The Florida Board of Medicine on Friday finalized a rule that will prohibit health providers in the state from offering gender-affirming care for transgender youth under the age of 18.
Why it matters: It's the first time that a state medical board — government bodies that regulate the practice of medicine in a state — pursues such a rule.
Democrats won a consolation prize this week when Medicare administrators added limited dental benefits to next year's coverage, nodding to a priority that got axed in negotiations over the Inflation Reduction Act.
Why it matters: The regulatory change could save some seniors money on dental care in specific situations, but leaves those enrolled in traditional fee-for-service Medicare without coverage in most circumstances.
Medical boards appointed by governors in some red states may be opening a new front in the ongoing political battle over government restrictions on gender-affirming care.
Driving the news: The Florida Board of Medicine today is set to ban puberty blockers, hormone therapy and surgeries for trans minors in the first such action of its kind.
The dangers posed by growing outbreaks of opportunistic fungi that kill 1.6 million people globally every year require new drugs, diagnostics and surveillance programs, a CDC scientist tells Axios.
Driving the news: The pandemic accelerated the rise of drug-resistant fungi in health care settings, and global warming has expanded the range of fungi growth in certain areas — problems flagged by the WHO, which released its first-ever list of dangerous fungi last week.
Some House Republicans aren't waiting for the election to think about overhauling Medicare. But it's hard to tell if there are specifics behind the talking point.
Why it matters: Past GOP attempts to cut Medicare landed with a thud, and Democrats in recent weeks have been hammering on the message that Republicans are intent on gutting the program.
Undocumented farmworkers in the U.S.face critical barriers to emergency health care during and after disasters, multiple organizations tell Axios.
The big picture: As climate change makes wildfiresmore frequent and heatwaves hotter and rapidly strengthens hurricanesacross the U.S., lack of health care access is a worsening crisis for the backbone of America’s agricultural workforce.
The Biden administration needs to crack down on deceptive Medicare Advantage marketing, Democratic staff for the Senate Finance Committee wrote in a report released Thursday.
Why it matters: Medicare Advantage is on track to capture more than half of the Medicare market by next year. As the program grows, misleading marketing practices undermine enrollees' trust in the program.
