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Thursday, March 28, 2024

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Pulling back the curtains on wage-theft enforcement in MN; Trump's latest attack is on RFK, Jr; NM LGBTQ+ equality group endorses 2024 'Rock Star' candidates; Michigan's youth justice reforms: Expanded diversion, no fees.

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Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says rebuilding Baltimore's Key Bridge will be challenging and expensive. An Alabama Democrat flips a state legislature seat and former Connecticut senator Joe Lieberman dies at 82.

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Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

WV: Health

An estimated 16% of coal workers are affected by black lung disease and after decades of improvement, the number of cases of the disease is on the rise again, according to the American Lung Association. (Adobe Stock).<br />

Wednesday, March 27, 2024

Black Lung cases rise, as federal benefits stagnate

The benefit payments miners sick with black lung disease receive are not keeping pace with the cost of living, a new analysis showed. Current …

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Federal data show millions of people live in counties lacking adequate air monitoring, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council. (Adobe Stock)<br />
WV bill threatens community air monitoring efforts

After West Virginia House lawmakers advanced a bill to ban residents from using citizen air monitoring data in lawsuits, community groups said they …

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In 2023, more than 3 million children nationwide lost their Medicaid health coverage, according to data from the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families. (Adobe Stock)
Concern grows over WV kids losing Medicaid coverage

The federal government has warned nine states about an alarming number of children losing Medicaid health coverage, and West Virginia officials say …

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According to the Pew Charitable Trusts, more than 400,000 people nationwide received methadone as part of their addiction treatment in 2019. (Adobe Stock)
Methadone prescription bill could ease restrictions for West Virginians

Senate lawmakers are soon expected to vote on the Modernizing Opioid Treatment Access Act, legislation introduced this year by Republican Sen…

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According to the group West Virginians for Affordable Healthcare, around 30% of  West Virginia residents have medical debt in collections. (Adobe Stock)<br />
WV could lose hundreds of millions in Medicaid funding

Since West Virginia's Medicaid eligibility review began this spring, around 100,000 residents have been kicked off the rolls. Experts have said many …

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Exposure to videos and photos on social media can lead to eating disorders among teen and adolescent girls, as well as serious mental health issues, including suicidal behavior, according to researchers at Havard University's T.H. Chan School of Public Health. (Adobe Stock)
Federal legislation aims to protect kids from social media harms

Pressure is mounting on lawmakers to hold social media companies accountable for algorithms and other practices linked to eating disorders, …

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As of March 2023, 65,748,297 people are enrolled in Medicare nationwide, according to the Center for Medicare Advocacy. (Adobe Stock)<br />
WV residents can get help navigating Medicare open enrollment

With just a few weeks left until the end of Medicare open enrollment, experts in West Virginia say now is the time to compare current coverage to …

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Private insurance companies deny more than 248 million claims or pre-authorization requests from their policyholders annually. (Adobe Stock)<br />
Concern mounts over denied claims by health insurers, impact on West Virginians

Congressional Democrats are investigating Medicaid prior authorization practices and denied claims by private health insurers. According to a …

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Declining college enrollment, increased burnout, an aging workforce with fewer people entering health care fields overall, and the pandemic have all contributed to serious hospital staffing shortages nationwide. (Adobe Stock)<br />
Rural regions bear brunt of nation’s nurse workforce crisis

In rural communities, severe staffing shortages have increased hospital wait times and worsened quality of care. According to the latest report by …

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A national coalition of more than 130 organizations recently released a roadmap for lawmakers and public health officials for distribution of more than $50 billion in opioid settlement funds.(Adobe Stock)<br />
WV Communities Map Path for Opioid Settlement Funds

This week, Gov. Jim Justice announced five new appointments to the West Virginia First Foundation, the private foundation responsible for the …

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In 2021, the maternal mortality rate for Black women was 69.9 deaths per 100,000 live births, 2.6 times the rate for non-Hispanic white women, according to the CDC. (Adobe Stock)<br /><br />
WV Sees 'Alarming' Black Infant, Maternal Mortality Rates

In West Virginia, babies of Black mothers are dying at higher rates in childbirth compared to white infants - and experts say the lack of access to …

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With millions of Americans expected to lose Medicaid coverage as states undertake reviews of benefit eligibility following the end of COVID-19 pandemic-related protections. (Adobe Stock)
WV's Medicaid Renewal Rate Near 60%

Advocacy groups in West Virginia are working to raise awareness about the end of COVID-19 pandemic-related protections that have triggered a new revie…

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