Health
Committee recommends pared back version of vaccine registry bill
Rather than spend more than $7 million attempting to contact all 790,000 people vaccinated and automatically included in the state’s immunization registry during six months of the pandemic, a House committee is recommending the state instead advertise the opportunity to have that vaccine record removed. With its 19-0 vote for a scaled back outreach effort, […]
COVID vaccine for kids under 5 delayed until at least April
WASHINGTON – A COVID-19 vaccine for young children will be delayed by at least two months as Pfizer and BioNTech gather more information on a three-dose regimen. The disappointing news for many parents came after the Biden administration earlier had announced it was preparing to get the vaccines out to states as soon as it […]
Bill would allow a man, without proving paternity, to halt a woman’s abortion
In a week where lawmakers heard several bills related to abortion, one stood out enough for longtime Rep. Marjorie Smith, a Durham Democrat seeking to repeal the state’s abortion law, to “congratulate” the sponsor for his novel attempt to do the opposite. “Usually you say there’s nothing new under the sun,” she said. “But this […]
‘It’s such an impossible decision’: Fatal fetal diagnoses and the state’s abortion ban
Michelle Cilley Foisy plans to tell House lawmakers Thursday about the death of her daughter Kayla, who would have turned 16 in December. When the story becomes almost impossible to tell, Foisy reminds herself she’s telling it for women who today don’t have the options she had when they learn late in pregnancy their baby […]
As community grapples with contaminated water, cancer patients seek answers
Carol Williams doesn’t live in New Hampshire anymore, but she links her cancer to the 36 years she lived in Bedford, just over the Merrimack town line. Williams only recently learned that the drinking water at her house contained chemicals called per- and polyfluorinated substances, or PFAS, which can be harmful to human health. The […]
COVID-19 tests are now being sold at liquor stores – and that’s a concern for some
This story was updated on Feb. 7, 2022, at noon to correct the number of tests in each testing kit and on Feb. 23, 2022 at noon to remove inaccurate information about insurance reimbursement that had been provided by the state. With the omicron variant persisting and at-home rapid COVID-19 tests in short supply, the […]
Travel nurses have been essential during the pandemic – but at a cost
This story was updated Feb. 4, 2022 at noon to with a clarification from Cheshire Medical Center that it was referring to national nursing vacancies, not its own vacancy rate. Nurse Nick Caruso has worked in eight hospitals during the pandemic and, hands down, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon is his favorite. He likes the […]
Abortion ban repeal bill, rewritten as ultrasound clarification, passes Senate
In a 14-10 party-line vote Thursday, the Senate passed a significant rewrite of a bill seeking to repeal the state’s new 24-week abortion ban, changing it from a repeal to a clarification of the ban’s ultrasound requirement. Republicans also rejected four amendments from Democrats that would have scaled back the abortion ban by adding exceptions […]
Free at-home COVID tests to be handed out to Medicare beneficiaries this spring
WASHINGTON – Starting this spring, Medicare beneficiaries will be able to get up to eight over-the-counter COVID-19 tests per month at no cost. The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced Thursday that eligible pharmacies and participating organizations will begin distributing the tests in the coming months to individuals on either original Medicare or in […]
White House plans speedy delivery to states of COVID vaccine for littlest kids
WASHINGTON – The Biden administration is preparing to ship COVID-19 vaccines to the states as quickly as possible, should the Food and Drug Administration approve an emergency use authorization for kids under 5. White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator Jeffrey Zients said Wednesday that approval of the specially formulated vaccine would make 18 million young children […]
Legislature looks at expanding access to Medicaid for immigrants
A bill before the Legislature would expand access to Medicaid for certain immigrants who are in the country legally, lifting a 5-year waiting period. House Bill 1578 would allow children and pregnant women legally residing in New Hampshire to access Medicaid if they are income eligible, a change advocates say is needed. In 1996, the […]
Senate committee shows support for expanded dental benefits under Medicaid
This story was updated February 2, 2022 at 12:50 a.m. with the of people who signed in to support and oppose Senate Bill 422 for Wednesday’s hearing. A nearly two-decades-long effort to give adults on Medicaid preventative dental benefits – not only those for costly emergency care – is again gaining momentum in the Legislature. […]