Trump administration health announcement is latest blow to transgender Americans

April 22, 2018 Donald Trump, health care, News, politics, transgender

The Trump administration’s campaign to make life more difficult for transgender Americans entered a new phase this weekend. On Saturday, according to the New York Times, the administration announced that it would gut an anti-discrimination statute when it comes to health care access for transgender patients.

The rule, passed under the Obama administration in 2016, had prevented health care providers receiving federal financial assistance — including those receiving Medic...

Tennessee governor to sign Medicaid work requirement funded by welfare dollars

April 20, 2018 health, health care, medicaid, News, obamacare, politics

A philosophical change to the country’s largest public health insurance program is underway, as states one-by-one try to implement Medicaid work requirements. Tennessee is the latest state to try to make work conditional of Medicaid eligibility. At least 22,300 are expected to drop health insurance, according to the state’s own estimate.

On Thursday, the state Senate sent Gov. Bill Haslam (R) a bill that directs Tennessee to submit a federal waiver to impose work require...

Most young people want health insurance to cover abortion, new poll finds

April 17, 2018 health, health care, News, reproductive-rights

A new national poll found a majority of young adults believe abortion services should be covered by most health care plans, a finding that contrasts current coverage bans at the national and state level.

While the survey — conducted by the nonpartisan research organization Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) — also found that the United States is more divided on whether health plans should generally cover abortion care, especially as compared to other reproductive ...

Meet the Indian-American doctor vying to replace Rep. Trent Franks

April 17, 2018 health care, News

In the wake of the 2016 presidential election, Hiral Tipirneni talked to her three kids about the importance of civic engagement, of standing up for the issues you think are important, and of the value of women in politics. In response, Tipirneni’s daughter Mira — who was 19 years old at the time — told her mother to put her money where her mouth was.

“She basically threw down the gauntlet,” Tipirneni recounted in an interview with ThinkProgress.

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From mandatory sick leave to Obamacare safeguards, New Jersey had a good healthcare week

April 13, 2018 health care, News, obamacare

A trove of progressive health care bills are now on the desk of New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D). On Thursday, lawmakers in the state sent him several measures like mandatory paid sick leave, knowing the governor is all but certain to sign them — unlike his Republican predecessor Chris Christie.

Once the bills are signed, New Jersey would become the 10th state to enact a paid sick leave law — a critical workplace benefit that helps employees balance work, family, and medi...

We’re saying goodbye to Paul Ryan, but not his horrible health policies

April 12, 2018 health, health care, medicaid, News, Paul Ryan, politics

House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) is on his way out the door.

But while he’s largely failed to implement his vision before retirement — that is, to repeal Obamacare and privatize every safety-net program there is — Republicans aren’t going to stop trying to do so anytime soon. In fact, they’ll likely take cues from his record.

Throughout his time in Washington, Ryan built a career on portraying himself as a deficit hawk, somehow convincing people he...

Trump administration issues new rule chipping away at Obamacare

April 10, 2018 Affordable Care Act, health, health care, News, obamacare, politics

The Trump administration issued a ton of regulatory changes Monday that chip away at the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Moving forward, states will have more flexibility to set their own standards and people will be given new exemptions to avoid the health care law’s individual mandate penalty.

The 523-page regulation is one that comes out every year, and is intended to outline what ACA plans will look like for consumers next year.

Monday’s rule gives consumers two ne...

400,000 Virginia residents edge closer to Medicaid expansion after key Republican splits with party

April 6, 2018 health, health care, medicaid, News, politics

Virginia is inching closer to providing health care to 400,000 low-income residents after a key state Republican signaled this week that he was willing to split with his party and support Obamacare’s Medicaid expansion.

Virginia is among 18 states that has not expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), leaving roughly 400,000 in a “coverage gap” — meaning, they’re uninsured because they make too much to qualify for Medicaid but too little for subsidized...

400,000 Virginia residents edge closer to Medicaid expansion after key Republican splits with party

April 6, 2018 health, health care, medicaid, News, politics

Virginia is inching closer to providing health care to 400,000 low-income residents after a key state Republican signaled this week that he was willing to split with his party and support Obamacare’s Medicaid expansion.

Virginia is among 18 states that has not expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), leaving roughly 400,000 in a “coverage gap” — meaning, they’re uninsured because they make too much to qualify for Medicaid but too little for subsidized...

‘We simply don’t have the resources’: Surgeon general’s call to carry naloxone raises red flag

April 5, 2018 health, health care, News

It’s been 13 years since a United States Surgeon General issued a public health advisory, but on Thursday Jerome Adams did so to urge every person to carry the overdose-reversal medication naloxone.

“Neither this [advisory] nor naloxone is a panacea,” said Surgeon General Adams at the National Rx Drug Abuse & Heroin Summit. Instead, the advisory serves as a way to draw attention to a public health crisis, where more Americans have died of drug overdoses in 2016...