Patients with a specific gene are more likely to develop long COVID; senators send letters to the Internal Revenue Service, urging them to investigate the practices of nonpartisan hospitals; pregnant workers and workers with newborns could potentially gain job accommodations through a new proposal.
Long COVID Linked to a Gene
Preliminary research released in medRxiv in July suggests that genetics play a role in those affected by long COVID, according to NPR. Dozens of scientists worldwide collaborated on the new research that explained how those who develop long COVID carry a version of the gene FOXP4. The study examined the DNA of 6450 people with long COVID and compared it with those without it, finding that the only connection between those with long COVID was the presence of the FOXP4 gene. The gene helps regulate processes throughout the body and research shows it is active in the lungs. Immunologist and COVID researcher Stéphanie Longet, PhD , noted that those with the gene have a higher probability of developing long COVID, but it is not guaranteed.
Senators Push IRS to Investigate Nonprofit Hospitals
A bipartisan group of senators wants federal tax regulators to hold nonprofit hospitals accountable through an investigation into whether they comply with community benefit requirements, according to STAT. On Monday, Senators Elizabeth Warren (D, Massachusetts), Raphael Warnock (D, Georgia), Bill Cassidy, MD (R, Louisiana), and Chuck Grassley (R, Iowa) sent letters to the Internal Revenue Service commissioner and the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration to advocate for an investigation into broad tax wording and “oversight of roughly $28 billion in exemptions.” Nonpartisan hospitals are mostly tax exempt and often receive funding in exchange for providing free or discounted care to low-income patients and aiding patients through public health programs. The tax code’s broad definition of “community care and charity” is at the center of the debate as advocates claim that it has resulted in hospitals logging things under this other than free clinics and health screenings.
Pregnant Workers Fairness Act Would Offer Pregnant Workers New Protections
Under new employee protections proposed by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) on Monday, pregnant workers or workers with newborns would be entitled to new job accommodations, according to The Washington Post. These include schedule changes, teleworking privileges, temporary job restructuring, and longer, more frequent breaks. This proposal would establish baseline terms for the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, new civil rights legislation signed into law in December, and prevent employers from denying opportunities to workers or job applicants because of pregnancy- or childbirth-related medical conditions. These policies would apply to employers with 15 or more workers and take effect after a public review period, potential revisions, and approval by the EEOC’s 4 commissioners and the Office of Management and Budget.
Covering antiobesity medications like semaglutide could save Medicare around $500 million annually; preliminary CDC data showed a 3% decline in the number of US overdose deaths last year; the Biden administration recently announced the first national maternal mental health strategy.
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After the ACA Expanded Health Care Access, 2024 Elections May See Voters Demand Affordability
May 15th 2024At the spring conference of the New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute, speakers discussed how health policy, affordability, and transparency may play a role in voters’ decisions.
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Frameworks for Advancing Health Equity: Urban Health Outreach
May 9th 2024In the series debut episode of "Frameworks for Advancing Health Equity," Mary Sligh, CRNP, and Chelsea Chappars, of Allegheny Health Network, explain how the Urban Health Outreach program aims to improve health equity for individuals experiencing homelessness.
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House lawmakers are expected to advance a contracting ban today on 5 Chinese research firms; US government officials temporarily relaxed strict guidelines on how laboratories handle, store, and transport H5N1 bird flu samples; a recent report found that the number of abortions occurring in the US continued to grow despite bans.
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