Jezebel: Health Care

Actually, Birth Control's Pretty Expensive

Erin Gloria Ryan — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 18:00:00 EST

Pushback against President Obama's birth control mandate has revealed the scale of ignorance some men have regarding how much birth control costs. What's the big deal with having to pay for your own birth control? It's just a few bucks! Pocket change! Not exactly. More »

Catholic Bishops Want Every Business Including Taco Bell to Be Free to Deny Birth Control Coverage

Erin Gloria Ryan — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:00:00 EST

Hey, look who it is poking its funny hats into the birth control debate! It's the Catholic Church again, and they're here tell the government that God wants every business owner to have the right to deny their female employees coverage for birth control. Even Taco Bell. Especially Taco Bell. More »

Government Cracks Down On Employers Who Don't Accommodate Breastfeeding Moms

Margaret Hartmann — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 22:37:00 EST

Since we still regularly hear about stores asking breastfeeding moms to stop using their sexy nourishing breasts, we must conclude that a sizable portion of the populace agrees with NASCAR driver Kasey Kahne's assessment that breastfeeding is "nasty." Fortunately, the government has stepped up to protect a woman right to gross everyone out with her natural bodily functions. President Obama's health care legislation mandates that new mothers must be given adequate breaks and space to nurse on the job, and the Labor Department is starting to go after companies that don't comply. More »

Woman Upset With Obama Apologizes After Breast Cancer Diagnosis

Margaret Hartmann — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 00:08:00 EST

Today in a L.A. Times op-ed, a woman who was so upset with President Obama for having "let down the struggling middle class" that she switched her registration from Democrat to Independent and altered her Obama bumpers sticker to read "Got Nope" is apologizing to the President. She says that while she was angered by Obama's plan, she's suddenly come to appreciate it, now that she's benefitting from it. More »

Catholic Universities Vow To Smite Provision Requiring Them To Give Students Birth Control

Erin Gloria Ryan — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 17:55:00 EDT

Catholic universities have got their rosaries in a bunch over a provision in the Affordable Care Act that would require them to do something that makes the baby Jesus cry- outfit their students and employees with insurance plans that would cover hormonal birth control. More »

Fake Hormone For Pregnant Women Causes Real Cancer In Their Daughters

Erin Gloria Ryan — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 11:20:35 EDT

Today in depressing: a widely-used anti-miscarriage drug that didn't actually work has been found to cause breast cancer, infertility, and a whole mess of other problems in the daughters of women who used it while pregnant. The drug's crappy effects are so far reaching that researchers also suspect that it may cause reproductive health issues in the granddaughters of women who used it. More »

Health Shocker: Unhealthy Moms Have Unhealthy Kids

Margaret Hartmann — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 15:25:00 EDT

It's fairly obvious that the children of sick parents are more likely to get sick themselves, but a new study found that this is true even when genetic factors are ruled out. Among disadvantaged families, the children of sick mothers are more likely to be unhealthy than those raised by poor but healthy moms. It's more evidence that we need to make sure everyone has better access to medical treatment, not just kids, but if you're waiting for lawmakers to respond, don't hold your breath. (If you pass out and hit your head, you'll be forced to take your chances with American healthcare system!) More »

Mom Says Medicaid Glitch Killed Her Son

Margaret Hartmann — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 12:40:00 EDT

You probably don't need another reason to be angry about how poorly the U.S. healthcare system operates, but one particularly tragic tale has put a face on how it fails disadvantaged Americans. A Denver mother wasn't able to fill her 9-year-old son's prescription for asthma medication because pharmacists kept telling her he wasn't eligible for Medicaid. She tried repeatedly to have the problem fixed, but a few months later her son fainted and died due to asthma complications. More »

Man With Breast Cancer Denied Medicaid Coverage Because He's Not Female

Anna North — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 09:40:00 EDT

A breast cancer patient applied for coverage under a federal program to treat the disease, but was rejected. The reason: he's a man. More »

Does Free Birth Control Stand A Chance?

Erin Gloria Ryan — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 10:50:00 EDT

In this year of the War On Women, it seems that finally there's a glimmer of hope that maybe the government doesn't actually hate us after all. A non-partisan panel of experts has recommended that several women's services be counted as "preventative care" under the newly enacted health care reform law. More »

If You Go To The Hospital This Weekend, You’re Probably Going To Die

Lane Moore — Sat, 21 May 2011 12:15:00 EDT

And no, it's not because of the rapture. More »

We're Number One... In Infant Mortality!

Erin Gloria Ryan — Sun, 27 Feb 2011 15:19:39 EST

If you'd like to rev up your rage engines before the workweek, check out the op-ed section of the New York Times. One piece summarizes what many of us were already thinking- that the GOP has declared what amounts to a legislative "war on women" and have tried to restrict women's rights under the guise of "cutting the budget." It's okay, though, you guys. They read the constitution aloud on the floor, so they must totally know what they're doing. More »

Air Force's Swinging Sergeant Discharged For Lying About HIV

Anna North — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 15:38:00 EST

An Air Force sergeant will be dishonorably discharged for failing to disclose his HIV status at swinging parties, meaning he'll lose the medical benefits he needs to manage the disease. More »

The Mystery Of The Missing OB Tampons

Dodai Stewart — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 14:05:00 EST

Something very strange has been going on in the world of menstrual management products. A month after I wrote about OB Ultra tampons being discontinued, it seems any type of OB tampon is impossible to find. More »

The Exorbitant Price Of Treating Eating Disorders

Lauri Apple — Sat, 04 Dec 2010 11:50:50 EST

As hospitalizations for eating disorders increase, so does the price of treatment. Some programs now cost around $30,000 a month. A month! That's enough to buy a car, or your first year of law school (state school only). More »

Michelle Obama Exchanges A Knowing Glance

Katy Kelleher — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 09:15:00 EDT

[Washington DC, July 14. First lady Michelle Obama sits with Maggie Roberts, at the announcement of the Affordable Care Act Prevention]

If You Think There's Nothing Wrong With You, You Probably Haven't Been Paying Attention

Dodai Stewart — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 16:00:00 EDT

In this day and age, isn't hypochondria just making good use of the information you've been supplied? More »

Woman Shoots Self To Get Medical Care

Sadie Stein — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 15:40:00 EDT

Unable to afford care for a shoulder injury, an unemployed Michigan woman shot the same shoulder with her gun to get medical attention. A good argument for health-care reform, but nb: her shoulder did not hurt less post-shooting. More »

Stupak's Amendment Lets Abortion Foes Restrict The Insurance You Have Now

Megan Carpentier — Sun, 16 May 2010 12:45:00 EDT

President Obama promised Americans last year that if we liked the insurance we had then, we could keep it. Thanks to Bart Stupak, that promise now only applies to men. More »

WellPoint's Company Policy: Drop Breast Cancer Patients

Anna North — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 13:20:00 EDT

WellPoint might be the most evil company in the country: they stand accused of systematically dropping women from their insurance policies once they were diagnosed with breast cancer. More »

Parents Have Sixth Grader Arrested • Man Refused For Breast Cancer Screening

Katy Kelleher — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 18:00:00 EDT

• Police in Florida have arrested a sixth grade boy at the request of his parents, who were enraged after he stole over $7,000 worth of jewelry from his mother and distributed it amongst his classmates. • More »

Why Are Moms Dying In Labor?

Sadie Stein — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 13:40:00 EDT

Once the stuff of Victorian novels, maternal mortality is on the rise again in America. Amnesty International's calling it "scandalous." How is this an increasing problem in 2010? Perhaps it's because we're pushing the fertility envelope. More »

Ink/Well

Anna Holmes — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 13:10:00 EDT

[Washington, D.C., March 23. Image via Getty]

Democracy In Action

Anna Holmes — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 09:10:00 EDT

[Washington, D.C., March 22. Image via The Official White House Photostream]

Signed, Sealed, Delivered

Anna Holmes — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 16:10:00 EDT

[Washington, March 22. Image via Getty]

"Baby Killer:" Or, How The Abortion Health Care Compromise Pisses Off Everyone

Anna North — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 09:30:00 EDT

Like all great compromises, the abortion language in the just-passed healthcare bill leaves everybody angry, and the pro- and anti-choice sides have responded by issuing critical statements and yelling ridiculous shit, respectively. More »

Federally Funded Abortions For None, Miniature American Flags For Others

Hortense Smith — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 16:25:00 EDT

Anti-choice Democrats, led by Bart Stupak, have agreed to vote in favor of the health care reform bill as long as President Obama signs an executive order reaffirming that no federal funds will be used to pay for abortions. [NYTimes] More »

Health Care Vote Open Thread

Hortense Smith — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 15:10:00 EDT

Want to talk about the health care vote with your fellow commenters? Here's the place to do it. More »

Stupak Continues To Undermine Health Care Bill, Women's Rights; Executive Order May Be Signed By Obama

Hortense Smith — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 17:30:00 EDT

With Rep. Bart Stupak on the rampage and the passage of their major health care legislation at stake, Democrats are now considering having President Obama sign an executive order effectively banning any taxpayer money from paying for abortions. More »

Full Bore

Anna Holmes — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 13:10:00 EDT

[Washington, D.C., March 16. Image via Getty]

Nancy Boy

Anna Holmes — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 19:10:00 EDT

[Washington, D.C., March 15. Image via Getty]

Dads Invited to Maternity Ward Sleepovers

Sadie Stein — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 11:20:00 EDT

The UK's NHS has overhauled its policies to allow new fathers to spend the first night of their child's life with their family in the maternity ward, part of an ambitious reform program. Don Draper politely declines, smokes. [Guardian] More »

Lip Service

Anna Holmes — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 13:10:00 EST

[Washington, D.C., March 10. Image via Getty]

Obama To McCain: Get Off My Lawn, Grandpa

Anna Holmes — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 12:40:00 EST

In other words, "fuck off". Update: Here's another smackdown. For those who want to follow a good liveblog of the proceedings, go here. Live-streaming: here. More »

Documents Reveal Palin Family Drama, Sarah's Hypocrisy

Katy Kelleher — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 11:40:00 EST

Sarah Palin may think "socialized medicine" is the enemy, but Bristol and Levi don't seem to have a problem with it: Palin's grandson Tripp is reportedly receiving federally-funded health care. And: Levi has never paid for health insurance. [Huffington Post] More »

The Doula Project: What To Expect When You're Aborting

LatoyaPeterson — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 14:20:00 EST

"Why aren't there doulas for abortions?" The Utne Reader points the way to Bust magazine's write up of an emerging movement. In order to support women "across the spectrum of pregnancy," the Doula Project has started to rethink its role. More »

Whole Foods' Employee BMI Discount Raises Legal Concerns

Anna North — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 09:30:00 EST

According to the Portland Mercury's Blogtown, Oregon's Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI) is concerned about the legality of Whole Foods's new BMI-based discount program. Whole Foods, meanwhile, can't see why anyone would be mad. More »

Liveblogging Obama's First State Of The Union: Death Of Hope

Megan Carpentier — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 20:30:00 EST

In 2008, voters flocked to the polls to elect Barack Obama in order to bring political change. A year after his inauguration, we're sending more troops abroad, there's no health care reform, and the economy sucks. Got Hope? More »

Send The Boys Back Home

LatoyaPeterson — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 18:30:00 EST

Are women the last hope of healthcare reform? On Sunday, Representative Carol Shea-Porter said the Democratic and Republican women agree the process is out of control but believe "we can find a common ground." Men were not available for comment. More »

Did Nancy Pelosi Just Kill Health Care Reform?

LatoyaPeterson — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 16:00:00 EST

Esquire just published a cursory profile of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, remarking she "is all about the execution of her job." So how did we end up dropping health care reform off to the realm of "maybe later?" More »