Pharmaceuticals

Latest Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Ò•îl Health News Stories

California Ends Medicaid Coverage of Weight Loss Drugs Despite TrumpRx Plan

Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Ò•îl Health News Original

Low-income Californians who use Wegovy and similar medications for weight loss lost their coverage at the start of the new year, with officials advising diet and exercise instead. California and other states say the drugs are too costly, even as the Trump administration announces plans to lower prices.

Seis tips para obtener fármacos que previenen el VIH superando obstáculos del sistema de salud

Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Ò•îl Health News Original

Los CDC calculan que 2,2 millones de personas en Estados Unidos podrían beneficiarse del uso de medicamentos preventivos contra el VIH, pero solo poco más de una cuarta parte los recibe.

To Knock Down Health-System Hurdles Between You and HIV Prevention, Try These 6 Things

Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Ò•îl Health News Original

It’s been more than 10 years since the FDA first approved an HIV prevention drug. Today, people who could benefit from preexposure prophylaxis often struggle to access the lifesaving medicine or run into doctors without the education or empathy to offer affirming care. And those lapses can produce billing headaches.

FDA cuestiona uso de antidepresivos en el embarazo, pero médicos dicen que son esenciales

Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Ò•îl Health News Original

A expertos médicos les preocupa que una mesa redonda convocada en julio por la Administración de Alimentos y Medicamentos pueda provocar más casos de depresión no tratada.

FDA Panelists Questioned Antidepressants in Pregnancy. But Doctors Call Them a Lifeline.

Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Ò•îl Health News Original

Participants in an FDA panel discussion warned the public about risks from using antidepressants in pregnancy. But mental health issues, including suicide and overdoses, are the leading cause of maternal death in the United States. Antidepressants are a safe, well-studied way to help prevent those deaths, medical experts say.

In RFK Jr.’s Upside-Down World of Vaccines, Panel Votes To End Hepatitis B Shot at Birth

Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Ò•îl Health News Original

A session of a vaccine panel dominated by skeptics was chaotically at odds with past practices of the CDC, which HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has described as a “cesspool of corruption.†His crew voted to end a 34-year recommendation to vaccinate newborns against hepatitis B.

What the Health? From Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Ò•îl Health News: The Government Is Open

Podcast

The record-long federal shutdown is over after a small group of Democrats agreed to a deal with most Republicans that funds the government through January — but, notably, does not extend more generous Affordable Care Act tax credits. Plus, new details are emerging about how the Trump administration is using the Medicaid program to advance its policy goals. Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, Shefali Luthra of The 19th, and Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call join Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Ò•îl Health News’ Emmarie Huetteman to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Ò•îl Health News’ Julie Rovner interviews Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Ò•îl Health News’ Julie Appleby, who wrote the latest “Bill of the Month†feature.

What the Health? From Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Ò•îl Health News: Happy Open Enrollment Eve!

Podcast

A standoff in Congress is keeping much of the government shut down as open enrollment begins in most states for Affordable Care Act plans. Democrats are demanding Republicans agree to extend ACA tax credits, but there has been little negotiating — even as customers are learning what they’ll pay for coverage next year. Meanwhile, the Trump administration is telling states they can’t pass their own laws to keep medical debt off consumers’ credit reports. Paige Winfield Cunningham of The Washington Post, Maya Goldman of Axios, and Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico join Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Ò•îl Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss those stories and more.

After Chiding Democrats on Transgender Politics, Newsom Vetoes a Key Health Measure

Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Ò•îl Health News Original

California Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill that would have expanded access to hormone therapy, a top priority for the trans community. Advocates say it would have ensured continuity in gender-affirming care amid Trump administration attacks. Analysts say it’s another sign of the Democrat’s move to the center.

What the Health? From Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Ò•îl Health News: Schrödinger’s Government Shutdown

Podcast

Democrats and Republicans remain stalled over funding the federal government as Republicans launch a new attack on the Affordable Care Act. Meanwhile, the Trump administration is taking advantage of the shutdown to lay off workers from programs supported mostly by Democrats. Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, Lauren Weber of The Washington Post, and Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico Magazine join Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Ò•îl Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss those stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews health insurance analyst Louise Norris about Medicare open enrollment.

Cops on Ketamine? Largely Unregulated Mental Health Treatment Faces Hurdles

Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Ò•îl Health News Original

Ketamine, long used as an anesthetic or illegal party drug, is being combined with psychotherapy to treat severe depression and post-traumatic stress — a potential tool for those with high trauma rates, like firefighters and police officers. Yet the drug’s stigma and unregulated marketplace leave first responders in uncharted territory.

Listen: Why ‘TrumpRx’ Might Not Save You Money

Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Ò•îl Health News Original

On the “Today, Explained” podcast, Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Ò•îl Health News’ Julie Rovner recaps the TrumpRx announcement and why the direct-to-consumer initiative may not save you money on prescription drugs if you have insurance through your employer or the government.

‘Demon Copperhead’ Author Lays Foundation for Women in Appalachia To Beat Addiction

Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Ò•îl Health News Original

Barbara Kingsolver won a Pulitzer Prize for her bestselling novel about Appalachia’s drug crisis. She invested some of the proceeds into a home for women trying to beat substance use disorders.

What the Health? From Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Ò•îl Health News: Public Health Further Politicized Under the Threat of More Firings

Podcast

In a rambling news conference that shocked public health experts, President Donald Trump — without scientific evidence — blamed the over-the-counter drug acetaminophen, and too many childhood vaccines, for the increase in autism diagnoses in the U.S. That came days after a key immunization advisory panel, newly reconstituted with vaccine doubters, changed several long-standing recommendations. Former Centers for Disease Control and Prevention official Demetre Daskalakis joins Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Ò•îl Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss those stories. Meanwhile, Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call and Anna Edney of Bloomberg News join Rovner with the rest of the news, including a threat by the Trump administration to fire rather than furlough federal workers if Congress fails to fund the government beyond the Oct. 1 start of the new fiscal year.

Trump Claims ‘No Downside’ to Avoiding Tylenol During Pregnancy. He’s Wrong.

Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Ò•îl Health News Original

Doctors say acetaminophen, the main ingredient in Tylenol, is safe to take during pregnancy. Other over-the-counter pain relievers such as aspirin and ibuprofen aren’t recommended because they can harm fetal development. Untreated fever in pregnancy can pose maternal and fetal health risks.