First workstation powered by AMD Threadripper PRO 9995WX now available from boutique PC maker
VRLA Tech workstation is first to ship with AMD Ryzen Threadripper Pro 9995WX System is…
Prior Authorization Process Policies in Medicaid Managed Care: Findings from a Survey of State Medicaid Programs
Medicaid managed care organizations (MCOs) deliver care to three-quarters of all Medicaid enrollees nationally. MCOs often require patients to obtain approval of certain health care services or medications before the care is provided—an insurance practice commonly referred to as “prior authorization”. This allows the MCO to evaluate whether care is covered, medically necessary, and being delivered…
Minors’ Ability to Consent to Contraception and Abortion Services
Editorial Note This brief was updated on August 11, 2025 to correct the number of states that allow and prohibit minors to consent to their own contraceptive care. Across the country, minors’ ability to consent to their health care, particularly their reproductive health care, varies significantly. Expanding “parental rights’ in health and education has been…
The Fitbit App Is Turning Into an AI-Powered Personal Health Coach
Fitbit’s smartphone app has undergone several redesigns over the past two years, and now there’s another big one coming in October, timed to the launch of the newly announced Pixel Watch 4. Launching as an opt-in review (an open beta), the design centers on Google’s AI-powered Personal Health Coach, built with Gemini. The entire app…
How Recent Manufacturer Savings Programs May Impact Individual Out-of-Pocket Spending on Asthma and COPD Inhalers
A new analysis shows that individuals with employer insurance could save 41% on their out-of-pocket spending for asthma and COPD inhalers through manufacturer savings. In response to a U.S. Senate investigation into inhaler costs, 3 drug makers voluntarily capped out-of-pocket costs on their brand-name asthma and COPD inhalers. Among the asthma and COPD inhalers covered…
10 Crazy Features Powering Google’s Pixel 10 Phones (and Watch)
This is all powered by Google’s latest on-device Gemini Nano model, meaning nothing is processed in the cloud. If you enable this feature, it’ll replace your voicemail, so you’ll have to choose if you want to use Take a Message or the standard voicemail function. AI-Generated Voice for Translations Courtesy of Joel Chokkattu Real-time translations…
Scientists just found the brain’s secret GPS system
Science News from research organizations Researchers used neuroimaging and virtual reality to identify two brain regions that help people maintain their sense of direction while moving around. Date: August 20, 2025 Source: Society for Neuroscience Summary: Researchers discovered two brain regions that work as a “neural compass,” keeping people oriented in virtual city navigation. These…
Why listening may be the most powerful medicine
When you visit a doctor, you expect them to listen. But in today’s fast-paced health care system, real listening — the kind that makes you feel seen, heard and understood — can be the first thing to go. A new article, co-authored by Dr. Leonard Berry of Texas A&M University’s Mays Business School, argues that…
Policy Tracker: Youth Access to Gender Affirming Care and State Policy Restrictions
State laws and policies prohibiting or restricting minor access to gender affirming care have proliferated in recent years. The first state to pass such a law was Arkansas in 2021. By January 2024, that number increased more than five-fold, with states having passed such laws/policies. Most are being challenged in court. On June 18, 2025,…
Protected seas help kelp forests bounce back from heatwaves
New research finds that Marine Protected Areas can boost the recovery of globally important kelp forests following marine heatwaves. The findings are published in the British Ecological Society’s Journal of Applied Ecology. Using four decades of satellite images, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) researchers have looked at impacts Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are having…
Scientists just found a protein that reverses brain aging
Aging is particularly harsh on the hippocampus — the brain region responsible for learning and memory. Now, researchers at UC San Francisco have identified a protein that’s at the center of this decline. They looked at how the genes and proteins in the hippocampus changed over time in mice and found just one that differed…
