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Health Care

People line up outside a public assistance office in Missoula, Montana, before its doors open at 8 a.m., Oct. 27, 2023, to try to regain health coverage after being dropped from Medicaid, a government insurance program for people with low incomes and disabilities. Katheryn Houghton/KFF Health News hide caption

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Katheryn Houghton/KFF Health News

Why homeless people are losing health coverage in Medicaid mix-ups

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The advice for anyone who got their IRS return rejected because a rogue agent signed them up for ACA health insurance: Ask for an extension and file a complaint. Lindsey Nicholson/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images hide caption

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Lindsey Nicholson/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Organizers say that more than 1,000 people were in attendance at a rally for abortion rights in Orlando, Fla. on Saturday, April 13. Danielle Prieur/Central Florida Public Media hide caption

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Danielle Prieur/Central Florida Public Media

Florida voters will decide on abortion rights this fall. Here's what some are saying

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After using the Lenire device for an hour each day for 12 weeks, Victoria Banks says her tinnitus is "barely noticeable." David Petrelli/Victoria Banks hide caption

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David Petrelli/Victoria Banks

Got tinnitus? A device that tickles the tongue helps this musician find relief

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A record number of Americans are getting health insurance through the Affordable Care Act, and states that use the HealthCare.gov marketplace are vulnerable to a scheme where plans are switched without the consumer's permission. Alex Brandon/AP hide caption

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Alex Brandon/AP

California legislators in 2019 passed the law that requires all the state's 33 public university campuses to provide abortion pills. It took effect in January 2023, but LAist found that basic information for students to obtain the medication is often nonexistent. Jackie Fortiér/LAist hide caption

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Jackie Fortiér/LAist

California colleges provide abortion pills but many fail to make students aware

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After the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, abortion access advocates rallied at the Florida Supreme Court. Monday the court issued rulings that could significantly impact access in the state. Regan McCarthy/WFSU hide caption

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Regan McCarthy/WFSU

Eric Portenga and Kevin O'Neill with daughters Sylvie, Robin and Parker O'Neill celebrating the girls' 2nd birthday in Sept. 2023. The babies' surrogate lived in Ohio because of Michigan's laws, that are changing now. The Portenga-O'Neill family hide caption

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The Portenga-O'Neill family

As Michigan legalizes surrogacy, here's how families found ways around the ban

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Insurance brokers say rogue agents are switching batches of customers to new plans without the customers' knowledge. The agents then collect monthly commissions on the Affordable Care Act plans. Ralf Hahn/Getty Images hide caption

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Ralf Hahn/Getty Images

Kim Botteicher, founder and executive director of FAVOR ~ Western PA, runs the nonprofit out of the basement of an old church building in Bolivar, Pa. In addition to providing various addiction and recovery support services, she would like to hand out clean syringes to help prevent disease transmission. But doing that isn't authorized under state law. Nate Smallwood hide caption

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Nate Smallwood

In Pennsylvania, she wants to hand out new syringes to save lives. But is it legal?

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Want to stop needle phobia in adults? Make shots less painful for kids

According to the CDC, about one in four adults has a fear of needles. Many of those people say the phobia started when they were kids. For some people, the fear of needles is strong enough that they avoid getting important treatments, vaccines or tests. That poses a serious problem for public health. Researchers have helped develop a five step plan to help prevent what they call "needless pain" for kids getting injections or their blood drawn. Guest host Tom Dreisbach talks with Dr. Stefan Friedrichsdorf of UCSF Benioff Children's Hospitals, who works with a team to implement the plan at his own hospital. Friedrichsdorf told us some of the most important research on eliminating pain has come from researchers in Canada. Learn more about their work here.

Want to stop needle phobia in adults? Make shots less painful for kids

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Kevin Carlson, with nurse Joshua Lee (right) and respiratory therapist Eric Mathewson (left), watches a WWE match on October 2, 2023 in San Jose, Calif. Gabriel Torres hide caption

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Gabriel Torres

When relaying the difficult news of a cancer diagnosis to kids, it's important to give them time to process the information, says Elizabeth Farrell, a clinical social worker at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Mary Long/Getty Images hide caption

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Mary Long/Getty Images

Composting vessels arranged in a honeycomb array at the Recompose human composting facility in Seattle, WA. Recompose hide caption

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Recompose

The ultimate green burial? Human composting lets you replenish the earth after death

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J.J. Holmes was recognized this year among the News Service of Florida's 40 under 40 for his advocacy work for people with disabilities. The News Service's Dara Kam hosted the ceremony. Erich Martin hide caption

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Erich Martin

A push is underway for voters to make Florida the next state to expand Medicaid

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Melissa Wyaco supervises about two dozen public health nurses who search for patients across the Navajo Nation who have tested positive for or have been exposed to syphilis. Navajo Area Indian Health Services hide caption

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Navajo Area Indian Health Services
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Under Louisiana's abortion ban, doctors face penalties of up to 15 years in prison, $200,000 in fines and loss of their medical license. Dr. Neelima Sukhavasi, a Baton Rouge OB-GYN, says that doctors are scared. Here, Dr. Sukhavasi poses for a portrait in Baton Rouge, La., on Monday, March 18, 2024. Christiana Botic hide caption

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Christiana Botic

Standard pregnancy care is now dangerously disrupted in Louisiana, report reveals

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People with symptoms of long Covid sit in the audience as they listen during a Senate Committee hearing on Long Covid earlier this year. Long Covid remains one of the most vexing legacies of the pandemic. Drew Angerer/Getty Images hide caption

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Drew Angerer/Getty Images

People who qualify for both Medicare and Medicaid face maddening challenges accessing health care. The government spends $500 billion on this care, yet patients often can't get what they need. amtitus/Getty Images hide caption

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amtitus/Getty Images