The Centers for Disease Control on Friday recommended for the first time that expectant mothers immunize their infants against respiratory syncytial virus with a Pfizer vaccine late in their pregnancies.
Why it matters: The shot provides another option against the virus, which is the second leading cause of death worldwide during the first year of a child's life.
Bernie Sanders on Thursday won a bipartisan stamp of approval on a plan he co-authored to boost funding for community health centers and expand primary care. But big hurdles remain in the Senate and beyond.
Driving the news: The Senate health committee that Sanders (I-Vt.) chairs passed the bill he drafted with Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kansas) in a 14-7 vote, with Marshall and two other Republicans joining all of the panel's Democrats in favor.
A half-million people who improperly lost Medicaid coverage as states review eligibility will have their insurance restored, federal officials said Thursday.
Why it matters: The Biden administration weeks ago warned that some states were improperly vetting whether some people still qualified for Medicaid as they redetermined eligibility for the first time since the pandemic. Thursday's announcement made clear the extent of the problem.
Your doctor or therapist might not be the only one listening in during your next visit. Artificial intelligence may be tuning in as well.
Why it matters: Health care is racing to incorporate generative AI and natural language processing to help wrangle patient information, provide reliable care summaries and flag health risks. But the efforts come with quality and privacy concerns that people developing these tools acknowledge.
The Federal Trade Commission on Thursday filed suit against private equity firm Welsh Carson Anderson & Stowe (WCAS), accusing it of suppressing competition and driving up prices for anesthesiology services in Texas.
Why it matters: This could be the tip of an antitrust spear aimed at private equity, after decades of avoidance.
The country's worseningmaternal health crisis is driving interest in supporting doula care as other parts of the health system caring for pregnant patients face greater strain.
Why it matters: New community-based programs, investments by big national companies and new legislation indicate a broader recognition that doulas and the support services they provide could play a greater role in making pregnancy less dangerous, particularly for women of color.
A 96-year-old federal appeals court judge was suspended from hearing cases on Wednesday after she refused to comply with an order to undergo neurological tests over concerns that she's not mentally fit to serve on the bench.
The big picture: The Judicial Council's unanimous order to suspend D.C. Judge Pauline Newman for one year comes as the issue of age and capacity to serve has come to the fore in all three branches of government in recent weeks, with calls for imposing age limits and giving older politicians mental competency tests.
