More than a third of rural Americans skip needed care because of cost: study 

More than one third of Americans living in rural areas skipped medical care they needed due to the costs, according to a new study.

The Commonwealth Fund’s 2020 International Health Policy Survey found that 36 percent of rural Americans did not get the care they needed due to costs, which is more than double the rate for rural residents in six of the other countries the study looked at. Less than 10 percent of rural residents in the United Kingdom, Norway and Sweden reported t...

Cassidy introduces bill to fund community clinics, citing stalled negotiations with Sanders

Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP), introduced legislation on Thursday to reauthorize funding for community health centers as his office says negotiations with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) on this issue aren't progressing.

Lawmakers are hashing out how to reauthorize the Community Health Center Fund (CHCF) among other key federal health programs. Established by the Affordable Care Act, the CHCF curre...

Cassidy introduces bill to fund community clinics, citing stalled negotiations with Sanders

Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP), introduced legislation Thursday to reauthorize funding for community health centers as his office says negotiations with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) on this issue aren't progressing.

Lawmakers are hashing out how to reauthorize the Community Health Center Fund (CHCF) among other key federal health programs. Established by the Affordable Care Act, the CHCF currentl...

First over-the-counter birth control pill approved in US

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Thursday approved the first birth control pill to be sold without a prescription in the U.S., a move long sought by reproductive health advocates and physicians to make contraception easier to obtain.

Approving Opill for over-the-counter (OTC) use could significantly expand access to contraception, especially for younger women and those in rural and underserved communities, who currently need to overcome logistical barriers to get thei...

White House takes action against short-term ‘junk’ insurance plans and surprise billing

The Biden administration announced plans on Friday to tamp down on "junk" insurance plans and surprise medical fees as part of the "Bidenomics" agenda and its goal of lowering health care costs for Americans.

Through its newly proposed rules, the White House is aiming to crack down on short-term health plans, or "junk plans" as critics refer to them.

Short-term plans are not required to abide by Affordable Care Act (ACA) protections. These less-expensive plans offer...