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A pregnant woman at risk of heart failure couldn’t get urgent treatment. She died waiting for an abortion.
Lizzie Presser and Kavitha Surana, ProPublica, Jan. 14
When Ciji Graham visited the cardiologist in November 2023, her heart was pounding at 192 beats per minute. The 34-year-old from Greensboro, North Carolina, was experiencing another episode of atrial fibrillation, a rapid, irregular heartbeat. In the past, doctors had been able to shock her heart back into rhythm, but this time, after a pregnancy test came back positive, the cardiologist didn’t offer to do so. Graham came to believe that the best way to protect her health would be to end her unexpected pregnancy, but because of abortion restrictions in her state, it was difficult to find a doctor who would perform the procedure quickly. She died a few days later, with the procedure scheduled for weeks later.
‘Teaching us how to grow with our babies’: How prisons allow mothers and infants to nest for months
Amanda Watford, Stateline, Jan. 9
As Kathy Briggs placed her 6-month-old baby into a carrier with the help of two other women, the room felt, for a moment, like an early childhood nursery. But the jangling of keys and the watchful eyes of uniformed officers were a reminder that this moment was playing out inside a women’s prison in rural Missouri. The program, which is the ninth of its kind in the country, allows babies inside of prisons in an effort to keep them together with their mothers and reduce trauma and recidivism. Most correctional facilities are not designed to accommodate new mothers, and federal reports and research have found that pregnant inmates face systemic barriers to timely care.
24 hours of chaos as mental health grants are slashed then restored
Brian Mann, NPR, Jan. 15
After a day of confusion, roughly $2 billion in federal grant money for mental health and addiction programs has been restored. The money had been cut off late Tuesday without warning, by sending letters that abruptly signaled the programs no longer “aligned” with the Trump administration’s public health agenda. The sudden defunding triggered backlash from local officials and care providers. “After a day of panic across the country, nonprofits and people with mental health conditions are deeply alarmed, but also hopeful that this money is being restored,” said Hannah Wesolowski of the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
Fewer Americans sign up for Affordable Care Act health insurance as costs spike
Ali Swenson and Nicky Forster, Associated Press, Jan. 13
Fewer Americans are signing up for Affordable Care Act health insurance plans this year, new federal data shows, as expiring subsidies and other factors push health care costs higher. While the data is only an early snapshot, it builds on fears that expiring enhanced tax credits could cause a dip in enrollment and force many Americans to make tough decisions to delay buying health insurance, look for alternatives, or forgo coverage altogether. Experts warn that the number of people enrolled could drop even further if people choose to cancel their coverage after receiving their first bill of the year.
FDA-funded study of pulse oximeter accuracy yields surprising and confusing results
Anil Oza, STAT News, Jan. 12
A long-awaited study meant to provide clarity on how to reduce racial bias in pulse oximeter readings has instead created more confusion. The results were meant to help researchers understand why the devices, widely used in hospitals and clinics to measure blood oxygen levels, do not work as well on patients with darker skin tones. However, the initial findings showed the opposite of what previous research had found. At a time when research on health disparities feels more tenuous than when the study was commissioned in 2021, these findings have left experts who have been raising alarms about the devices feeling exasperated.