Biden: 1 million sign up for health care during special enrollment
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden said Tuesday that 1 million Americans had signed up for health insurance under “Obamacare” during a special enrollment period for those needing coverage during the coronavirus pandemic. Biden reopened the HealthCare.gov insurance markets in February for a special six-month sign-up opportunity. “Health care is a...
Allegheny County paid sick leave bill presented to board of health
The Allegheny County Health Department on Wednesday presented a proposal to the board of health for countywide paid sick leave. The bill had started in Allegheny County Council, but was vetoed by County Executive Rich Fitzgerald in March, after he said he believed it should go through the board of...
Tips for being an ally during Mental Health Awareness Month
“In life, you’re either heading into a storm, going through a storm or coming out of a storm.” The pandemic brought that old saying to the forefront, said Rachel Jackson, Excela Health manager of outpatient behavioral health. “During the pandemic, we’ve certainly seen an increase in anxiety and depression related...
Allegheny County officials cite equity and hesitancy as barriers to vaccinations
Vaccine hesitancy, equity and general access remain barriers to getting Allegheny County residents inoculated against covid-19, Dr. Debra Bogen, health director, said at a Board of Health meeting Wednesday. State data shows that 445,578 people in Allegheny County are fully vaccinated, but with around 1.2 million residents, Bogen said there...
Coronavirus vaccine bills sent in error to some Excela Health patients
Several hundred people who got vaccinated against the coronavirus through Excela Health were erroneously billed, a mistake being blamed on a quick effort to get clinics up and running, according to Tom Albanesi, the hospital system’s chief financial officer. Health system officials tried to contact those who got a bill...
U.S. birth rate falls to lowest point in more than a century
NEW YORK — The U.S. birth rate fell 4% last year, the largest single-year decrease in nearly 50 years, according to a government report being released Wednesday. The rate dropped for moms of every major race and ethnicity, and in nearly age group, falling to the lowest point since federal...
Scientists scramble to see why, in rare cases, even the vaccinated can get covid-19
Carey Alexander Washington, 80, a practicing clinical psychologist, called his daughter in January as soon as he received his first dose of the Pfizer covid-19 vaccine. “He was just so excited that he had gotten it,” said Tanya Washington, 49, a resident of Atlanta who works at an investment firm....
FDA expected to OK Pfizer vaccine for teens within week
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is expected to authorize Pfizer’s covid-19 vaccine for young adults age 12 and older by next week, according to a federal official and a person familiar with the process, setting up shots for many before the beginning of the next school year....
Guardian Angels on earth: Highmark sponsored service dogs assist veterans
Charlie and Blue are more than a man’s best friend. The German shepherds are lifesavers. If Dan Smith’s blood sugar is approaching dangerous levels at night, Charlie, who sleeps on a cot next to Smith’s bed, wakes him up. Right before Shar’Ron Harris is about to have a seizure, Blue...
U.S. vows again to ban menthol flavor in cigarettes, cigarsVideo
U.S. health regulators pledged again Thursday to try to ban menthol cigarettes, this time under pressure from African American groups to remove the mint flavor popular among Black smokers. The Food and Drug Administration has attempted several times to get rid of menthol but faced pushback from Big Tobacco, members...
California mulls letting adults add parents to health plans
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California could become the only state to let adult children add their parents as dependents to their health insurance plans, a policy proposal aimed at increasing insurance coverage among low-income people living in the country illegally who aren’t eligible for government-funded coverage. Former President Barack Obama’s health...
Vaccinated Americans may get clearance to skip the masks outdoorsVideo
WASHINGTON — A growing call for health officials to relax rules about outdoor mask wearing could soon lead to one of the most significant changes in virus guidelines since the U.S. first told Americans to don face coverings to curb the spread of covid-19. Outdoor mask wearing has been the...
UPMC Magee encouraged by study of pregnant women receiving covid vaccine
Early findings published in the New England Journal of Medicine show the possible side effects of covid-19 vaccines in pregnant women were similar to those for all women. The first published results were released last week. Of the 35,691 participants ages 16 to 54 — at all stages of pregnancy...
Excela Health virtual childbirth classes help expectant parents
When Megan Fritz was preparing to become a mother for the first time, she found herself scouring the internet to learn how to breastfeed her newborn. It was difficult for the Unity woman to find reliable sources at a time when in-person classes on the topic have been halted because...
Texting option weighed for upcoming ‘988’ suicide hotline
Recognizing that many Americans rely on texting, U.S. regulators are weighing whether to require that phone companies allow people to text a suicide hotline. The Federal Communications Commission last summer voted to require a new “988” number for people to call to reach a suicide-prevention hotline. Phone companies have until...
I’m fully vaccinated against covid-19. How long will the protection last?Video
In the United States, the number of adults who have received at least one dose of a covid-19 vaccine is now higher than the number who haven’t. In addition, one in three U.S. adults are now fully vaccinated, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. With...
Medical marijuana program in Pa. celebrates 5-year anniversary
Diana Briggs remembers the days when her son Ryan suffered through 400 seizures a day. She believes the legalization of medical marijuana — five years ago — in Pennsylvania changed his life. Ryan, who went through a medical emergency at birth 21 years ago, is now a special-needs adult with...
Bill ending religious vaccine exemption now heads to Conn. Senate
A contentious bill that would end Connecticut’s long-standing religious exemption from immunization requirements for schools, beginning with the 2022-23 school year, now awaits action in the state Senate. The legislation passed on a 90-53 vote in the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives just before 3 a.m. on Tuesday, following more than...
EU agency links J&J shot to rare clots, says odds favor use
LONDON — The European Union’s drug regulatory agency said Tuesday that it found a “possible link” between Johnson & Johnson’s covid-19 vaccine and extremely rare blood clots and that a warning should be added to the label. But experts at the agency reiterated that the vaccine’s benefits outweigh the risks....
Federal officials reverse limits on fetal tissue research
Federal officials on Friday reversed Trump administration restrictions on using human fetal tissue for medical research. The changes clear the way for using government money on work that in the past has led to treatments for a variety of diseases, including covid-19. Government scientists now will be able to resume...
Pfizer CEO says 3rd covid-19 booster shot ‘likely’ needed within a year of getting vaccinatedVideo
Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla predicted Thursday that people who have received the company’s covid-19 vaccine will “likely” need a third booster shot within a year to maintain protection against the virus. “It is extremely important to suppress the pool of people that can be susceptible to the virus,” Bourla told...
AHN closing outpatient center; UPMC plans grand opening in New Kensington
One of the region’s largest medical providers will be closing a facility in New Kensington and its rival will be opening a new one within days of each other in May. Allegheny Health Network will close its outpatient center in the former Citizens General Hospital on May 11, the network...
J&J vaccine to remain in limbo while officials seek evidenceVideo
Johnson & Johnson’s covid-19 vaccine will remain in limbo for a while longer after government health advisers declared Wednesday that they need more evidence to decide if a handful of unusual blood clots were linked to the shot — and if so, how big the risk really is. The reports...
Allegheny Health Network opens clinic to treat covid long-haulers
The migraines came first. Two or three weeks after she recovered from covid-19 in August, Jennifer Gorzock said she started experiencing the intense headaches, along with fatigue and disorienting mental fog. She noted her experience with the covid illness itself was relatively mild. She needed medications to get through it...
U.S. agency says women can get abortion pill via mail
WASHINGTON — Women seeking an abortion pill will not be required to visit a doctor’s office or clinic during the covid-19 pandemic, U.S. health officials said Tuesday in the latest reversal in an ongoing legal battle over the medication. The Food and Drug Administration announced the policy change a day...
