Latest Health News

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

Mar. 19, 2024 06:01 AM EDT

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Medicaid recipients in Wisconsin will have access to the first over-the-counter birth control pill starting Tuesday, allowing them to easily receive contraceptive medication with no out-of-pocket costs or doctor's prescription, Gov. Tony Evers announced. Evers,...

Famine is said to be imminent in northern Gaza as Israel raids the main hospital again

Mar. 19, 2024 02:11 AM EDT

RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Famine is imminent in northern Gaza, where 70% of people are experiencing catastrophic hunger, according to a report Monday that warned escalation of the war could push half of Gaza's total population to the brink of starvation. The report, by the...

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

Mar. 19, 2024 02:05 AM EDT

UnitedHealth is testing the last major system it must restore from last month’s Change Healthcare cyberattack, but it has no date yet for finishing the recovery. The health care giant said Monday that it is testing software for submitting medical claims. It already has largely...

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

Mar. 19, 2024 02:00 AM EDT

SERREKUNDA, Gambia (AP) — Lawmakers in Gambia referred an attempted repeal of the 2015 ban on female genital cutting for further committee discussions on Monday. Gambian activists fear a repeal would overturn years of work to better protect girls and women. The legislation was...

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

Mar. 19, 2024 00:38 AM EDT

When Mike O’Neil opened his bicycle repair shop in Muncie, Indiana, the Cardinal Greenway trail just outside its window stretched only 2 miles south of the shop. Today, it extends 33 miles (53 kilometers) beyond that, but the ultimate vision is far grander. O'Neil...

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

Mar. 18, 2024 23:23 PM EDT

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean authorities will suspend the licenses of two senior doctors for allegedly inciting the weekslong walkouts by thousands of medical interns and residents that have disrupted hospital operations, one of the doctors said Monday. The impending...

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

Mar. 18, 2024 20:11 PM EDT

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — A federal appeals court asked West Virginia’s highest court Monday whether opioid distributions can cause a public nuisance as it reviews a landmark lawsuit against three major U.S. drug distributors accused of causing a health crisis in one of the state's counties. ...

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

Mar. 18, 2024 19:13 PM EDT

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Idaho lawmakers are expected to vote this week 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. The legislation already passed the House...

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

Mar. 18, 2024 18:56 PM EDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Environmental Protection Agency on Monday 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. The final rule marks a major...

Boxing great Roberto Durán receives pacemaker after heart issues

Mar. 18, 2024 18:11 PM EDT

PANAMA CITY, Panama (AP) — Boxing great Roberto Durán received a pacemaker on Monday after he was hospitalized on the weekend, his family said. “The Durán family is pleased to inform that thanks to God the surgery in our champion, a pacemaker implant, was totally successful,”...