SEATTLE, Wash. - As temperatures rise this summer, the threat of the Zika virus looms for many Americans. The risk of contracting the virus in the Northwest is low; the two species of mosquitoes that carry the disease don't typically travel farther north than California's Bay Area. However, contraction of the disease through sexual transmission and travel are still threats, especially to women becoming or already pregnant.

Valerie Tarico, senior writing fellow at the Seattle research center Sightline Institute, who recently wrote an article on Zika's threat to Northwest women for the Institute, said the most severe effects of Zika occur to developing fetuses.

"So that makes prevention of pregnancy during a time of Zika risk the most important thing we can do to stop long-term harms," she said.

The Zika virus is linked to a condition called microcephaly. Microcephaly has severe effects on the development of a baby's brain. Florida officials confirmed the first case of a baby born with Zika-related microcephaly in the nation this week.

Because nearly half of all pregnancies are unintended in Washington, Tarico said parents are playing a "Zika-pregnancy roulette" this summer. She said better birth control would reduce everyone's risk. Tarico adds that the CDC also has started to talk about family planning as a way to prevent Zika's effects.

"At first, the CDC was focused on what they call vector control, trying to figure out how to limit mosquitoes," she said. "But that's way harder than simply providing women with birth control that they already want in order to allow them to time their pregnancies."

This week, U.S. senators voted down a $1.1 billion bill to fight Zika because of provisions in it that would block funding for birth control.

Tarico said new contraceptive methods are especially promising for fighting the potential Zika crisis. While older methods such as birth control and the use of condoms have a failure rate of, respectively, 1 in 11 and 1 in 4, IUDs have a failure rate of only 1 in 500. Tarico said the potential crisis provides the state with an opportunity.

"These new birth-control methods really change people's lives for the better in a whole bunch of ways," she added. "The ability of parents to time their pregnancies and to bring children into the world when they feel ready has all kinds of cascading benefits for families and for kids."


get more stories like this via email

Virtual healthcare gained steam during the pandemic, by allowing doctors to reduce in-person contact and still render services to patients.

And while social restrictions have eased, the convenience of remote visits remains popular.

Family Physician and Community Health Network Medical Director for Telehealth, Dr. Stephanie Russ, said there are three different types of appointments.

Electronic questionnaires - or e-visits - communicate health concerns to a medical provider, telehealth services are phone-only visits, and video visits are face-to-face appointments.

"It's really been nice for patients because of the convenience," said Russ. "They don't have to take off a day of work. They don't have to wait in the doctor's office. Usually, the wait times are much less for telehealth than what it is in person."

Russ said while the pandemic drove utilization, doctors continue to see increased usage.

Another benefit is the availability of health services for rural areas that lack access to an in-office physician.

A 2020 Indiana University Center for Rural Engagement report finds that 29 Indiana counties had a shortage of primary healthcare services.

Most insurance companies cover virtual visits. Patients with common summertime infections - such as swimmer's ear, pink eye, and allergies - can download pictures for their virtual appointments.

Despite the convenience and time saved with remote visits, Russ cautioned that specific conditions require an in-office visit.

"Acute abdominal pain, chest pain, shortness of breath," said Russ, "anything that would be considered more emergent would not be appropriate, or anything where the provider needs to be able to listen to your heart and lungs or do a physical exam. "

Russ said medical providers can only practice in the state that they're licensed in and most telehealth options offer multi-state providers to assist patients who are traveling or in different locations.

According to the site Market USA, in 2022, the usage of telemedicine increased from 64% to 76% among people who are 55 years old or older.






get more stories like this via email

World Hepatitis Day is this Sunday, and for the Oregon Health Authority, it's an opportunity to promote its plan to eliminate hepatitis across the state.

Released in March, the plan includes major goals and strategies to limit the spread of hepatitis A, B and C over the next six years. It's gotten new attention after 2,400 patients in Oregon hospitals were potentially exposed to hepatitis and HIV earlier this month.

Concerns are high, but epidemiologist Dr. Dean Sidelinger, Oregon's state health officer, said people should be aware of the threats of hepatitis, but not anxious.

"In day-to-day times, people should feel safe and confident in going to the doctor," he said. "The risk of exposure to these viruses is extremely low in most cases."

Hepatitis is inflammation of the liver, and contagious viruses are among the causes. Sidelinger said he's confident Oregon has the technology and resources to fully eliminate the threat.

While many people may have heard of hepatitis, they may not fully understand how prevalent it is in their communities. According to OHA data, the proportion of chronic hepatitis C cases among people in their 20s tripled between 2010 and 2019.

Sidelinger said there's a good chance most Oregonians know someone who is affected by chronic hepatitis.

"It can seem out of the blue to be talking about hepatitis and [a] hepatitis awareness day, but this is a disease that affects many individuals," he said. "But the good news is, everyone can take steps to protect themselves."

The OHA says you can help prevent the spread of hepatitis by washing hands and fresh produce, staying current on vaccinations, avoiding sharing needles, and getting tested regularly. These tips and more are part of the state's plan to eliminate hepatitis by 2030.


get more stories like this via email

CoveredCA announced Wednesday that the average premium for plans on the marketplace will rise 7.9% in 2025, but subsidies are expected to blunt the impact and even lower costs for many consumers.

The Biden-Harris administration's Inflation Reduction Act caps premiums at 8.5% of income for many, and goes even further for those with low incomes.

Rachel Linn Gish, director of communications for the nonprofit Health Access California, said the state has put the federal funds to good use.

"Because of this financial help," she said, "California has been able to take even further steps to lower costs for many CoveredCA enrollees by eliminating deductibles and reducing copays for many health services such as doctors' visits, lab work, generic drugs."

However, the enhanced premium subsidies in the IRA will expire next year, sending costs soaring unless Congress extends them. If not, Gish said, she expects premiums to rise 60% to 80%, costing thousands more per year. Opponents of the extension have cited the need to limit federal spending.

Gish said if the federal premium help ends, people could start seeing much higher deductibles.

"Without the federal assistance, California stands to lose $1.7 billion in assistance, which the state can only backfill a fraction of," she said, "which means consumers could again see deductibles of $5,000 or more."

Other big changes are on the way. Starting Nov. 1, about 40,000 income-eligible DACA recipients in California will be able to apply for premium subsidies through Covered California.