Despite a more challenging environment, rural hospitals still are finding ways to provide critical care. That includes stroke patients, and South Dakota's medical community says keeping these facilities open is necessary in seeing better outcomes.

May is National Stroke Awareness Month, and a family physician with Avera Health in Parkston said treatment has really evolved for these patients. Dr. Jason Wickersham pointed to specialized facilities where neurologists provide new therapies that can drastically improve a person's recovery.

But he said for rural residents, local health-care centers are a key first step.

"Even in a rural facility now, I think the training is very good," said Wickersham. "The ball gets going right away. The CAT scan gets done. If they meet criteria, they'll get a clot-buster drug in our rural facilities that don't have that neuro-interventionalist right there."

He said that buys them time before a patient is transported to a regional stroke center.

But financial stress has left many rural hospitals in danger of closing. This fall, South Dakota voters will decide whether to expand Medicaid, a move supporters say would make smaller health-care operations more stable.

Despite federal incentives, some skeptics worry about costs to the state. But supporters stress the federal government covers most of those costs, and the state's share is offset by economic activity though local care.

Tony Burke - advocacy campaign Manager for the American Heart Association of South Dakota - said having previously worked as a first responder, he knows timing is critical after a stroke.

"Whether it's a few minutes or a few seconds," said Burke, "it really does matter because the longer a person is in a stroke, the more damage there's going to be to the brain. So, it's critically important to have those resources close and local so that they can get access to the best possible care."

The Association feels that with financial relief, that first line of defense stands a greater chance being there for stroke patients. And Wickersham said keeping it local means maintaining a sense of trust through follow-up care.

"Sometimes those patients need some fairly intensive physical therapy, occupational therapy, maybe speech therapy," said Wickersham. "So, a lot of our rural facilities are set up with those services."

The Heart Association says stroke is the leading cause of preventable disability in the U.S.

After more than 50 years of use, some Michigan lawmakers say naloxone may not be the best choice in an overdose situation.

Naloxone is sometimes called the "Lazarus drug" because of its powerful ability to seemingly resurrect people after a drug overdose.

Sen. Kevin Hertel, D-St. Clair Shores, and some of his colleagues have introduced a bill which would open the door for what they say are more costly, but more powerful, antidotes.

"Given the prevalence of fentanyl in our communities, and how much stronger some of these drugs that we're now seeing are, we believe -- and in talking with others -- that there should be other tools to respond to an overdose," Hertel explained. "To make sure we're doing everything we can to save somebody's life."

Not everyone is on board with the proposed legislation, Senate Bill 542. Opponents argued the more expensive naloxone alternatives are not necessary, and using them would only increase profits for the pharmaceutical industry.

Jonathan Stoltman, director of the Opioid Policy Institute in Grand Rapids, said while the naloxone alternatives do help in overdose situations, they can also cause nasty side effects.

"The newer approaches, they put people into more severe withdrawal," Stoltman pointed out. "That's a pretty profound negative side effect. The one approach is very inexpensive and works great; the other approach is far more expensive and has this strong negative side effect."

Sponsors of the bill say they're hoping to give Michigan residents a chance to chime in on the issue in a public hearing sometime in June. Michigan saw more than 3,000 opioid overdose deaths in 2021.


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New Mexico saw record enrollment numbers for the Affordable Care Act this year and is now setting its sights on lowering out-of-pocket costs - those not reimbursed by insurance. More than 56,000 New Mexicans are enrolled in a medical health insurance plan on the state exchange - an increase of 12,000 people overall.

Colin Baillio, deputy superintendent with the state's Office of Insurance, said the state has boosted its outreach and made efforts to improve the overall consumer experience.

"We saw a 40% year-over-year increase, and New Mexico saw the biggest percentage increase during the open-enrollment period among all of the state-based marketplaces," he explained

Part of the enrollment increase is due to what's called the "unwinding" - a federal directive that required all states to redetermine Medicaid eligibility following a three-year pause on checks during the COVID pandemic. He said by using expanded tools made available by the federal and state government, 8% of New Mexico's population is now uninsured - down from 23% in 2010.

Following approval by lawmakers in the 2024 legislative session, the New Mexico governor signed seven health care-related bills into law - one of which requires annual reporting of prescription drug pricing. Baililo said the Affordable Care Act built the foundation that has allowed the state to pursue additional affordability initiatives.

"I'm really glad to see that there's so much interest in the next step of health reform, really leaning into these out-of-pocket cost issues and making it easier for people to afford to stay covered and see their doctors," he continued.

Two years ago, the state also passed a one-of-a-kind law that did away with behavioral health co-pays for people in certain insurance plans.

New York's medical aid-in-dying bill is gaining further support. The Medical Society of the State of New York is supporting the bill. New York's bill allows terminally ill people with only six months to live to use this option, with safeguards requiring two physicians' approval.

The bill's Assembly sponsor Amy Paulin, D-Westchester, said despite the growing support, other hurdles lie ahead.

"Now we have what I believe, if it came to the floor, a majority. There's still a hesitation on the part of leadership. You know, we need members to assure leadership that they no longer have reservations," she said.

Other newly resolved concerns center on making sure insurance companies and doctors who don't support this aren't held liable. She's optimistic the bill will pass after nine years in the Legislature. New York would be the 11th state along with Washington, D.C. to have medical aid in dying legislation.

Corinne Carey, senior New York campaign director with Compassion and Choices finds the pandemic drew a vivid picture of a person's end-of-life experience. There were images of people dying on ventilators, apart from loved ones, and unable to communicate. She said people began thinking about a "good death."

"And, what is a good death is being surrounded by loved ones, having some measure of control, experiencing the touch of your loved ones, and being the one in the driver's seat," she explained.

Now people have different options for end-of-life care, each of which presents various challenges. Polls show medical aid in dying has garnered considerable support since being introduced in 2015. A 2022 Compassion and Choices poll finds 57% of nurses support medical aid in dying professionally, although fewer support it personally.