By Annie Sciacca The War Horse Nearly every day for months, Lorelei Evans, a major in the U.S. Army Reserve, received a call or text from a doctor’s office trying to collect on some of her family’s $86,000 in unpaid medical bills. Almost weekly, she said, a bill showed up in the mail at her […]

The post ‘Got to get fixed:’ Billing delays, coverage issues still plague Tricare patients and providers appeared first on North Carolina Health News.

By Will Atwater Since the 1950s, plastic has seemingly become the Swiss Army knife of daily living. It’s in everything from medical devices and car parts to electronics, clothing and more. Plastic’s multifunctionality has helped drive down product costs across many industries, including plumbing, where PVC is a durable, less costly alternative to galvanized pipe. […]

The post Living with microplastics, and finding ways to reduce exposure appeared first on North Carolina Health News.

By Anne Blythe, Ashley Fredde and Rose Hoban Lawmakers voted for a $319 million package on Wednesday to fully fund the state’s Medicaid program through the end of the fiscal year, settling a monthslong feud with the governor over how much it will cost to avert a projected shortfall in May. While the funding is […]

The post Medicaid breakthrough comes with unexpected immigration mandates appeared first on North Carolina Health News.

By Anne Blythe Kristen Jarrell, an Alexander County resident and licensed foster parent in Wilkes County, has had a dickens of a time trying to find a dentist for children in her care. In North Carolina, one of the requirements for a child entering foster care is a health and emotional trauma screening that includes […]

The post NC dentists push for higher Medicaid payments to tackle access crisis appeared first on North Carolina Health News.

By Jennifer Fernandez Every three days, a North Carolina baby dies in an unsafe sleep environment. That’s more than 100 babies every year.  Less than two weeks into 2026, a Cary infant was found dead after falling asleep in a baby lounger, according to media reports.  Baby loungers, which are often soft, contoured pillows with […]

The post NC lawmakers urged to boost Safe Sleep funding after 1,100 infant deaths in less than a decade appeared first on North Carolina Health News.

By Michelle Crouch State lawmakers looking for ways to reduce the tax burden for North Carolinians are holding off — for now — on legislation that would have scaled back two key tax exemptions that benefit nonprofit and public hospitals. Based on the candid comments of one lawmaker co-chairing the committee debating the changes, it’s […]

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By Trista Talton Coastal Review FAYETTEVILLE — Proposed monitoring and minimization rules for industrial dischargers of 1,4-dioxane and the public sewage plants that accept those facilities’ waste fail to protect North Carolinians’ drinking water, speakers at a public hearing said Tuesday. All but one of the 13 people who spoke at the North Carolina Environmental […]

The post Proposed industrial wastewater rules ‘completely inadequate’ appeared first on North Carolina Health News.

By Clayton Henkel NC Newsline University of North Carolina at Wilmington Chancellor Aswani Volety told members of the UNC System’s Board of Governors Wednesday that the time is right for his university to add an accredited four-year medical school with a three-year accelerated track. The southeastern region of the state faces a significant shortage of […]

The post UNC-Wilmington seeks approval for four-year medical school appeared first on North Carolina Health News.

By Anne Blythe Behind the colorful packaging designed to appeal to young people on the shelves of many North Carolina vape shops lurks a dangerous lack of transparency, public health advocates and law enforcement agencies caution. Many consumers, they say, have no idea if the gummies and other edibles they’re purchasing contain legal CBD, high-dose […]

The post Taming the ‘Wild West’ era of the hemp and cannabis market in N.C. appeared first on North Carolina Health News.

By Rachel Crumpler and Taylor Knopf After spending six months examining the state’s involuntary commitment process, a special North Carolina House committee released a list of recommendations on Tuesday aimed at improving the state’s intertwined mental health and criminal justice systems. The House Select Committee on Involuntary Commitment and Public Safety formed after the passage […]

The post NC lawmakers recommend reforms to mental health system, but funding questions loom appeared first on North Carolina Health News.