Health Care
Judge weighs allowing new plaintiffs to join Missouri Medicaid expansion lawsuit
Allowing new plaintiffs to join a lawsuit over whether Missouri must provide Medicaid coverage to an expanded population of low-income adults could delay resolution of the case beyond the July 1 start date for that coverage, attorneys told a Cole County judge on Monday morning. A trial in the lawsuit is scheduled for Friday afternoon. […]
Missouri tourist hotspots also heating up COVID counts as new variant spreads
Southwest Missouri’s most popular tourist areas are the epicenter of a COVID-19 outbreak linked to the Delta variant that is responsible for making India second to the United States in coronavirus cases. All eight counties along a heavily traveled route from Branson to the Lake of the Ozarks are among the 30 local health jurisdictions […]
Troubled Maryland plant told to toss part of the J&J vaccine ingredient it manufactured
WASHINGTON — Federal health regulators have instructed Maryland’s Emergent BioSolutions to scrap some batches of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine substance manufactured at the company’s troubled Baltimore plant, while clearing a small portion to be used in the U.S. or sent abroad. Two batches of the J&J vaccine substance made in Baltimore were deemed “suitable […]
Federal appeals court upholds injunction blocking Missouri eight-week abortion ban
A federal appeals court on Wednesday upheld a lower court’s decision to block a Missouri law criminalizing abortions after eight weeks of pregnancy, with no exceptions for rape or incest. Almost immediately after the ruling, Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt said he would ask the U.S. Supreme Court to review the case. Reproductive Health Services […]
Attorney general says Missouri lawmakers can refuse to fund Medicaid expansion
Missouri lawmakers were not obligated to fund Medicaid expansion, and the courts cannot force the state to pay the medical bills of people who would be eligible under an initiative that amended the state constitution, the state attorney general’s office argued in documents filed Monday in Cole County Circuit Court. The filing from Attorney General […]
Governor signs bill ending Missouri’s designation as last state without a PDMP
With the swipe of a pen Monday, Missouri will soon become the last state in the nation to establish a statewide prescription drug monitoring program. After nearly a decade of failed attempts, Gov. Mike Parson signed Senate Bill 63, sponsored by Sen. Holly Rehder, R-Sikeston, into law. The bill establishes a system that allows physicians […]
In Missouri and other states, flawed data makes it hard to track vaccine equity
This story is part of a reporting partnership that includes KCUR, NPR and KHN. Throughout the COVID-19 vaccination effort, public health officials and politicians have insisted that providing shots equitably across racial and ethnic groups is a top priority. But it’s been left up to states to decide how to do that and to collect racial and […]
‘Get a shot and have a beer’: Biden touts free brew, pro sports tickets and child care to boost vaccines
WASHINGTON — Free child care during COVID-19 vaccine appointments. Late-night appointment slots on Fridays. And free beer for everybody over 21 if President Joe Biden’s vaccination goal is reached next month. These are some of the latest incentives and strategies lined up by the Biden administration to boost national vaccinations against COVID-19 leading up to the […]
Eleven generic versions of an HIV drug rush onto the market — and list prices go up
The health care system is supposed to incentivize the development of wonder drugs and then apply market forces to squeeze prices to a minimum. But a new report shows how at least for one drug, incentivizing is working a lot better than price-squeezing. At least when insurance is involved. For example, Blueberry Pharmacy in the […]
COVID surge in north Missouri creates worries for summer as vaccinations decline
In the last week of April, the Linn County Health Department signaled that the COVID-19 pandemic had cooled enough that it could discontinue weekly reports on new cases. With only three active cases on April 21, the urgency for frequent updates seemed to have passed. But the coronavirus came roaring back this month, with Mother’s […]
Judge sets trial date for lawsuit over Missouri Medicaid expansion
The lawsuit seeking to force Missouri to expand Medicaid coverage under a voter-approved constitutional amendment will go to trial June 18 in Cole County. On Wednesday morning, Circuit Judge Jon Beetem met in a conference call with Attorney General Eric Schmitt’s office and attorneys for the three people suing for coverage. In an online notation with […]
Why COVID will be a lasting concern inside Missouri prisons
This story was originally published by the Kansas City Beacon. More than a year into the COVID-19 pandemic, the Missouri Department of Corrections has implemented mitigation efforts and begun administering thousands of vaccines. But people incarcerated in Missouri and advocates for incarcerated people say more can be done to ensure safety, like the enforcement of […]