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HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said this month that “autism destroys families,鈥 adding that 鈥渕ost cases are now severe鈥 and describing children who will never work, play baseball, write poetry, or go on a date. Medical experts and people on the autism spectrum say Kennedy鈥檚 portrayal was skewed.
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In many cases, the money flowed to addiction recovery programs that help rebuild lives by driving people to medical appointments and court hearings, crafting r茅sum茅s and training them for new jobs, finding them housing, and helping them build social connections unrelated to drugs.
State-level efforts to regulate fertility coverage reveal the gauntlet of budgetary and political hurdles such initiatives face 鈥 obstacles that have led to millions of people being left out even when mandates become law.
When Congress returns next week, it will be writing a budget reconciliation bill that鈥檚 expected to cut taxes but also make deep cuts to Medicaid. But at least some Republicans are concerned about cutting a program that aids so many of their constituents. Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet, Tami Luhby of CNN, and Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico join 51视频 Health News鈥 Julie Rovner to discuss this story and more. Also, Rovner interviews 51视频 Health News鈥 Rae Ellen Bichell about her story on how care for transgender minors is changing in Colorado.
How one 鈥淎rm and a Leg鈥 listener stayed encouraged during a two-year fight over a bill she didn鈥檛 owe.
In the wake of an executive order by President Donald Trump opposing gender-affirming surgeries for minors, hospitals are pausing procedures 鈥 even those already scheduled. Families fear the eventual loss of all gender-affirming care for their transgender kids.
Attitudes about a debunked link between measles vaccines and autism haven鈥檛 budged that much. But there鈥檚 a sharp partisan divide over whether the vaccine is safe.
Montana鈥檚 powerful hospital lobby was instrumental in renewing the state鈥檚 Medicaid expansion program and has also fended off most legislation to increase state oversight of their business.
Federal law requires states to offer health insurance to many people with low incomes or disabilities. But some states, including California, are far more generous than what鈥檚 required. Budget pressures may force lawmakers to cut benefits that have led to a historic low in the uninsured rate.
In California, Black women are at least three times as likely as white women to die from pregnancy-related causes. Santa Clara County initiatives aimed at reducing racial disparities work but depend on federal dollars 鈥 money that might not flow amid budget cuts and a push to end diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.
These fixers, officially known as caseworkers, unraveled complex and arcane health insurance rules to solve people鈥檚 coverage issues. They worked in a little-known federal department with which most consumers never interact 鈥 until they need help.
Roughly 20 states now have laws permitting families to place cameras in the rooms of loved ones. Facility operators are often opposed.
California has unilaterally halted a court-ordered medical parole program. Instead, it鈥檚 sending its most incapacitated prisoners back to state lockups or releasing them early. The change is drawing protests from attorneys representing prisoners and the author of the medical parole law, who argue prisoners鈥 health may be compromised.
During his first news conference as Health and Human Services secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on April 16 ticked off things he thinks kids with autism will never do, including paying taxes, holding a job, and going on a date. Kennedy鈥檚 comments go against science and reality.
Get our weekly newsletter, The Week in Brief, featuring a roundup of our original coverage, Fridays at 2 p.m. ET.
Although knee replacements are usually covered by health insurance, amputees face roadblocks to coverage and often must prove their prosthetics are medically necessary.
The U.S. faces a crucial shortage of medical providers, especially in rural areas. The problem has been building for a while, experts say, but the pandemic accelerated it by pushing many doctors over the edge into early retirement or other fields.
Tensions between Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his employees at the Department of Health and Human Services are mounting, as he made a series of claims about autism this week 鈥 contradicting his agency鈥檚 findings. Plus, President Donald Trump unveiled an executive order to lower drug prices as his administration explores tariffs that could raise them. Shefali Luthra of The 19th, Jessie Hellmann of CQ Roll Call, and Anna Edney of Bloomberg News join 51视频 Health News鈥 Emmarie Huetteman to discuss these stories and more. Plus, 51视频 Health News鈥 Julie Rovner interviews two University of California-San Francisco researchers about an upcoming Supreme Court case that could have major ramifications for preventive care.
Leaders of the “Make America Healthy Again鈥 movement cheered the ascent of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to Health and Human Services secretary, but their wish list is far from being realized.
