In House testimony Thursday, backers argued that the bill, which applies to all patients in crisis, will likely most help children and teens, who sometimes waited in ERs for weeks during the pandemic to get the mental health care they needed.
Michigan Health Watch
In-depth reporting on the intersection between public policy and important health topics ‒ such as insurance coverage, hospital admissions, opioid abuse, access to care, medical research and the business of health care ‒ that impact nearly every Michigan resident.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
Sewer poop: it’s not just for COVID testing anymore
Federal funds helped Michigan create wastewater surveillance teams to test human waste and anticipate COVID outbreaks. Researchers are now expanding testing to other diseases, from monkeypox to polio.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
Gretchen Whitmer wants more Michigan pharmacists to prescribe birth control
With abortion access threatened, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is taking steps to ensure easier access to reproductive health. That includes making it easier for Michigan pharmacists to directly prescribe birth control.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
Michigan COVID booster appointments filling up. How to get yours.
The possibility of a fall COVID surge and concerns about a “nasty” flu season might be fueling an early eagerness among some residents for the omicron-tailored COVID booster, experts said.
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Should you get a flu shot and COVID booster at the same time?
After two years of quiet, the flu is expected to make a comeback this season. The Biden administration suggests people get a flu shot at the same time as the new COVID booster. Michigan health experts weigh in on timing the flu shot.
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After abortion, sex education may be Michigan’s next cultural battleground
Michigan doesn’t require sex ed, so what is taught — and what isn’t — can vary sharply by local school district. Advocates say uncertainty around abortion access in Michigan makes comprehensive sex education more important than ever.
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Could Texas ruling impact health-screening coverage in Michigan?
A federal judge’s ruling in Texas focuses on religion and HIV prevention drugs. But a Michigan insurance expert said the implications could be dramatically more far-reaching.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
Redesigned COVID boosters arrive in Michigan. Here’s what you need to know
More than 200,000 newly designed boosters bound for Michigan specifically target omicron subvariants. Will the new booster hold ground against the virus’ continuing evolution?
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
Heart disease exposes disparities, so medicine goes mobile in Detroit
COVID exposed generations-deep health inequities. It also may have mapped out a way to address them.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
Fast-tracked new COVID boosters could be bound for Michigan by next week
The reformulated boosters — one by Moderna and the other by Pfizer — target omicron subvariants B.4 and B.5. With an ever-evolving virus, are they enough?