Health
How abortion bans are undercutting efforts to prevent domestic violence, including in Idaho
This story was originally published by The 19th on Nov. 13, 2023. As more abortion bans have gone into effect across the country, it has become far more difficult to perform a standard element of gynecological care: screening patients for domestic abuse. Research shows that OB-GYNs are often the first or only doctors to learn […]
Thousands of Idahoans removed from Medicaid through disenrollment process are getting back on
About 13,000 Idahoans removed from Medicaid for not replying to the state’s request for information after pandemic-era protections lapsed have gotten back on the program, an official announced Tuesday. Idaho health officials in August finished reviewing the eligibility of 153,000 people they flagged as likely ineligible for Medicaid, either for not replying to the state’s […]
Ex-Idaho governor candidate Ammon Bundy issued new $250K bond arrest warrant
Former Idaho gubernatorial candidate Ammon Bundy — who was arrested in August on contempt of court charges — has a new warrant out for his arrest after skipping the first day of his court trial. The trial, set to start Monday, would have focused on contempt of court charges requested by private attorneys representing St. […]
Idaho legislators look to next steps for tough-to-regulate nonprofit health data service
Idaho’s bankrupt Health Data Exchange was difficult to regulate because of how the state created and managed it, a watchdog report released last week found. Idaho legislators on the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee on Friday asked the watchdog evaluators whether the exchange could be shut down, whether Idaho’s health information stored on the privately-ran but publicly […]
VA reports major uptick in veterans’ care after passage of toxic exposure law
Editor’s note: Veterans experiencing a mental health crisis or suicidal thoughts should dial 988 or chat at https://988lifeline.org/. WASHINGTON — Veterans’ care in the United States set all-time records in fiscal year 2023, “shattering” the agency’s performance in previous years, in large part because of an expansion of benefits under the Biden administration, U.S. Secretary […]
Federal judge orders temporary restraining order on Idaho’s ‘abortion trafficking’ law
A U.S. District Court decided Wednesday that it would temporarily block enforcement of Idaho’s “abortion trafficking” law, which took effect in May after Idaho legislators voted on its passage during the 2023 legislative session. In the latest decision of Matsumoto v. Labrador, U.S. Magistrate Judge Debora K. Grasham granted a temporary restraining order against the […]
Idaho lawmakers evaluate how to financially respond after audit into state health department
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect that civil investigative demands for an ex-state health department official were also withdrawn. The update details the special prosecutor’s reasons. Idaho state lawmakers on the Legislature’s powerful budget committee are mulling how they’ll respond to an audit that found flaws in how the state health department […]
Abortion-rights victories cement 2024 playbook while opponents scramble for new strategy
Anti-abortion leaders woke up Wednesday to the sobering reality that abortion rights remain the nation’s predominant political issue. Decisive wins in swing and red states in two national election cycles since Roe v. Wade was overturned last year have given momentum to reproductive rights groups, who aggressively campaigned and fundraised in key states across the […]
Empowering communities: Naloxone’s role in tackling opioid overdoses in Idaho
Idaho, like many other states across the United States, is grappling with the devastating consequences of the opioid epidemic. This public health crisis has led to an alarming increase in opioid-related overdoses and emergency room visits, impacting individuals across their life span. Idaho data from 2022 indicates there were 381 deaths related to drug overdose, […]
Most Americans want health exceptions in abortion bans. Political infighting keeps blocking them.
In early October, an Idaho woman 20 weeks into her pregnancy went to the emergency room after her water broke about five months early. When the water breaks prematurely, an infection can develop and infect the fetus, placenta and other fluids. At that stage of pregnancy, the threat of infection becomes a ticking clock for […]
120,000 Idahoans have been diagnosed with diabetes. But there are state programs that can help.
Don’t feel badly if you do not realize that Nov. 14 is World Diabetes Day, or that November is National Diabetes Awareness Month. There are no fireworks, parades or party hats to mark the “celebration.” It’s more of a somber time to draw awareness about the crisis of diabetes – an epidemic long before COVID-19 […]
Federal judge hears oral arguments on gender care ban for Idaho’s trans youth
Federal Judge B. Lynn Winmill on Monday heard oral arguments for and against a preliminary injunction for House Bill 71, a bill that criminalizes gender-affirming care for youth in Idaho. The hearing was held at the James A. McClure Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in downtown Boise. Before it was signed into law in April, […]