California Is Challenging Birth Control Policy
California’s attorney general filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration for its rollback of the birth control mandate that requires employers cover contraception as part of health insurance. According to The Hill, the state called the policy change “anti-women,” and the attorney general's statement made it sound as if this was the first in many rights that could be revoked. The mandate contained in the Affordable Care Act originally required all employers offer health insurance that covered free birth control. The new rollback would expand the exemptions available for employers to not be required to cover birth control.
Lifting Off-Label Restrictions
Physicians often prescribe a drug for a use other than those specified in the approval. However, the law that prohibits a drug maker from promoting an off-label use of its drug may be relaxed, according to The Washington Post. FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, MD, had been an advocate for loosening these restrictions before his nomination. Already, Arizona has changed the law to allow drug makers to communicate alternative uses for drugs, and other states are likely to follow.
Mosquito-borne Diseases in Houston
Hurricane Harvey may have been more than a month ago, but the health threats remain in Houston. Officials are keeping an eye out for mosquito-borne illnesses like the West Nile virus and Zika, reported STAT. After the hurricane made landfall, causing massive flooding, health officials facilitated aerial and ground spraying that they believe may keep down the numbers of mosquitoes. West Nile is already an issue in Texas, where there have been 100 cases already this year, but so far there has been no evidence of Zika.
Empowering Community Health Through Wellness and Faith
April 23rd 2024To help celebrate and recognize National Minority Health Month, we are bringing you a special month-long podcast series with our Strategic Alliance Partner, UPMC Health Plan. In the third episode, Camille Clarke-Smith, EdD, MS, CHES, CPT, discusses approaching community health holistically through spiritual and community engagement.
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What We’re Reading: Abortion Privacy Rules; Alzheimer Drug Hurdles; Nursing Home Staffing Overhaul
April 23rd 2024New health privacy rules aim to protect patients and providers in an evolving abortion landscape; some physicians express concerns about efficacy, risks, and entrenched beliefs in treating Alzheimer disease; CMS addresses longstanding staffing deficits in nursing homes.
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Overcoming Employment Barriers for Lasting Social Impact: Freedom House 2.0 and Pathways to Work
April 16th 2024To help celebrate and recognize National Minority Health Month, we are bringing you a special month-long podcast series with our Strategic Alliance Partner, UPMC Health Plan. Welcome to our second episode, in which we learn all about Freedom House 2.0 and the Pathways to Work program.
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Survey Results Reveal Potential Factors Slowing the Decline in Cardiovascular Mortality Rate
April 23rd 2024Research indicated that worsened glycemic, blood pressure, and obesity control, as well as increased alcohol consumption, leveled lipid control, and persistent socioeconomic disparities may have contributed to the decelerated cardiovascular mortality decline in recent years.
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Award-Winning Poster Presentations From AMCP 2024
April 23rd 2024At the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP) 2024 annual meeting, multiple poster presentations concerned with health equity, data collection, glucagon-like peptide-1 agonists, and more were acknowledged for their originality, relevance, clarity, bias, and quality.
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