On Disabilities

Elvis Presley got his polio vaccination from Dr. Harold Fuerst and Dr. Leona Baumgartner at CBS' Studio 50 in New York City on Oct. 28, 1956. The chart-topping singer took part in a March of Dimes campaign to convince teens to get vaccinated.

Can't Help Falling In Love With A Vaccine: How Polio Campaign Beat Vaccine Hesitancy

9:00am May 03, 2021

by Susan Brink

This isn't the first big vaccine rollout, and the past holds lessons for the pandemic present. Here's a look at how the polio vaccine overcame U.S. hesitancy.

Their physical and emotional health had withered in the pandemic year. But reentry into post-vaccination life made for tricky choices, too.

Health & Safety

My Parents Struggled In Pandemic Lockdown. Here's How They Learned To Live Again

7:00am April 24, 2021

by Shahdabul Faraz

Their physical and emotional health had withered in the pandemic year. But reentry into post-vaccination life made for tricky choices, too.

Medicare Advantage, a fast-growing private alternative to original Medicare, has enrolled more than 26 million people. Humana Inc. is one of the largest of these insurers. While popular with seniors, Medicare Advantage has been the target of multiple gove

Health & Safety

Humana Inc. Overcharged Medicare Nearly $200 Million, Federal Audit Finds

9:15am April 20, 2021

by Fred Schulte

If the report by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Inspector General is sustained, Humana Inc. could face a record penalty for overcharges in a Medicare Advantage plan.

President Joe Biden's nearly $2 trillion proposal to support U.S. jobs and infrastructure includes $400 billion to fund the kinds of home-based, long-term health care services and aides that many families have, until now, found unaffordable.

Health & Safety

What's In Biden's $400 Billion Plan To Support Families' Long-Term Health Needs

2:12pm April 09, 2021

by Judith Graham

Long-term care options are expensive and often out of reach for elders and people with disabilities. Part of the president's proposed infrastructure plan would help fund home-based health services.

Drew Lehman of Lansdale, Pa., became unable to work after a traumatic car accident. He is currently navigating the confusing, bureaucratic process of getting his federal student loans discharged.

Education Dept. Restores Debt Cancellation For Some Borrowers With Disabilities

4:23pm March 29, 2021

Monday's announcement comes after thousands of borrowers with disabilities had their federal student loans erased, then handed back to them during the pandemic.

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The GO FlyEase, Nike's first hands-free shoe, hinges open and closed, so the wearer just needs to slip their foot in and push down in order to put it on.

Nike Accused Of 'Using Disability' To Hype New Hands-Free Sneaker

2:20pm March 29, 2021

by Eva Tesfaye

The GO FlyEase is scheduled to be released on April 30. Some people with disabilities worry that they won't be able to get a pair because of the company's mass marketing strategy.

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Unless the rules change soon, Stephanie Salazar-Rodriguez of Denver expects to spend more than $10,000 on health insurance premiums this year. That's after losing her job last month — which meant losing her employer's contribution to her health plan.

Pandemic Aid Package Includes Some Relief From High Health Plan Premiums

8:53pm March 09, 2021

by Emmarie Huetteman

If passed, Biden's relief bill would significantly expand the number of people eligible for federal help in paying their health plan premiums, and would boost the size of those subsidies.

In early September 2020, Seattle, Wash., had some of the worst air quality in the world because of wildfire smoke. The city was among the first to create smoke shelters for the most vulnerable.

Study Finds Wildfire Smoke More Harmful To Humans Than Pollution From Cars

5:05pm March 05, 2021

by Nathan Rott

In Southern California, pollutants from wildfire smoke caused up to a 10% increase in hospital admissions. Researchers say there's a need for better air monitoring and public health programs.

As a researcher at the Allen Institute for Brain Science in Seattle, Alice Mukora says she understands the need to enroll diverse populations in Alzheimer's research. But that would be more likely to happen, she notes, if people of color had better experi

Health & Safety

'Providers Don't Even Listen': Barriers To Alzheimer's Care When You're Not White

7:26am March 02, 2021

by Jon Hamilton

Nonwhite Americans looking for care for a loved one are much more likely than whites to encounter discrimination, language barriers, and providers who lack cultural competence, a new report finds.

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Peter Prater survived a case of COVID-19 after an outbreak hit his home, the Tallahassee Developmental Center in April. No federal agency tracks how many of the estimated 300,000 people who live in such facilities nationwide have caught COVID-19 or died a

People With Intellectual Disabilities Are Often Overlooked In Pandemic Response

5:10am February 12, 2021

by Katheryn Houghton

Without federal tracking, no one knows how many people in disability group housing have fallen ill or died from the virus. And few states are prioritizing them for vaccination.