HEALTHCARE
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Biden administration finalizes nursing home, Medicaid reforms to improve care
The rules issued last month establish national minimum staffing requirements for federally-funded nursing homes, enact national appointment wait time standards for Medicaid and CHIP enrollees, and more.
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The Republican war on Medicare raises the stakes in 2024
Republicans have been trying to cut and/or privatize Medicare for decades. Their latest plan could lead to thousands of dollars in additional out-of-pocket costs for Iowa seniors.
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Prescription drugs are getting cheaper for seniors thanks to Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act
When Biden signed the legislation in 2022, it did a number of things. Now, the legislation’s changes to the Medicare program will help beneficiaries save money.
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Why it’s nearly impossible to find an Iowa dentist who takes Medicaid
Laura Sauls of Dumont has two kids, and their pediatric dentist is only a 15-minute drive away. That was, until that dentist called last fall with bad news: The office would no longer accept Medicaid, which meant they would no longer treat Sauls’ children unless she paid cash. With the closest dentist accepting Medicaid over…
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Biden issues executive order to improve women’s health research
The order directs federal agencies to ensure that they are using federal funds to research diseases and health conditions that disproportionately affect women, and requires them to report their investments in women’s health research annually.
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When getting a raise means losing health care: Disabled Iowans fighting back
By all rights, Sioux City resident Erica Carter should be a success story. Despite a spinal cord injury 13 years ago—which left her unable to get out of bed without help—Carter was able to complete both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in accounting. Today, she is the finance manager at a public school and is…
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‘Gut punch after gut punch’: IVF patients speak out after Alabama ruling
IVF patients speak out after Alabama ruling regarding IVF embryos. Here’s what you need to know about the Alabama Supreme Court’s IVF ruling.
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Insulin prices plunge for Iowans due to Biden’s American Rescue Plan
Eli Lilly, Sanofi, and Novo Nordisk’s price cuts are expected to benefit many Iowans who need insulin to survive. The companies first announced the moves last year, as a response to an American Rescue Plan provision that threatened to penalize them if they kept prices high.
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Reynolds blames childhood obesity on decision not to feed poor kids
Iowa won’t participate in a federal program to feed underprivileged kids next summer, and Gov. Kim Reynolds cited “childhood obesity” as one of the reasons why. The state had until Jan. 1 to apply to the US Department of Agriculture’s Summer EBT program that would have provided Iowa with about $29 million in federal funding…
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To lower the cost of expensive drugs, Biden targets Big Pharma’s patents
Under a plan announced Thursday, the government would consider overriding the patent for high-priced drugs that have been developed with the help of taxpayer money and letting competitors make them in hopes of driving down the cost.
