For the first time in 20 years, Congress did not reauthorize the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), a global initiative started under former President George W. Bush to help combat the global HIV epidemic. PEPFAR reauthorization, which is typically reapproved every five years, was left out of appropriations legislation that passed this past September, and its absence meant that parts of the PEPFAR program expired on Sept. 30. Democrats, including the Biden administration, were largely opposed to the lack of reapproved funding. “The fact that Congress did not reauthorize the program sends a message to partners around the…

U.S. consumer advocates could be moving to limit the use of gas stoves in Americans’ homes in order to protect children’s health. This winter, members of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) began floating ways to stop indoor use of gas stoves, citing research linking them with an increased risk of childhood asthma. For example, the CPSC pointed to a study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health that said gas stoves are responsible for 12.7% of childhood asthma cases in the U.S. “When gas stoves are turned on and burning at a hot temperature,…

In mid-March, the Senate made a rare move to swiftly enact bipartisan legislation. The goal: making sure most Americans would no longer need to change their clocks twice a year by making daylight saving time permanent. The Sunshine Protection Act (S. 623) passed the Senate by voice vote but still needs to pass the House. If it becomes law, the bill would make the time change permanent in November 2023 in order to accommodate segments of the transportation industry that already have schedules set through then. Currently daylight saving time, where clocks are set an hour ahead of standard time,…

As COVID-19 began to surge again in late summer, so did the debate about mask mandates. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) relaxed its mask guidance in the spring when COVID numbers began to decline amid rising vaccinations. However, the agency reinstated recommendations for individuals, both unvaccinated and vaccinated, to wear masks indoors as cases began to rise again in July as the delta variant spread. The CDC’s guidance amplified the division among Americans about whether the government should be able to dictate safety precautions such as masks. The debate rang loud in Congress, where Attending Physician…

As the world continued to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic in the early months of 2021, U.S. health officials released guidance designed to help students get back into classrooms for in-person instruction. However, many opponents still argue that schools should stay closed until there is less chance of community spread of the virus or until all teachers have been vaccinated. In the guidance, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stated that schools in all areas, regardless of the current risk of COVID-19 infection, should require the use of masks, physical distancing of at least 6 feet as…

The Biden administration took steps in February to rescind one of its predecessor’s most controversial health care policies — Medicaid work requirements. Under the Trump administration, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) allowed states to apply for waivers that would require Medicaid enrollees to work, apply for jobs or take classes, typically for about 80 hours a month. The requirements were touted as a way to encourage heathy people to work and, thus, increase their standard of living. The Trump administration also said the requirements would keep Medicaid financially viable. Opponents, however, said the work requirements were unlawful…

As the U.S. continues to battle the coronavirus pandemic, there have been growing concerns about surprise medical bills, the unexpected charges that patients receive after unscheduled or emergency out-of-network medical services. An August 2019 study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that the percentage of emergency room visits with surprise bills jumped 10% between 2010 and 2016, while the number of inpatient admissions that resulted in surprise bills rose nearly 16%. The cost of those bills has also increased, often leading to significant financial strain on patients. Twenty-eight states have enacted consumer protections against surprise medical billing,…