LocalNet - Health

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Your latest prescription is to get outside

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Find a shady spot under a tree, take a breath of fresh air and call me in the morning.

Health care providers have long suggested stressed-out patients spend time outdoors. Now hundreds of providers are going a step further and issuing formal prescriptions to get outside. The tactic is gaining momentum as social media, political strife and wars abroad weigh on the American psyche.

Of course, no one needs a prescription to get outside, but some doctors think that issuing the advice that way helps people take it seriously.

“When I bring... Read More

Anti-abortion pregnancy centers are looking to offer much more than ultrasounds and diapers

Pregnancy centers in the U.S. that discourage women from getting abortions have been adding more medical services — and could be poised to expand further.

The expansion — ranging from testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections to even providing primary medical care — has been unfolding for years. It gained steam after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade three years ago, clearing the way for states to ban abortion.

The push could get more momentum with Planned Parenthood closing some clinics and considering shuttering others following changes to... Read More

Social Security recipients get a 2.8% cost-of-living boost in 2026, average of $56 per month

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Social Security cost-of-living increase will go up by 2.8% in 2026, which translates to an average increase of more than $56 for retirees every month, agency officials said Friday.

The benefits increase for nearly 71 million Social Security recipients will go into effect beginning in January. And increased payments to nearly 7.5 million people receiving Supplemental Security Income will begin on Dec. 31.

Friday’s announcement was meant to be made last week but was delayed because of the federal government shutdown.

The cost-of-living... Read More

In a California farming region, researchers are mapping rural heat to protect farmworkers

In the summers, the sky is jet black when Raul Cruz arrives at this Imperial Valley sugarcane field to start his day. He chops, cleans and bundles the crop, taking heed as the sun rises. It's hard work, but so is starting at 4 a.m., even though he knows it's the safest thing when temperatures in this California desert frequently soar into the triple digits.

“We just have to because we need to beat the heat," said Cruz, who’s worked here for 15 years. They finish work by 9 or 10 a.m. to avoid the risk of heat stroke, he added, but when heat starts creeping up around 8 a.m.,... Read More

Some furloughed workers will return to manage health insurance open enrollment as shutdown drags on

NEW YORK (AP) — The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services will temporarily bring all its furloughed employees back to work starting Monday to manage health insurance open enrollment, according to an agency spokesperson.

The recall to duty amid the more than three-week-long government shutdown is what's needed to “best serve the American people amid the Medicare and Marketplace open enrollment seasons,” the spokesperson said Thursday.

It will be paid for by user fees gathered from sharing data with researchers, the agency said.

The decision to call... Read More

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