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2 hours ago

Over-the-counter birth control pill now available to Wisconsin Medicaid patients

Medicaid recipients in Wisconsin are getting access to the first over-the-counter birth control pill
2 hours ago
FILE - Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers addresses a joint session of the state Legislature in the Assembly chambers during his State of the State speech at the state Capitol, Jan. 22, 2019, in Madison, Wis. Medicaid recipients in Wisconsin will have access to the first over-the-counter birth control pill starting Tuesday, March 19, 2024, allowing them to easily receive contraceptive medication with no out-of-pocket costs or doctor's prescription, Evers announced. (AP Photo/Andy Manis, File)
3 hours ago

COVID vaccines found to cut risk of heart failure, blood clots after virus infection

The positive health effects lasted for up to a year, according to researchers.
3 hours ago
Denise Fractious, 68, of Pasadena, receives her COVID vaccine during a flu and COVID-19 vaccination clinic at Kaiser Permanente Pasadena on Oct. 12, 2023, in Pasadena, Calif.
March 19

Pedal coast-to-coast without using a road? New program helps connect trails across the US

There’s support for a trail system that could allow for travel across America from Washington state to Washington, D
March 19
A cyclist rides along the Cardinal Greenway in Muncie, Indiana on Wednesday March 13, 2024. The Cardinal Greenways pathway born from eastern Indiana's abandoned railroad tracks will become a central cog in the Great American Rail Trail — a planned 3,700-mile network of uninterrupted trails spanning from Washington state to Washington, D.C. (AP Photo/Isabella Volmert)
March 18

Here's what you need to know about Biden's executive order on women's health research

The research will focus on conditions that disproportionately affect women.
March 18
President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden, arrive for a Women's History Month event in the East Room of the White House, March 18, 2024.
March 18

Appeals panel asks West Virginia court whether opioids distribution can cause a public nuisance

A federal appeals court has asked West Virginia’s highest court whether opioid distributions can cause a public nuisance
March 18
FILE - Signs are displayed at a tent during a health event, June 26, 2021, in Charleston, W.Va. Naloxone is a drug that reverses the effects of an opioid overdose by helping the person breathe again. A federal appeals court asked West Virginia’s highest court Monday, March 18, 2024, to address what constitutes a public nuisance as it reviews a landmark lawsuit against three major U.S. drug distributors. (AP Photo/John Raby, File)
March 18

UnitedHealth says it has made progress on recovering from a massive cyberattack

UnitedHealth Group is testing software for submitting medical claims as it continues to recover from a cyberattack that disrupted care billing systems
March 18
FILE - Pages from the United Healthcare website are displayed on a computer screen, Feb. 29, 2024, in New York. UnitedHealth Group said it is testing software for submitting medical claims as it recovers from a cyberattack that disrupted billing systems across the country. The health care giant hasn’t set a time frame for when it expects to complete the recovery from the attack last month on its Change Healthcare business, but a spokesman said Monday, March 18, that medical claims software is the last major system the company must restore. (AP Photo/Patrick Sison, File)
March 18

Creighton's Isaac Traudt wears glucose monitor to stay in game. His diabetes was diagnosed at age 4

Creighton's Isaac Traudt is playing at the highest level of college basketball while managing Type 1 diabetes
March 18
FILE - Creighton forward Isaac Traudt (41) shoots a 3-point basket over North Dakota State guard Boden Skunberg (14) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023, in Omaha, Neb. Creighton's Isaac Traudt is playing at the highest level of college basketball while managing Type 1 diabetes.(AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, File)
March 18

EPA announces ban on remaining uses of asbestos

The announcement comes as part of President Joe Biden’s Cancer Moonshot initiative, which is using federal resources to make progress on cancer research and treatment.
March 18
The announcement comes as part of President Joe Biden’s Cancer Moonshot initiative, which is using federal resources to make progress on cancer research and treatment.
March 18

New Hampshire charges 1st person in state with murder in the death of a fetus

A New Hampshire man has appeared in court on charges that he killed a pregnant woman and her unborn child by means of multiple blunt force injuries, the first time the state has charged someone with murder in the death of a fetus
March 18
March 18

EPA bans asbestos, a deadly carcinogen still in use decades after a partial ban was enacted

Carcinogen is still used in some chlorine bleach, brake pads and other products.
March 18
FILE - Asbestos Removal Technologies Inc. staff work on asbestos abatement in Howell, Mich., Oct. 18, 2017. The Environmental Protection Agency on Monday, March 18, 2024, announced a comprehensive ban on asbestos, a carcinogen that kills tens of thousands of Americans every year but is still used in some chlorine bleach, brake pads and other products. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya, File)
March 18

Oprah takes on stigma around weight loss and obesity

Dr. Alok Patel previews Oprah Winfrey’s prime-time special on weight loss, including the medications helping many Americans achieve their own health goals.
March 18
VIDEO: Oprah takes on stigma around weight loss and obesity
March 18

New study finds no brain injuries among 'Havana syndrome' patients

An array of advanced tests found no brain injuries or degeneration among U_S_ diplomats who suffer mysterious health problems once dubbed “Havana syndrome.”
March 18
FILE - The U.S. embassy in Havana, Cuba is seen on Jan. 4, 2023. An array of advanced tests found no brain injuries or degeneration among U.S. diplomats and other government employees who suffer mysterious health problems once dubbed “Havana syndrome,” researchers reported Monday, March 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Ismael Francisco, File)
March 18

Gambia lawmakers refer a repeal of the ban on female genital cutting to more committee discussions

Lawmakers in Gambia have referred a repeal of the 2015 ban on female genital cutting for further committee discussions
March 18
Jaha Dukureh, the founder of Safe Hands for Girls, pickets outside parliament in Serrekunda, Gambia, Monday, March 18, 2024. The West African nation of Gambia could become the first country in the world to reverse a ban on female genital cutting, a practice that experts say is dangerous and has no benefits. Lawmakers are voting Monday on legislation that seeks to repeal the 2015 ban. (Hadim Thomas-Safe Hands for Girls via AP)
March 18

South Korea will suspend licenses of 2 senior doctors in first punishment for doctors' walkouts

South Korean authorities will suspend the licenses of two senior doctors for allegedly inciting the weekslong walkouts by medical interns and residents that have disrupted hospital operations
March 18
FILE - Doctors stage a rally against the government's medical policy in Seoul, South Korea, on March 3, 2024. South Korean authorities have suspended the licenses of two senior doctors for allegedly inciting the weekslong walkouts by medical interns and residents that disrupted hospital operations across the country. That's according to one of the doctors who spoke to The Associated Press. The suspensions are the government’s first punitive step against physicians after thousands of doctors-in-training walked off the job last month to protest the government’s plan to sharply increase medical school admissions. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon, File)
March 18

Idaho considers a ban on using public funds or facilities for gender-affirming care

Idaho lawmakers are expected to vote on a bill that would ban the use of any public funds for gender-affirming care, including for state employees using work health insurance and for adults covered by Medicaid
March 18
FILE - The Idaho Senate gathers in the Statehouse in Boise, Idaho, Jan. 15, 2021. The Idaho Senate is expected to take a final vote on Monday, March 18, 2024, on a bill that would prohibit transgender and nonbinary Idahoans enrolled in Medicaid, or state employees enrolled in the state's insurance plan, from obtaining gender-affirming care. (AP Photo/Keith Ridler, File)
March 16

State Medicaid offices target dead people’s homes to recoup their health care costs

State policies around this recovery process vary widely.
March 16
Imani Mfalme poses for a portrait outside her late mother's house Thursday, March 7, 2024, in Knoxville, Tenn. Mfalme's mother suffered from Alzheimer's and was placed in long term care. After her death the state is now trying to lay claim to the estate to pay for that care. (AP Photo/Caitie McMekin)
March 16

A new kind of hospital is coming to rural America. To qualify, facilities must close their beds

Rural emergency hospitals are starting to gain a small foothold in the United States
March 16
Unused equipment lines the hallway of the Alliance Healthcare System hospital in Holly Springs, Miss., as photographed Feb. 29, 2024. The medical facility was initially approved by the federal government as a rural emergency hospital in March 2023, requiring closing all inpatient beds and providing 24/7 emergency care. However, they have been denied the status and must now transition back to a full-service hospital. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
March 16

Scientists take on 'moonshot' project mapping human brain to help fight disease

Researchers say this could lead to more targeted treatment approaches.
March 16
In this screen grab from Google Maps Street View, the Allen Institute is shown in Seattle.
March 16

What makes people happy? California lawmakers want to find out

A California lawmaker is trying to get the state Legislature to rethink policymaking by creating a committee to study how to make people happier
March 16
FILE - Assemblyman Anthony Rendon walks with his daughter Vienna before being sworn in as Speaker of the Assembly during the opening session of the California Legislature in Sacramento, Calif., Monday, Dec. 5, 2022. Rendon created the Select Committee on Happiness and Public Policy Outcomes to study how state policy can make Californians happier. (AP Photo/José Luis Villegas, Pool,File)
March 16

Bernie Sanders wants the US to adopt a 32-hour workweek. Could workers and companies benefit?

The 40-hour workweek has been standard in the U.S. for more than eight decades
March 16
FILE - Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., talks to the media as he walks to the House chamber before President Joe Biden's State of the Union address at the U.S. Capitol, March 7, 2024, in Washington. Sanders, the far-left independent from Vermont, introduced a bill Thursday, March 14, that would shorten to 32 hours the amount of time many Americans can work each week before they're owed overtime. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File)
March 16

Hunger soars and aid dwindles as gangs in Haiti suffocate the country

About 1.4 million Haitians are on the verge of famine and more than 4 million require food aid
March 16
People line up to receive food at a shelter for families displaced by gang violence, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Thursday, March 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
March 15

Arizona legislation to better regulate rehab programs targeted by Medicaid scams is moving forward

A Navajo state senator in Arizona says she's hoping for final approval of her bill to tighten regulations for rehab facilities amid widespread fraud that has bilked hundreds of millions in Medicaid dollars
March 15
FILE - Arizona State Sen. Theresa Hatathlie talks during a news conference on Friday, May 19, 2023. Hatathlie said Friday, march 15, 2024, that she's hoping for final approval of her bill to tighten regulations for rehab facilities amid widespread fraud that has bilked hundreds of millions in Arizona Medicaid dollars. Hundreds of Native Americans seeking help for addictions have also been scammed. (AP Photo/Anita Snow, File)
March 15

Health Alert with Dr. Alok Patel

Dr. Patel discusses why we're seeing a measles outbreak around the country, marijuana use among high schoolers, and the importance of colorectal cancer screenings.
March 15
VIDEO: Health Alert with Dr. Alok Patel
March 15

Judge mulls third contempt case against Arizona for failing to improve prison health care

A federal judge presiding over a lawsuit challenging the quality of health care in Arizona’s prisons is considering whether to launch a third contempt-of-court proceeding against the state for failing to improve prisoner care
March 15
FILE - This Jan. 20, 2004, file photo shows the Arizona State Prison Complex-Lewis in Buckeye, Arizona. On Friday, March 15, 2024, a judge held a hearing in U.S. District Court in Phoenix to examine Arizona's noncompliance with a court order to improve medical and mental health care for the nearly 25,000 people incarcerated in Arizona's state-run prisons. (AP Photo/Tom Hood, File)
March 15

A new front opens over South Dakota ballot initiatives: withdrawing signatures from petitions

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem has signed a bill allowing signers of ballot initiative petitions to revoke their signatures
March 15
FILE - South Dakota Republican Rep. Jon Hansen poses in the House of Representatives in the state Capitol in Pierre, S.D., on Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2024. Hansen sponsored a bill Gov. Kristi Noem signed on Friday, March 15, 2024, that allows signers of initiative petitions to withdraw their signatures. (AP Photo/Jack Dura, File)
March 15

How this nonprofit is advancing human brain cell mapping 

Researchers hope that understanding more about the brain and how its different cells function could be the key to treating brain diseases.
March 15
Researchers hope that understanding more about the brain and how its different cells function could be the key to treating brain diseases.
March 15

Marriages in the US are back to pre-pandemic levels, CDC says

U.S. marriages have rebounded to pre-pandemic levels with nearly 2.1 million in 2022
March 15
FILE - A couple holds hands as they are married by a county clerk during a Valentine's Day group wedding ceremony on the steps of the Dade County Courthouse in Miami, Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2024. U.S. marriages have rebounded to pre-pandemic levels with nearly 2.1 million in 2022, a 4% increase from the year before, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a report published Friday, March 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell, File)
March 15

Dr. Alok Patel answers questions on skin cancer, magnesium supplements

ABC News contributor Dr. Alok Patel answers popular medical questions for skin cancer, strep throat and even magnesium supplements.
March 15
VIDEO: Dr. Alok Patel answers questions on skin cancer, magnesium supplements
March 14

Kenyan doctors strike nationwide. Patients left unattended or turned away at public hospitals

Doctors at Kenya’s public hospitals began a nationwide strike, accusing the government of failing to implement a raft of promises from a collective bargaining agreement signed in 2017 after a 100-day strike that saw people dying from lack of care
March 14
March 14

Early warm weather brings early allergies

As the warmest winter on record in the U.S. wraps up, people are dealing with allergies earlier than usual. Dr. Darien Sutton gives his advice on how to deal with a longer allergy season.
March 14
VIDEO: Early warm weather brings early allergies
March 14

College swimmers, volleyball players sue NCAA over transgender policies

Former Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines was among more than a dozen college athletes who filed a lawsuit against the NCAA, accusing it of violating their Title IX rights by allowing transgender woman Lia Thomas to compete at the national championships in ...
March 14
FILE - University of Pennsylvania athlete Lia Thomas prepares for the 500 meter freestyle event at the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships, March 17, 2022, at Georgia Tech in Atlanta. On Friday, Dec. 8, 2023, Former Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines was among more than a dozen college athletes who filed a lawsuit against the NCAA on Thursday, March 14, 2024, accusing it of violating their Title IX rights by allowing Thomas to compete at national championships in 2022. (AP Photo/John Bazemore, File)
March 14

What is the breast cancer risk calculator recommended by Olivia Munn?

Olivia Munn's breast cancer diagnosis is drawing attention to a frequently used breast cancer risk calculator
March 14
FILE - Olivia Munn arrives at the Governors Awards on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024, at the Dolby Ballroom in Los Angeles. When Munn revealed in March 2024 that she was diagnosed with breast cancer and had a double mastectomy, she urged people to ask their doctors to figure out their score on a breast cancer risk calculator, a questionnaire on the National Cancer Institute’s website that is designed for health care providers to use with patients. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, File)
March 14

Kansas is close to banning gender-affirming care for minors as GOP leaders seek the last vote

Republican legislators are close to banning gender-affirming care for transgender minors in Kansas over the Democratic governor’s expected veto
March 14
Kansas state Sen. Tim Shallenburger, right, R-Baxter Springs, reaches over to talk to Sen. Mike Thompson, R-Shawnee, during a Senate debate, Thursday, March 14, 2024, at the Statehouse in Topeka, Kan. Republicans are trying to lock in two-thirds majorities in both chambers on a proposed ban on gender-affirming care for minors, so that they can override an expected veto from Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly. (AP Photo/John Hanna)
March 14

MIS-C cases in 2023 mostly among unvaccinated children: CDC report

The report found that 82.1% of children who contracted MIS-C were unvaccinated.
March 14
The report found that 82.1% of children who contracted MIS-C were unvaccinated.
March 14

Bill shelved that sought changes to Iowa law outlining penalties for terminating a pregnancy

A bill that sought to change wording in an existing Iowa law outlining the penalties for terminating a pregnancy has been shelved by a Republican lawmaker amid debate about its implications for in vitro fertilization
March 14
FILE - The Iowa Capitol is visible before sunrise, Jan. 12, 2024, in Des Moines, Iowa. A bill that would have criminalized the death of an “unborn person” has been shelved in Iowa after a Senate Republican joined Democrats in voicing concerns about the potential impact on in vitro fertilization after an Alabama court found frozen embryos can be considered children. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)
March 14

EPA tightens limits on a chemical used to sterilize medical equipment, citing cancer risk

The Environmental Protection Agency is imposing stricter limits on a chemical used to sterilize medical equipment after finding a higher-than-expected cancer risk at facilities that use ethylene oxide to clean billions of devices including catheters an...
March 14
Environmental Protection Agency administrator Michael Regan speaks as President Joe Biden listens after Biden toured the East Palestine Recovery Site, Friday, Feb. 16, 2024, in East Palestine, Ohio. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
March 14

MIS-C cases in 2023 mostly unvaccinated children, those with waning immunity: CDC

More than 82% of children with MIS-C in 2023 were unvaccinated against COVID.
March 14
A sick child is pictured in this stock image.
March 14

The growing threat of fungal infections

Fungi that infect the lungs can take weeks to diagnose.
March 14
In this undated stock photo, someone applies an ointment to their foot.
March 14

Why do states across the US keep experiencing measles outbreaks?

The latest outbreak in Chicago has led to eight cases so far.
March 14
In this undated stock photo, a child is shown with red rash spots from measles.
March 14

Could fungi be the next global health threat?

ABC News medical unit producer Sony Salzman hosts a special episode of “Start Here” that dives into the potential global health threat of fungal infections.
March 14
VIDEO: Could fungi be the next global health threat?
March 14

Republic of Congo reports its first mpox virus cases, in several regions

The Republic of Congo has recorded its first cases of mpox in several regions
March 14
FILE - Vials of single doses of the Jynneos vaccine for monkeypox are seen from a cooler at a vaccinations site on Aug. 29, 2022, in the Brooklyn borough of New York. The Republic of Congo has recorded its first cases of mpox in several regions, the health ministry said, an indication of how the disease may be spreading across Africa since sexual transmission was first confirmed on the continent last year. (AP Photo/Jeenah Moon, File)
March 14

A decade later, Liberians remember those who died in Ebola outbreak

Liberians are gathering to mark a decade since the country was hit by a devastating Ebola outbreak that killed more than 10,000 people in West Africa, adding to the region’s economic and political troubles
March 14
FILE - Mercy Kennedy, 9, cries as community activists approach her outside her home on 72nd SKD Boulevard in Monrovia, Liberia, on Oct. 2, 2014, a day after her mother was taken away by an ambulance to an Ebola ward. Liberians gathered Wednesday, March 13, 2024 to commemorate a decade since the country was first hit by a devastating outbreak of Ebola that killed thousands in West Africa, adding to the region's economic and political troubles. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay, File)
March 13

After 50 years, Tommy John surgery is evolving to increase success and sometimes speed return

Tommy John surgery, like baseball itself, is evolving to increase success and sometimes speed return
March 13
FILE - New York Yankees pitcher Tommy John, 45, throws against the Montreal Expos in West Palm Beach, Fla., March 9, 1985. Tommy John had the first ulnar collateral ligament replacement surgery, a revolutionary operation by Dr. Frank Jobe on Sept. 25, 1974.(AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)
March 13

In a first, Vice President Harris visits Minnesota abortion clinic to blast ‘immoral’ restrictions

Vice President Kamala Harris has toured a Minnesota Planned Parenthood clinic that performs abortions and provides other reproductive care
March 13
Vice President Kamala Harris, left, greets Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz at Planned Parenthood, Thursday, March. 14, 2024, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Adam Bettcher)
March 13

Many countries are bouncing back from the pandemic but the poorest are not, UN says

A U.N. report says many countries are bouncing back from the COVID-19 pandemic, but the poorest are not and a significant number are seeing their conditions deteriorate
March 13
FILE - Nunay Mohamed, 25, who fled the drought-stricken Lower Shabelle area, holds her one-year old malnourished child at a makeshift camp for the displaced on the outskirts of Mogadishu, Somalia on June 30, 2022. A U.N. report says many countries are bouncing back from the COVID-19 pandemic, but the poorest are not and a significant number are seeing conditions in their country deteriorating. But it says development in half of the world’s poorest countries remains below 2019 pre-pandemic levels. (AP Photo/Farah Abdi Warsameh, File)
March 13

Arizona's most populous county has confirmed 645 heat-associated deaths in metro Phoenix last year

Public health officials in Arizona’s most populous county report they confirmed a staggering 645 heat-associated deaths last year
March 13
FILE - A jet takes flight from Sky Harbor International Airport as the sun sets over Phoenix, July 12, 2023. Public health officials in Arizona’s most populous county on Wednesday, March 13, 2024 reported it has confirmed there were a staggering 645 heat-associated deaths last year — another consecutive annual record in arid metro Phoenix. The numbers in the preliminary report alarmed officials in America's hottest big city and county, raising concerns about how to better protect vulnerable groups such as homeless people and older adults from the blistering summer heat. (AP Photo/Matt York, File)
March 13

A blood test for colon cancer performed well in a study, expanding options for screening

A blood test for colon cancer performed well in a study, offering a new kind of screening
March 13
This image provided by Guardant Health in March 13, 2024, shows a vial for their colon cancer blood test, Shield. According to a study published Wednesday, March 13, 2024, in the New England Journal of Medicine and sponsored by Guardant Health, the test performed well, further expanding screening options for a leading cause of cancer deaths. The test missed some cancers and won’t replace colonoscopy, the gold standard test. (Guardant Health via AP)
March 13

A new strategy to attack aggressive brain cancer shrank tumors in two early tests

Researchers revved up immune cells that shrank an extremely aggressive type of brain tumor when tested in a handful of patients
March 13
This combination of MRI scan images provided by the New England Journal of Medicine in March 2024 shows the progress of a glioblastoma patient who received CAR-T therapy which uses modified versions of T cells from a patient's own immune system. Studies published by the New England Journal of Medicine on Wednesday, March 13, 2024, signals a new strategy to fight glioblastoma by turning immune cells into “living drugs” that attack the brain cancer. (NEJM via AP)
March 13

Early results show lower cancer rates than expected among Air Force nuclear missile personnel

The Air Force is reporting the first data on cancer diagnoses among troops who worked with nuclear missiles
March 13
FILE - In this image provided by the U.S. Air Force, Airman 1st Class Jackson Ligon, 341st Missile Maintenance Squadron technician, examines the internals of an intercontinental ballistic missile during a Simulated Electronic Launch-Minuteman test Sept. 22, 2020, at a launch facility near Malmstrom Air Force Base in Great Falls, Mont. The Air Force is reporting the first data on cancer diagnoses among troops who worked with nuclear missiles. While the data is only about 25% complete, the Air Force on March 13, 2024, said the numbers are lower than they would have expected.(Tristan Day/U.S. Air Force via AP)
March 13

The massive health care hack is now being investigated by the federal Office of Civil Rights

Federal civil rights investigators are looking into whether protected health information was exposed in the recent cyberattack on Change Healthcare
March 13
FILE - Pages from the United Healthcare website are displayed on a computer screen, Feb. 29, 2024, in New York. Federal civil rights investigators are looking into whether protected health information was exposed in a recent cyberattack against Change Healthcare, a massive U.S. health care technology company owned by UnitedHealth Group. (AP Photo/Patrick Sison, File)