Biological age is a better health indicator than the number of years you’ve lived, but it’s tricky to measure
Despite the incredible success of the COVID vaccines, and other public health efforts to bring outbreaks largely under control, the pandemic isn’t yet past tense. We are, however, moving out of the emergency response phase.
HOW TO KEEP MEDICAID APPLE HEALTH INSURANCE AS POLICIES CHANGE
Thousands of people who have health insurance through Medicaid (also known as Apple Health, in Washington) risk losing coverage in coming months. The good news: There are options for people to keep health insurance coverage – if they act in time.
Seattle group reports TB vaccine advance
Temperature-stable TB vaccine is safe and provokes immune response By Brian Doctrow, Ph.D., National Institutes of Health. An experimental tuberculosis vaccine that can be stored at room temperature was safe and provoked an immune response in a Phase 1 clinical…
AI chatbots are still far from replacing human therapists
Automated chatbots can be beneficial to people who may need immediate help, but they are not meant to replace traditional therapy
Is menopause making me put on weight? No, but it’s complicated
When it comes to menopause and weight, it’s weight redistribution – not weight gain – that is actually a symptom. Research has confirmed menopause is linked to an increase in belly fat but not an increase in overall weight.
Pregnancy nose isn’t the only weird change your body may go through when you’re expecting
There are certain changes people expect to experience when they get pregnant. Whether that’s unconventional food cravings, a “glowing” complexion or morning sickness. But some of the changes the body goes through during pregnancy can be a tad more unconventional.
How do you make a universal flu vaccine?
University of Washington School of Medicine microbiologist Deborah Fuller explains the challenges, and how mRNA could offer a promising solution
Texas Abortion Ruling Nears, But Blue States Aren’t Waiting to Protect Pill Access
A federal judge in Texas soon could make one of the two pills used in medication abortions harder to come by, even in blue states that support abortion rights. Officials and advocates in those states aren’t waiting for the judge to rule. They’re trying to ensure continued access to the drugs that a growing number of Americans are using to end their pregnancies at home.
Springing forward into daylight saving time is a step back for health – a neurologist explains the medical evidence, and why this shift is worse than the fall time change
Researchers are discovering that “springing ahead” each March is connected with serious negative health effects, including an uptick in heart attacks and teen sleep deprivation.
Sexual and reproductive telehealth services now available in Washington state.
Available telehealth services include birth control refills, pregnancy options counseling, emergency contraceptives, and screenings for sexually transmitted infections.
Struggling to Survive, the First Rural Hospitals Line Up for New Federal Lifeline
Facilities that convert to Rural Emergency Hospital status will get a 5% increase in Medicare payments as well as an average annual facility fee payment of about $3.2 million in exchange for giving up their expensive inpatient beds and focusing solely on emergency and outpatient care. Rural hospitals with no more than 50 beds that closed after the law passed on Dec. 27, 2020, are eligible to apply for the new payment model if they reopen.
Eli Lilly is cutting insulin prices and capping copays at $35 – 5 questions answered
High insulin prices have not earned any U.S. manufacturer many friends, with list prices increasing 54% from 2014 to 2019. Most troublingly, an estimated 1.3 million uninsured people with diabetes and patients with inadequate insurance have resorted to rationing their insulin. Skipping doses because of high insulin prices has sometimes had tragic and even deadly consequences.But growing competition has shaken up the insulin market in recent years.
Where are we at in King County with COVID-19?
A conversation with Seattle King County-Public Health’s Dr. Jeff Duchin, the county’s health officier and chief of Communicable Disease Epidemiology & Immunization Section.
Masking requirements in healthcare, long-term care, and correctional facilities to end April 3 in Washington state.
DOH infection prevention and control guidance continues to recommend masks for patients, healthcare providers, and visitors in healthcare settings. Licensed healthcare facilities are required to have infection prevention policies and programs consistent with CDC guidance.