You may have heard of faces on Mars, but get ready for the bears on Mars! Last month, a NASA orbiter spotted what looks like a cartoon bear face on the surface of Mars. .
Today, on the health front, the Biden administration has taken another step to improve access to contraception, proposing to remove certain exemptions enacted by Trump’s White House.
Welcome to The Hill’s Health Care RoundupFollow the latest developments in policy and news that affect your health. Nathaniel Weisel and Joseph Choi.
White House moves to ease access to contraception
The Biden administration has proposed broadening contraceptive coverage, including removing the moral exemption finalized under the Trump administration that made it easier for private health plans and insurance companies to opt out of contraception.
The proposal, announced Monday by the Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS), Treasury and Labor, removes moral exemptions but maintains existing religious exemptions. Below, organizations that “have a bona fide religious conviction” to provide contraceptives are not required to do so.
- Employers are not required to notify HHS of moral complaints. Agencies said far more employers had religious objections than moral ones. About 18 employers have claimed exemptions and about 15 employees are affected.
- and establish a new and independent channel for individuals with religious employer-provided plans or insurance to obtain free and direct contraceptive services from their preferred provider or facility that provides contraceptive services. It will also be
HHS Strategy: Speaking to reporters on Monday, Becerra emphasized that the Biden administration is acting “within the law.”
- “The actions we have taken are consistent with the law to ensure that the right of all Americans to access essential health care is protected, while at the same time protecting religious liberty,” Becerra said. Told.
- “If you can show that you have done this in a very researched way, then I can be sure that you have done it right. People with a psyche will see this and say it makes sense,” Becerra said of the timing of this rule.
Please check this out for details.
Biden to end coronavirus public health emergency in May
The Biden administration announced Monday that the COVID-19 public health emergency, which has been in place since January 2020, is scheduled to end on May 11.
“The COVID-19 national emergency and public health emergency (PHE) were declared by the Trump administration in 2020 and are currently set to expire on March 1 and April 11, respectively. At this time, the administration’s plan is to extend the state of emergency until May 11, ending both emergencies on that date,” the Office of Management and Budget said in a statement.
Since it was first declared by former Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar on January 31, 2020, the country’s PHE has been renewed 12 times under two different administrations. The latest update he was declared on January 11th.
Please check this out for details.
RNC Urges Candidates to ‘Take Attack’ Against Abortion
The Republican National Committee (RNC) campaigned against abortion by urging all Republican candidates and lawmakers to “start the attack” in the 2024 election cycle and pass the strictest anti-abortion laws possible. We are doubling our attitude.
In a resolution passed Friday during the Winter Meetings, the committee called on Republicans to pass a law “allowing the experience of heartbeat and fetal pain.” Words like these have been used to pass the “Heartbeat” bill, which bans abortions six weeks before many people realize they are pregnant.
Campaign fodder: Following the Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v. Wade in June, Democrats made abortion a major issue in the midterm elections, winning a majority in the Senate and a majority in the House for the GOP.
While Republicans focused primarily on three-pronged messages to combat rising inflation, crime, and the flow of immigrants across the southern border, exit polls showed that abortion was a priority for voters at the ballot box. It was shown to be a top priority.
- The RNC resolution passed shortly after Ronna McDaniel won a fourth term as chairman, accusing the Republican candidate of failing to take advantage of the Supreme Court’s ruling and calling the well-funded opposition “extremist.” misleading and defaming professional Republican candidates while hiding ”
- “Polls consistently show that a majority of Americans support national, state, and local restrictions on abortion, and that there are no restrictions on gestational age, suspect classification, or other neutral statutes. Only a small minority supports the Democratic Party’s position, which is not restricted by character,” the resolution said.
Please check this out for details.
Surgeon General: 13-Year-Old Too Young to Join Social Media
Public Health Director Vivek Murthy on Sunday warned that despite many app guidelines, 13-year-olds are too young to participate in social media.
“What is the appropriate age for my child to start using social media? I am concerned that 13 years old will technically allow my child to use social media, given the platform’s guidelines. However, I have two concerns about it: First, I personally believe that 13 is too early, based on the data I’ve seen.
Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and other major social media platforms allow users 13 and older to join, create their own profile, and share and consume content.
“In early adolescence, children are developing their own identities and egos. , and the distorted and often distorted environment of social media often penalizes these children,” said the surgeon. the general insisted.
Please check this out for details.
COVID among the top 10 causes of death for children in the US: A survey
COVID-19 will be the eighth leading cause of death among children and adolescents in the United States between August 2021 and July 2022, accounting for 2% of deaths among children ages 0-19, according to a new study. occupies.
During the same period, COVID-19 was the leading cause of death from infectious or respiratory disease in children, but Delta and Omicrons had the highest number of deaths in this age group.
Findings are based on information gathered from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Widespread Online Data for Epidemiological Studies (WONDER) database.
“Many of the 82 million American children and adolescents were infected during the great Delta and Omicron waves, resulting in more than 1,300 children and adolescents dying from COVID-19 during the pandemic. has been for the past two years,” said lead study author Seth Flaxman, associate professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Oxford.
Please check this out for details.
WHO maintains COVID alert status but sees ‘transition point’
The World Health Organization (WHO) has determined that the COVID-19 pandemic remains a “public health emergency of international concern”, but acknowledges that the outbreak has reached a “transition point”. increase.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Monday delivered findings from a recent report prepared by the International Health Regulations (IHR) Emergency Committee.
- The WHO Director-General agreed with the advice provided by the Commission regarding the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and determined that the event continues to constitute a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).
- “The Director-General acknowledged the Commission’s view that the COVID-19 pandemic is probably at a point of transition, and appreciated the Commission’s advice on navigating this transition carefully and mitigating its potential adverse impacts. I have.”
3 years later: As noted in the WHO statement, this assessment was made in the week marking the third anniversary of the COVID-19 pandemic, which was first declared a public health emergency by the organization.
First adopted in 2005, the IHR criteria declare PHEIC by WHO when two out of four criteria are met. International reach and where there is a risk of restrictions on international trade and travel.
Please check this out for details.
what we are reading
- ‘Everyone has blood on their hands’: Decade-long battle over Medicare Advantage audit culminates (Stat)
- Babies spent 36 days in the in-network NICU. Why did the hospital next door send me the bill? (Kaiser Health News)
- Rep. Nancy Mace warns her party to adopt more ‘middle-of-the-road’ abortion agenda or lose female voters (The 19th News)
by state
- Utah bans gender-affirming care for trans minors (Axios)
- Hearing of lawsuit filed by former vaccine chief against Tennessee Department of Health (Tennessee Lookout)
- More and more Wisconsins say health care isn’t affordable (TMJ4)
The Hill Editorial
Vaccinations at pharmacies are effective: may run out quickly
That’s all for today, thanks for reading. For the latest news and coverage, visit The Hill’s Health Care page. see you tomorrow.
