Health Care

An Idaho woman challenging her state’s anti-abortion laws has not received much attention from groups on either side of the abortion debate. But for the first time, one group is holding a rally to support her in Seattle today. 

Jennie Linn McCormack of Pocatello, Idaho was arrested last year after local police learned she had terminated a 20-week pregnancy at home.

Men and women clad in leather, riding choppers probably doesn’t scream suicide prevention. But Saturday morning, the two will go hand in hand.

Starting at 11 A.M. at Victors Hogs n Horns in Caldwell, the Red Knights Idaho Chapter One motorcycle group will ride to benefit the Speedy Foundation and Idaho’s Suicide Hotline.

Organizer and Red Knight member Maressa McAllister says suicide and mental illness is everywhere.

The U.S. Supreme Court's recent ruling on the Affordable Health Care Act, has Idaho's governor wanting more study on creating a state health exchange and expanding Medicaid. So Butch Otter has put together two groups to look at these issues including the costs.

The Governor  wants recommendations from his working groups on what to do about a health insurance exchange and Medicaid by this fall.

The U-S Supreme Court’s decision to uphold universal health care has triggered a lot of reaction from politicians and analysts.  Idaho was one of the first states to join the lawsuit to strike down the law.  

Ted Epperly has been involved in the debate over health care, testifying before Congress and speaking across the country about the need for reform measures.  The Boise-based family physician served as the President of the American Academy of Family Physicians and met with President Obama six times to offer his views about health care. 

Health insurance companies are also among those reacting to today’s decision from the U.S. Supreme Court upholding a majority of the federal health care law. 

Blue Cross of Idaho is the largest private insurer in the state, covering 720,000 people in Idaho.  Karen Early is a spokeswoman for the not-for-profit company.  She says now that most of the Affordable Care Act has been upheld, it’s time for Idaho to create its own insurance exchange. 

The U.S. Supreme Court has upheld most of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.  Justice John Roberts served as the court's swing vote in the 5-4 decision.  The high court issued its ruling in Washington this morning.  You can read the ruling here.

You can also hear NPR's continuing coverage of the decision throughout the afternoon on KBSX 91.5, and read more from NPR here.  

Boise State Public Radio’s news team is gathering reaction from Idaho residents and lawmakers.  You can read that throughout the here, and listen for coverage on All Things Considered (3:30 PM to 6:30 PM).

The U.S. Supreme Court will make a much anticipated decision this week on the nation’s health care law.  Idaho's senior senator believes some parts of the law will survive whatever the court decides. 

Scientists at the University of Maryland and the University of Idaho say they’ve discovered that the vaginal microbiome — the bacteria living in the vagina — varies considerably between women. There may not be, in other words, a single way to define what is meant by a normal vaginal environment.

Dr. Larry Forney is a co-author of the research and director of the Institute for Bioinformatics and Evolutionary Studies at the University of Idaho.

The U.S. Supreme Court could rule any day now on the constitutionality of President Obama's health care overhaul. The decision could have broad implications for state health care policies in the Northwest.

The high court could leave the law alone, overturn it, or throw out pieces of it. The ruling could complicate things for state-level health care administrators like Rocky King. He's in charge of developing Oregon's new health insurance exchange. He says work on the plan has continued despite the uncertainty over the law's future.

If you bought some bratwurst for a Memorial Day cook-out, check the label.  The USDA says Zenner’s Quality Meat Products of Portland is recalling more than 3,500 pounds of bratwurst sold in Idaho, Oregon, Washington, Nevada, and California.  The recall was issued because the label doesn’t say the product includes soy protein, which some people are allergic to.  Zenner’s Smoked Brotwurst was sold at Winco stores and has a sell-by date of July 17th.