More than two years in, just who has benefited from the Affordable Care Act's exchanges and Medicaid expansion? The New York Times takes a look at the numbers. The opioid crisis has left sickle cell patients understandably frustrated. Suicide rates are up for teen girls. And, Side Effects' Upstate New York reporter Michelle Faust takes us inside foster kids' health care.
Immigrants, Unemployed Gained Most In ACA Exchanges' First Year
The New York Times crunched the numbers on 2014 new health insurance enrollment to find that some of society's most vulnerable saw the biggest increases in coverage come out of the health law. Did states' decision to expand Medicaid - or not - make a difference? Yup. Read the report
Specialized Professionals Needed To Keep Foster Kids Healthy
Foster parents may be the best therapy for kids in the system, but they still need professional help when it comes to their complex health needs. Side Effects reporter Michelle Faust reportsfrom a pediatric practice in Rochester, NY that's specially tailored to foster children. And what happens when they age out of care? Michelle's got a story about that too.
Did The Flu Kill Prince? We Don't Know For Sure, But It's Possible
Representatives for Prince say no information on the cause of the singer's death will be released before the full autopsy results are in. But he did cancel two shows earlier this month due to the flu. Influenza rarely kills people in middle age (Prince was 57), but it can happen. STAT News spoke with three leading flu experts.
When Cracking Down On Opioids Means Tougher Access For Sickle Cell Patients
People with sickle cell anemia aren't a high risk group for opioid addiction. Yet sickle cell patients say they have a hard time getting pain meds when they show up at the hospital in a crisis. St. Louis Public Radio has more.
Suicide Rates Climb, Especially For Adolescent Girls
According to a CDC report out today, girls ages 10 through 14 have seen the biggest increase in suicides over the past fifteen years of any age group in the US. Reluctance of physicians to prescribe antidepressants and early puberty could be among the causes. NPR reports.
