Tracking State Rural Health Transformation Plans
吃瓜不打烊 is working to collect and post approved plans as more states respond to emails and public records requests for their documents.
North Carolina
1 - 20 of 271 Results
-
-
Insurers Hedge on Trump-Backed Pledge To Improve Denials Process
Last year, the Trump administration announced a voluntary pledge by dozens of insurers to improve prior authorization, which often requires patients to seek approval before treatments. But prior authorization remains commonplace, and there's no evidence the government is trying to hold insurers to account.
By Lauren Sausser and Renuka Rayasam -
Lawmakers Look To Make Abortion Shield Laws Less Dependent on Who鈥檚 Governor
California鈥檚 laws still leave extradition decisions related to reproductive rights and gender-affirming care to its governor. But as states with abortion bans target California physicians who prescribe abortion pills across state lines, Democrats want to lock in protections for doctors, no matter who the next governor is.
-
As GOP Cries Fraud, Newsom Backs Medicaid Spending on Housing and Food
Republicans say California鈥檚 use of Medicaid money for social services amounts to waste, fraud, and abuse. But even as Gov. Gavin Newsom voices concern about losing funding, he says he鈥檚 proud of the state鈥檚 holistic approach to caring for its sickest and most expensive patients.
By Angela Hart -
They Harvest the Nation鈥檚 Food, but a New Rule May Strip Them of Health Insurance
New Medicaid work requirements could make a complex system even harder for farmworkers to navigate.
By Paula Andalo -
Thousands of Medicare Beneficiaries Thought Their Drug Plan Was Free. Then They Lost It.
Thousands of people who had a Medicare drug plan with zero-dollar premiums last year got small premium increases this year 鈥 and didn鈥檛 know it. They were dropped from their coverage for failing to pay amounts as little as $8, and most can鈥檛 get it again until 2027.
By Susan Jaffe -
These Church Members Disagree on Politics. Together They鈥檙e Wiping Out Medical Debt.
Trinity Moravian Church, a politically diverse congregation in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, has been raising money to retire medical debt in the surrounding community.
-
They鈥檙e Uninsured After Obamacare Became Too Costly. And They鈥檙e Far From Alone.
After congressional Republicans let expanded subsidies for Affordable Care Act plans expire at the end of last year, some families have decided the price is too great of a financial burden and canceled their coverage.
By Andrew Jones -
Trivia Nights, Valentine鈥檚 Cards: Overlooked Social Connections Can Prevent Suicide
The research is clear: Among the various complex issues that contribute to suicide, loneliness is a big one. Now, there鈥檚 a growing push to address loneliness not just through personal choices but also through public policy.
-
Telehealth Booms as Demand for GLP-1s Surges and Questions Mount About Safety, Oversight
Many telehealth companies have emerged in recent years offering easy access to GLP-1 weight loss drugs as demand has exploded. Meanwhile, researchers and doctors are concerned that some of these online companies aren't properly screening or monitoring patients. 鈥淚t gives a black eye to telemedicine,鈥 one researcher said.
By Lauren Sausser and Maia Rosenfeld -
Baffling. Frustrating. Frightening. What It鈥檚 Like To Be Sued Over Medical Debt.
Patients鈥 experiences encapsulate breakdowns in a healthcare system that traps patients in debt. The industry鈥檚 key players blame one another.
-
Trump鈥檚 $50B Rural Health Bet Meets a Healthcare Desert in North Carolina
Republicans promise that $50 billion in new health funding will help rural America. But it鈥檚 not expected to aid the years-long effort in North Carolina鈥檚 Martin County to reopen its only hospital.
By Sarah Jane Tribble and Amanda Seitz -
Trump Demands Medicaid Data for Deportation. Some States Go a Step Further.
Several states have required their health agencies to take on another job: verifying immigration status among Medicaid recipients and reporting them to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. North Carolina is the latest to pass such a law, and experts expect more to follow.
By Andrew Jones -
License To Deliver: Some Midwives Break the Law To Assist With Home Births
Some states bar professional midwives from attending home births if they don鈥檛 have a nursing license. Their advocates say laws to allow midwife licensing would make home birth safer and more accessible, plus help address a maternity care shortage.
By Lisa Rab -
When Natural Disasters Strike, Another Crisis Hits Those Recovering From Opioid Addiction
Using Hurricane Helene as a teachable moment, a group of doctors outlined concrete steps that lawmakers can take to reverse a crisis in getting substance use medications during natural disasters.
By Andrew Jones -
An Urgent Care Treated Her Allergic Reaction. An ER Monitored Her 鈥 For $6,700.
A bug bite and an allergic reaction ultimately sent a North Carolina woman to the emergency room, where she had a couple of brief chats with a doctor and a dose of medicine. Now she questions why the charges were so high.
By Andrew Jones -
Tax Time Brings Surprises for Some Who Receive ACA Subsidies
Some people find they owe money back for subsidies if their income changed from what they estimated. In 2026, more people may find themselves in this situation 鈥 and face higher repayment amounts 鈥 if they don鈥檛 carefully track their income.
By Julie Appleby and Andrew Jones -
State-Run Insurance Plans for Foster Kids Leave Some of Them Without Doctors
North Carolina rolled out a $3.1 billion insurance plan for kids in foster care, but many doctors did not accept patients on the plan. The state is one of several experimenting with a model that has left kids鈥 guardians scrambling to find health care providers.
By Andrew Jones -
Lawmakers, Health Groups Resist Their States鈥 Rural Health Fund Plans
Some Republican state lawmakers and state health associations are pushing back against spending plans under the Trump administration鈥檚 $50 billion federal rural health fund. Federal administrators already approved states鈥 plans, but in many cases, state lawmakers must greenlight spending.
By Arielle Zionts and Sarah Jane Tribble -
Hospitals Fighting Measles Confront a Challenge: Few Doctors Have Seen It Before
As the number of cases grows to about 1,000 in the Carolinas, health care workers who鈥檝e never seen the vaccine-preventable disease can get caught by surprise.
By Andrew Jones