40's the new 50

By Greg LaRose | Editor-in-Chief

Week 3 of the legislative session begins today. You can catch up on some of the highlights so far in this week’s episode of “The Light Switch,” which covers the state’s inadequate response to child abuse, new hunting regulations and whether fluoride can be removed from drinking water in Louisiana. Listen here.

By Julie O’Donoghue

Starting next year, Louisiana could require health insurance plans to cover prostate cancer screenings beginning at age 40, instead of the current standard 50. The screenings will also be available at no out-of-pocket cost to patients.

By Piper Hutchinson

Southern University’s leader has called on state lawmakers to start making up for decades of underfunding in comparison with Louisiana’s flagship university. The outlook does not look promising for that gap to be filled.

By Nada Hassanein

Federal Medicaid cuts could exact a heavy toll on psychiatric units at hospitals across the country, many of which are already struggling to keep their doors open but provide essential mental health care to people who need it. Like labor and delivery services, they typically lose money for hospitals and tend to be reimbursed at lower rates than other health services.

By Tim Hardy

Since their peak less than three years ago, opioid overdose deaths dropped nearly by half as of October, according to a Stateline analysis. The drop comes as a shrinking fentanyl supply has made the drug weaker and less deadly and volunteer efforts get more people into treatment.

By Andrea Hagan

Communities have watched a cycle at the state Department of Children and Family Services repeat for decades: a child dies, legislators convene, the hotline keeps ringing and the staffing shortage never makes the headlines.

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