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Humanitarian group blasts Greece over treatment of asylum-seekers on eastern island

May. 25, 2023 15:19 PM EDT

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — A prominent humanitarian group on Thursday blasted Greece over its treatment of asylum-seekers on the island of Lesbos, repeating allegations of illegal deportations back to Turkey and claiming authorities are using hunger as a weapon against some migrants. ...

How the end of the COVID health emergency affects your Medicare

May. 25, 2023 09:38 AM EDT

The COVID-19 public health emergency that started in January 2020 ended on May 11. When that happened, several Medicare rules and waivers that went into effect during the pandemic came to an end — and it may catch Medicare patients by surprise. Many of the changes were made to...

Medicaid plans to audit the prices of costliest drugs

May. 23, 2023 17:34 PM EDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration said Tuesday it is planning to conduct a yearly audit to verify the prices drug makers charge on a handful of the costliest prescriptions covered by Medicaid. Under the proposal, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services would...

8-year-old girl sought medical help 3 times on day she died, US immigration officials say

May. 21, 2023 20:29 PM EDT

HARLINGEN, Texas (AP) — An 8-year-old girl who died last week in Border Patrol custody was seen at least three separate times by medical personnel on the day of her death — complaining of vomiting, a stomachache and later suffering what appeared to be a seizure — before she was taken to a...

Man who rushed Vatican City gate sent for psychiatric care at nearby hospital

May. 19, 2023 17:09 PM EDT

VATICAN CITY (AP) — The man who drove through a Vatican City gate and kept going even after guards fired at his car was taken Friday to a nearby hospital for psychiatric care after a preliminary interrogation, the Vatican said. The man, who has not been identified by the Holy See,...

Rhode Island governor signs bill to fund abortion coverage for state workers and Medicaid recipients

May. 18, 2023 22:06 PM EDT

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Rhode Island Gov. Daniel McKee signed a bill into law Thursday that would let state funds be used to pay for health insurance plans that cover state workers and Medicaid recipients seeking abortions. The signing ceremony was held almost immediately after the...

Medicaid expansion bill advances in New Hampshire

May. 18, 2023 18:57 PM EDT

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — The New Hampshire House gave preliminary approval Thursday to making the state’s expanded Medicaid program permanent, rejecting attempts to set another expiration date or otherwise change it. The lengthy debate was somewhat reminiscent of 2014 when lawmakers...

Digital divide: Jill Biden visit touts efforts to connect Alaska Native villages to outside world

May. 18, 2023 11:04 AM EDT

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — For years, when the tiny Alaska Native village of Rampart's awful internet service would go down, the only way to reach the outside world was to await the small airplane that touched down daily with supplies and the occasional visitor. “We had no way of...

Infertility is common in the US, but insurance coverage remains limited

May. 16, 2023 16:41 PM EDT

Jessica Tincopa may leave the photography business she spent 14 years building for one reason: to find coverage for fertility treatment. After six miscarriages, Tincopa and her husband started saving for in vitro fertilization, which can cost well over $20,000. But the pandemic...

Where next? Vermont shrinks housing program for homeless people as advocates raise alarm

May. 15, 2023 18:16 PM EDT

BERLIN, Vt. (AP) — Brittany Plucas, 29, and her boyfriend will likely sleep in her car when they have to leave the Hilltop Inn on the first of June. The couple both work at a nearby restaurant, and have recently picked up second jobs at the hotel. A month ago, Plucas says she...