Health

After removing trans lawmaker, Montana becomes latest state to ban gender-affirming care for minors

By Amy Beth Hanson, Associated Press

Rep. Zooey Zephyr's criticism of the bill led the transgender lawmaker to be silenced on the House floor and then removed after she encouraged protesters on Monday.

'I'm trying not to go into panic.' Review of millions of Medicaid enrollees plagued by error and confusion

By Amanda Seitz, Anita Snow, Associated Press

Advocacy groups have warned for months that confusion and errors will abound throughout the undertaking, wrongly leaving some of the country’s poorest people suddenly without health insurance and unable to pay for necessary medical care.

U.S. adult cigarette smoking hits new all-time low

By Mike Stobbe, Associated Press

Cigarette smoking dropped to another new all-time low last year, with 1 in 9 adults saying they were current smokers. Meanwhile, e-cigarette use rose, to about 1 in 17 adults.

Vermont passes bills aimed at protecting access to abortion pills

By Lisa Rathke, Associated Press

The Vermont Legislature has passed reproductive and gender-affirming health care bills with a late addition aimed at protecting access to a medication widely used in abortions — even if the U.S. Food and Drug Administration withdraws its approval of mifepristone.

South Carolina Senate again rejects near-total abortion ban

By James Pollard, Associated Press

A 22-21 vote Thursday marks the third time a near-total abortion ban has failed to pass the Republican-led chamber since the U.S. Supreme Court reversed Roe v. Wade last summer.

Health care often takes a back seat after incarceration. Here's how some states are working to change that

By Laura Santhanam, Tim McPhillips

More than a dozen other states are exploring ways to streamline access to Medicaid and make it easier for people preparing to leave U.S. jails and prisons to receive the care they need.

Washington, Minnesota become transgender and abortion sanctuaries

By Lisa Baumann, Steve Karnowski, Associated Press

Democratic governors in Washington state and Minnesota on Thursday enacted legal protections for people who travel to those states seeking reproductive and gender-affirming procedures and treatment.

North Dakota's latest attempt at abortion ban likely to face lawsuit

By Trisha Ahmed, Geoff Mulvihill, Associated Press

The state joins a handful that have passed new abortion bans this year — and several that have tweaked their abortion policy as the landscape continues to shift in the aftermath of the U.S. Supreme Court last year overturning the…

Judge halts Missouri rule limiting gender-affirming health care

By Jim Salter, Summer Ballentine, Associated Press

A Missouri judge will decide whether a first-of-its-kind rule placing strict regulations on gender-affirming care in Missouri kicks in Thursday.

Rep. Zooey Zephyr's town feels divide from rest of Montana after barring

By Nicholas Riccardi, Associated Press

The city is often described as a blue island in a vast red state and elected the state's first openly transgender legislator. But its voters were still shocked at what happened next.