Health Headlines for Tuesday, February 9
Nurses claim New York hospitals are understaffed, urge lawmakers to impose mandates
Crain’s New York Business
When the emergency room fills up—whether it’s a big accident, flu season or a stroke of misfortune—Brooklyn nurse Rose Green says she can find herself sprinting from room to room, trying to keep ahead of the whims of calamity.
Democrats Disagree Over Health Care
Fox 40
The two Democratic Presidential Candidates didn’t mince words when it comes to health care, but their ideas are vastly different, and while local Democrats laud Senator Bernie Sanders’ ambitious ideas, they understand the uphill battle he faces.
Secrecy Shrouds Obamacare Co-Op Investigation
Daily Caller
New York regulators refuse to publicly release key documents that explain the failure of the nation’s largest Obamacare health insurance co-op.
Scientists Investigate How Viruses Like Zika Cause Birth Defects
New York Times
The Zika virus has quickly gained Ebola-level notoriety as it has spread through the Western Hemisphere in recent months. Researchers in Brazil, where it was first detected in May, have linked infections in pregnant women to a condition known as microcephaly: infants born with undersize heads.
New cases of hepatitis C in NYC are on the rise
Politico New York
The number of New York City residents newly diagnosed with chronic hepatitis C increased to 7,691 in 2014, a 13 percent jump from 2013 and the most new cases the city has seen since 2011.
End the Tampon Tax
New York Times/Editorial
Though necessities like food and medical supplies are exempt from sales taxes in most states, all but a few tax sanitary pads and tampons. Now efforts are building to repeal this so-called “tampon tax” and help ensure that those who need these products can afford them.
Once Again, the VA Turns Down Navy Vets for Agent Orange Benefits
Pro Publica
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has once again turned down an effort by Navy veterans to get compensation for possible exposure to Agent Orange during the Vietnam War.
FDA moves to crack down on unproven stem cell therapies
Stat News
Federal regulators are preparing to crack down on scores of clinics across the United States that offer pricey stem cell therapies for conditions ranging from autism to multiple sclerosis to erectile dysfunction without any scientific evidence that they work.