Errors

Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Ò•îl Health News Original

Corneas, the windshields of the eye, are the most transplanted part of the human body. But four former employees at Rocky Mountain Lions Eye Bank told of numerous retrieval problems, including damage to eyes and removal from the wrong body.

Thanks to Reddit, a New Diagnosis Is Bubbling Up Across the Nation

Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Ò•îl Health News Original

Social media has helped spread the word about a treatment that involves getting Botox in the neck. It’s for a condition that’s gaining awareness but still often dismissed: the inability to burp.

With Only Gloves To Protect Them, Farmworkers Say They Tend Sick Cows Amid Bird Flu

Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Ò•îl Health News Original

A Colorado picnic celebrated Farmworker Appreciation Day. But some dairy workers there said they aren’t feeling appreciated: They don’t have basic protective gear, even as bird flu spreads through area farms.

Colorado expulsó a beneficiarios de Medicaid como si fuera un estado republicano

Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Ò•îl Health News Original

Es el único estado demócrata entre un grupo de estados republicanos con altas tasas de desafiliación, que incluye a Idaho, Montana, Texas y Utah, en un proceso de Medicaid que comenzó en la primavera de 2023.

FDA Urged To Relax Decades-Old Tissue Donation Restrictions for Gay and Bisexual Men

Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Ò•îl Health News Original

Federal regulations prevent gay and bisexual men from donating tissue, such as corneas, ligaments, and blood vessels. Similar restrictions have been relaxed or lifted for donated blood and organs in recent years.