Hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvanians could lose Medicaid coverage soon
HARRISBURG — The federal government’s pandemic-era prohibition against kicking people off Medicaid is ending, meaning that hundreds of thousands of people in Pennsylvania face losing the free health insurance in the coming year. Many people who stand to lose Medicaid coverage don’t know the changes are coming, say officials at...
U.S. states take control of abortion debate with funding focus
LAWRENCE, Kan. — Though the Insight Women’s Center sits at the epicenter of a reinvigorated battle in the nation’s culture wars, the only hint of its faith-based mission to dissuade people from getting abortions is the jazzy, piano rendition of “Jesus Loves Me” playing in a waiting room. The Republican-controlled...
‘Died suddenly’ posts twist tragedies to push vaccine lies
Results from 6-year-old Anastasia Weaver’s autopsy may take weeks. But online anti-vaccine activists needed only hours after her funeral this week to baselessly blame the covid-19 vaccine. A prolific Twitter account posted Anastasia’s name and smiling dance portrait in a tweet with a syringe emoji. A Facebook user messaged her...
Why a new Alzheimer’s drug is having a slow U.S. debut
The first drug to show that it slows Alzheimer’s is on sale, but treatment for most patients is still several months away. Two big factors behind the slow debut, experts say, are scant insurance coverage and a long setup time needed by many health systems. Patients who surmount those challenges...
Eye drops recalled after U.S. drug-resistant bacteria outbreak
NEW YORK — U.S. health officials said Thursday a company is recalling its over-the-counter eye drops that have been linked to an outbreak of drug-resistant infections. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this week sent a health alert to doctors, saying the outbreak included at least 55 people in...
How anxiety came to dominate the big business of medical marijuana cards in Pa.
Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan newsroom powered by The Philadelphia Inquirer in partnership with PennLive/The Patriot-News, TribLIVE/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and WITF Public Media. Sign up for our free newsletters. When Lehigh Valley doctor Charles Harris started approving patients for medical marijuana a few years ago, most of them were dealing...
Pharmacies cutting hours amid staff shortages
Starting this spring, routine visits to pick up medicine at the pharmacy after work might require more advance planning than usual. Officials from major pharmacy chains say staffing problems at pharmacies are the culprit. They are facing a shortage of pharmacists and pharmacy assistants, and some are making changes to...
Damar Hamlin teams with American Heart Association to promote CPR awareness
Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin, who went into cardiac arrest and was resuscitated on the football field last month, is partnering with the American Heart Association to promote CPR awareness. In a video posted to Hamlin’s Instagram account, the former Pitt and Central Catholic player issued a three-step challenge: learn...
Federal limits proposed for lead levels in infant food
Newly released draft guidance from the federal Food and Drug Administration calls for manufacturers to limit lead levels in infant food, but it also cautions parents that they don’t need to panic or make major changes to their little ones’ diets. The draft, released last week, would set FDA “action...
FDA moves to ease rules for blood donations from gay men
WASHINGTON — The U.S. is moving to further ease restrictions on blood donations from gay and bisexual men and other groups that typically face higher risks of HIV. The Food and Drug Administration on Friday announced draft guidelines that would do away with the current three-month abstinence requirement for donations...
FDA’s advisers back plan to simplify covid-19 vaccinations
The United States is poised to make covid-19 vaccinations more like a yearly flu shot, a major shift in strategy despite a long list of questions about how to best protect against a still rapidly mutating virus. The Food and Drug Administration asked its scientific advisers Thursday to help lay...
Some local medical experts split on benefits of yearly covid shot
Federal health officials want to simplify covid-19 vaccinations and make the procedure similar to an annual flu shot. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Monday floated the idea of allowing most adults and children to get a yearly shot to protect against the mutating virus. Local medical experts had...
FDA food safety official resigns, cites structural issues
The federal Food and Drug Administration’s top food safety official resigned Wednesday, citing concerns about the agency’s oversight structure and the infant formula crisis that led to a nationwide shortage. Frank Yiannas, the deputy commissioner for food policy and response since 2018, told FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf in an...
New lawsuits target state restrictions on abortion pills
WASHINGTON — Supporters of abortion rights filed separate lawsuits Wednesday challenging two states’ abortion pill restrictions, the opening salvo in what’s expected to a be a protracted legal battle over access to the medications. The lawsuits argue that limits on the drugs in North Carolina and West Virginia run afoul...
Record 16.3 million seek health coverage through Obamacare
WASHINGTON — A record 16.3 million people sought health insurance through the Affordable Care Act this year, double the number covered when the marketplaces first launched nearly a decade ago, the Biden administration announced Wednesday. More than 3 million new members joined the marketplace, also known as “Obamacare,” according to...
Why do so many older adults choose Medicare Advantage?
In 2022, 48% of Medicare beneficiaries were enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans instead of original Medicare, and experts predict that number will be higher in 2023. Medicare Advantage plans are offered by private insurers and bundle Medicare benefits in a way many people find appealing — but they also limit...
Pittsburgh City Council approves plan for medical debt relief
Pittsburgh City Council passed legislation Tuesday to use $1 million in covid-relief funding to alleviate residents’ medical debts. Councilman Bobby Wilson, D-North Side, who introduced the legislation last month, had initially suggested contracting with the New York-based nonprofit RIP Medical Debt to buy dischargeable health care debt from hospitals and...
Contractors hit with $1.1M fine for illegal asbestos removal at Churchill property
The Allegheny County Health Department has fined a contractor nearly $1.1 million for illegally disposing of asbestos while renovating the former Westinghouse headquarters in Churchill. An environmental group called the contractor’s disregard for the asbestos-containing material “unconscionable” and said the fine “is a victory for public health.” “Their reckless behavior...
Allegheny County releases public health plan for next 5 years
As Allegheny County transitions between health directors and is poised to elect a new county executive this year, its Health Department has released a plan that lays out public health goals for the next five years. The 2023-27 Plan for a Healthier Allegheny released Monday was completed under former Health...
U.S. proposes once-a-year covid shots for most Americans
WASHINGTON — U.S. health officials want to make covid-19 vaccinations more like the annual flu shot. The Food and Drug Administration on Monday proposed a simplified approach for future vaccination efforts, allowing most adults and children to get a once-a-year shot to protect against the mutating virus. This means Americans...
Gyms that survived pandemic steadily get back in shape
NEW YORK — One day in January, a once-regular customer at Fuel Training Studio in Newburyport, Massachusetts, stopped in to take a “shred” class. She hadn’t stepped foot in the gym since before the pandemic. The customer told owners Julie Bokat and Jeanne Carter that she had been working out...
Excela Westmoreland receives statewide recognition for patient safety
Excela Westmoreland Hospital is one of 21 hospitals across Pennsylvania to be honored through the Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania’s annual Excellence in Patient Safety Recognition program. The program, which started three years ago, celebrates top-performing hospitals with low rates of health care associated infections, such as central line-associated...
What older Americans need to know about taking Paxlovid
A new coronavirus variant is circulating, the most transmissible one yet. Hospitalizations of infected patients are rising. And older adults represent nearly 90% of U.S. deaths from covid-19 in recent months, the largest portion since the start of the pandemic. What does that mean for people 65 and older catching...
UPMC grew too fast, gained too much market share, report says
A report released Thursday said Pittsburgh-based health care giant UPMC has gained too much share of the market and has too much power. The American Economic Liberties Project, which produced the report, is a nonprofit group that formed to research consolidated corporate power and advocate for stronger antitrust regulations. In...
Pittsburgh moves forward with plan to relieve residents’ medical debts
Pittsburgh City Council has advanced a proposal to use $1 million in covid-relief funding to alleviate residents’ medical debts. Councilman Bobby Wilson introduced the proposal last month and suggested that the city hire RIP Medical Debt, a New York-based nonprofit, to buy dischargeable health care debt directly from hospitals and...
