PBMs, the Brokers Who Control Drug Prices, Finally Get Washingtonās Attention
Drugmakers, pharmacies, and physicians blame pharmacy benefit managers for high drug prices. Congress is finally on board, too, but will it matter?
Mountain States Bureau
Ńī¹óåś“«Ć½Ņīl Health News tells the stories of Colorado, Montana, and the rest of the region.
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On the Night Shift With a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner
Montana and other states are trying to increase the number of nurses specially trained to treat survivors of sexual assault.
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In Idaho, Taking a Minor Out of State for an Abortion Is Now a Crime: āAbortion Traffickingā
Under the nationās first law of its kind, teens must have parental consent to travel for medical care, including in cases of sexual assault or rape. Any adult, including an aunt, grandparent, or sibling, convicted of violating the criminal statute faces up to five years in prison ā and could be sued for financial damages.
By Sarah Varney -
Montana Passes Significant Health Policy Changes in Controversial Session
The recently ended legislative session was marked by Medicaid reimbursement hikes, abortion restrictions, anti-LGBTQ+ statutes, behavioral health spending, and workforce and insurance measures.
By Keely Larson -
Can a Fetus Be an Employee? States Are Testing the Boundaries of Personhood After ‘Dobbs’
Laws granting rights to unborn children have spread in the decades since the U.S. and Missouri supreme courts allowed Missouriās definition of life as beginning at conception to stand. Now, a wrongful death lawsuit involving a workplace accident shows how sprawling those laws ā often intended to curb abortion ā have become.
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Colorado Becomes the First State to Ban So-Called Abortion Pill Reversals
The controversial practice of administering progesterone to people after they have taken the abortion pill mifepristone may be coming to an end in Colorado. Pills have emerged as the latest front in the war over abortion since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last summer.
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After Idahoās Strict Abortion Ban, OB-GYNs Stage a Quick Exodus
At least two Idaho hospitals are ending labor and delivery services, with one citing the stateās ālegal and political climateā and noting that ārecruiting replacements will be extraordinarily difficultā as doctors leave.
By Sarah Varney -
Community Paramedics Donāt Wait for an Emergency to Visit Rural Patients at Home
Community paramedicine is expanding nationwide, including in rural areas, as health care providers, insurers, and state governments recognize its potential to improve health and save money.
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Montana Considers Requiring Insurance to Cover Fertility Preservation for Cancer Patients
Young cancer patients must act quickly to preserve their sperm and eggs once they get their diagnosis, and many canāt afford the cost.
By Keely Larson -
As Federal Emergency Declaration Expires, the Picture of the Pandemic Grows Fuzzier
The pandemic gave federal officials expanded power to access crucial data about the spread of covid-19, but that authority will change when the public health emergency sunsets in May. That, along with the end of popular covid trackers, will make it harder for policymakers and the public to keep an eye on covid and other threats.
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Depressed? Anxious? Air Pollution May Be a Factor
A growing body of research is finding links between air quality and mental health, as therapists report seeing patients with symptoms linked to pollution.
By Jim Robbins -
Pain, Hope, and Science Collide as Athletes Turn to Magic Mushrooms
A group of former professional athletes traveled to Jamaica to try psychedelics as a way to help cope with the aftereffects of concussions and a career of body-pounding injuries. Will this still largely untested treatment work?
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Tension Builds in Transgender Policy Debate in Montana
Two transgender lawmakers are trying to lay the groundwork for LGBTQ-friendly policies in a conservative state, but tensions are running high as the legislative session nears its end.
By Keely Larson A $229,000 Medical Bill Goes to Court
Season 9, Episode 5Lisa French was told her surgery would cost $1,337. But the hospital sent her a bill for $229,000, then sued her. The case went all the way to the Colorado Supreme Court. The courtās ruling could have major implications for determining a āreasonable priceā in health care.
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A Smart Move on Tax Day: Get Health Insurance Information Using Your State’s Tax Forms
A growing number of states ā including Maryland, Colorado, and Massachusetts ā are using tax forms to point people toward lower-cost health coverage available through state insurance marketplaces.
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As Montanaās Mental Health Crisis Care Crumbles, Politicians Promise Aid
One of Montanaās largest mental health providers has ratcheted back services amid financial troubles, leaving a vacuum. State policymakers have promised more money to aid behavioral health care, but lasting change could be years out.
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Doctor Shortages Distress Rural America, Where Few Residency Programs Exist
Patients in rural northeastern Nevada soon will have fewer providers and resources, after a local hospital decided to close its medical residency program. Nationally, the number of rural residency slots has grown during the past few years but still makes up just 2% of programs and residents nationwide.
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Abortion Clinics in Conservative-Led States Face Increasing Legal Threats
Since the U.S. Supreme Court reversed federal protections for abortions, medical providers in conservative-led states have been fighting legal and political battles ā as well as escalating threats from the anti-abortion movement.
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Montana May Require Insurers to Cover Monitoring Devices for Diabetes
Montana is one of several states considering expanding coverage of continuous glucose monitors, but insurance companies and some providers argue that not all people with diabetes need them.
By Keely Larson -
āHard to Get Sober Youngā: Inside One of the Countryās Few Recovery High Schools
A few dozen high schools across the U.S. combine education with recovery treatment for substance use disorders to keep kids sober and in school.