Districts aren’t required to teach sex ed. And when they do, they must stress abstinence until marriage but need not discuss contraceptives. Does state’s rising STD rate among young people change the calculus?
Robin Erb
Robin Erb covers a range of health issues in Michigan, including the industry of aging and the issues facing older residents in Michigan, a state that is aging faster than most others. She joined Bridge in 2019 and has led investigations that tracked millions of dollars in opioid settlement money and explored severe worker shortages in health care that threaten lives and the state's economy. She chronicled the shock and grief of Michigan families in COVID’s wake, as well as state policy decisions and the triumphs of medical breakthroughs. Robin previously spent six years covering health at the Detroit Free Press, documenting the battle over, and the eventual passage of, the Affordable Care Act and Michigan's Medicaid expansion. She studied communications and political science at Miami University and has a master’s degree in organizational leadership from Lourdes University (Toledo, Ohio). She and her husband raised two wonderful children — but have failed miserably at training their Beagle-Bassets — in southeast Michigan. Reach her at rerb@bridgemi.com.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
STDs surge in Michigan and the reasons might surprise you
More testing for sexually transmitted diseases may account for much of the increase, but experts suggest we may be getting too relaxed when it comes to using protection during sex.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
Dana Nessel sues opioid firms under Michigan law intended for drug dealers
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Nessel announced the lawsuit on Tuesday, touted as the first of its kind in the nation.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
Blue Cross says shared-risk plan will rein in costs for Michigan patients
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan said it will pay major health providers more for value-based health care, but penalize them for delivering poor care, which the insurer said would ultimately benefit patients.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
Michigan trying to quicken insurance approval for drugs, medical treatment
Insurers say “prior authorization” requirements reduce wasteful spending on unnecessary medications or services. Doctors counter that it can go too far, raising administrative costs and putting patients at risk.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
Opioid addiction treatment just got easier for thousands in Michigan
The state’s health department struck down a red tape obstacle to “gold standard” treatment that can help patients with addictions.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
Michigan opioid deaths finally going down, but not for black residents
Overdose deaths for opioids and other drugs fell in 2018, the first drop since 2012, with state policies restricting painkiller prescriptions cited. But drug deaths for black residents spiked in Michigan.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
Michigan youth suicide rate doubles. What parents can do.
The spike in suicide rates comes as a national poll suggests parents struggle to know the difference between normal ups and downs of the teen years and something more serious.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
Michigan transplant surgeon calls vaping damage to teen’s lungs 'evil'
As vaping illnesses climb, doctors at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit perform a double lung transplant on young vaping victim — reportedly the first operation in the country as a result of vaping damage.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
Measures aim to end ‘surprise billing’ for Michigan medical patients
Think your ER visit is covered? Even savvy consumers fall victim to unannounced costs, especially in emergencies. Pending bills would cap some of those charges or give consumers the ability to opt out.