Deaths caused by alcohol increased 26% during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Friday shows.
The big picture: That’s the highest rate recorded in at least 40 years, the study’s lead author, Merianne Spencer, said per AP.
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.
