Axios

Democratic lawmakers on Thursday introduced legislation that would require employers to provide at least seven days of paid time off following a pregnancy loss.

Why it matters: Miscarriages are common, occurring in an estimated 10% to 20% of known pregnancies. While more employers are offering paid leave following a pregnancy loss, there's no national paid leave program.

The Biden administration is ramping up efforts to harden defenses around the U.S. health care infrastructure, releasing an updated cyber "toolkit" to help the sector better defend against hackers.

Why it matters: Health care is a high-value, target-rich industry facing increasing attacks, and the problem is increasingly being recognized as a threat to patient safety when providers are forced to divert or shut down care.

As health care costs continue to rise, more than half of working-age Americans said they've struggled to afford care this year, according to a new Commonwealth Fund survey.

Why it matters: The survey is the latest evidence of how people with insurance are struggling to pay medical bills, forcing them to forgo or delay needed care.

Staffing shortages, more dangerous workplaces, aging physicians and the increasing politicization of medicine: The warning signs for America's burned-out health care workforce are all there.

Why it matters: A strained health care system may be heading in a dangerous direction in the pandemic's aftermath, according to new data points and a blunt warning from the head of the nation's leading medical association.

As pharmacists attempt to pivot from pill-dispensing and administrative tasks to patient care, robots and AI software are starting to shoulder more of the back-end work — albeit slowly.

Why it matters: Recent pharmacist walkouts — which could go nationwide next week — point to the profession's high level of burnout and overwork, which automation and "smarter" computer systems could help offset.

Giving a thoughtful compliment does more good than we realize.

• Why it matters: A compliment can have a larger impact on the recipient than anticipated, psychologist Erica Boothby writes, based on her research.

Menopause support may become a more common workplace benefit as impacted women become a larger part of the labor force.

State of play: According to an August survey of HR policies by benefits consultant NFP, only 4% of respondents that offer sick leave currently provide some kind of aid for menopause, such as access to hormone therapy and counseling.

Health care workers' reports of harassment on the job more than doubled in 2022 compared to before the pandemic, a new federal report found.

The big picture: Health care organizations should take immediate steps to protect their workers' mental health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials said Tuesday.

At the same time the fall of Roe v. Wade has fueled an interest in expanding contraception access, OB-GYNs say they have seen a wave of patients quitting hormonal birth control for more "natural" options.

Why it matters: The turn against effective forms of birth control raises concern about increased risks for unplanned pregnancies when abortion is being severely limited or banned across much of the U.S.