COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A case of measles has been confirmed in a southwest Missouri county and is tied to international travel, according to state health officials. The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services said Friday that a child who traveled to Taney County has contracted measles. The child’s vaccination status has not been verified,
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By Deidre McPhillips, CNN (CNN) — In his first news conference as secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said Wednesday that rising rates of autism prevalence in the US reflect a “preventable” crisis-level epidemic that has been caused by an environmental toxin. Advocates for people with autism
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Voluntary Action Center’s air condition exchange program will become a one-day event this year, according to a Monday press release from the VAC. The event will take place 9 a.m.-noon Wednesday, May 21 at the Boone County Community Building at 1413 Range Line Street in Columbia. It was previously a summer-long
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Columbia’s two biggest health care providers are showing signs of financial improvements in their most recently released data. MU Health Care posted a $45 million operating gain for the first half of fiscal year 2025, which started in July. Numbers shared by MU Health Care to the UM System’s Board of Curators
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) After failing to reach an agreement with Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield by the March 31 deadline, MU Health Care says it remains open to further discussions over commercial and Affordable Care Act insurance plans with the provider. “Negotiations are still happening right now,” Tonya Johnson, MU Health Care’s Health System Chief
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The parking lot at Grindstone Nature Area will be closed from 11 p.m. Wednesday through 8 a.m. Saturday, according to a Tuesday press release from Columbia Parks and Recreation. Renovations will be done at the parking lot at 2011 Old Highway 63, the release says. Park users are encouraged to use the
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The new Health and Human Services secretary is questioning decades of convention that says fluoride in drinking water is good for people’s health. RFK Jr. says he’ll soon tell the CDC to stop recommending fluoride in water supplies, something the agency has long advocated as a way to minimize tooth decay. An HHS task force
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) MU Health Care infectious disease expert Dr. Amruta Padhye urges parents to get children vaccinated for measles, mumps, rubella or get the MMR vaccine as the nation sees an increase in the virus. “This year we have seen already by the first three months of this year, we have seen, in the
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) After failing to reach an agreement with MU Health Care by the March 31 deadline, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield says it is working with other Mid-Missouri health care providers, including Boone Hospital, SSM St. Mary’s, Moberly Regional Hospital and Jefferson City Medical Group. Some of those hospitals have since reported an
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Thousands of people with Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance plans will no longer be able to see MU Health Care doctors and be covered. The insurance giant Anthem, which is among the state’s biggest, and the health care network ended their negotiations Monday ahead of a midnight deadline to renew a
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) MU Health Care and UnitedHealthcare have agreed to a contract extension, MU Health Care announced Wednesday in a press release. A spokesperson with MU Health Care said that contract negotiations began earlier this month and that its contract with United was originally set to expire April 30, 2026. That deal has been
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) With a deadline looming to finalize insurance negotiations, MU Health Care warns that Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield policyholders may soon face coverage disruptions, as little progress has been made in discussions. MU Health Care has been in negotiations with Anthem for months, with a contract between the two parties expiring on
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The Randolph County Sheriff’s Office said it has received several reports of vehicles being followed, according to a public safety announcement posted on Facebook Saturday.
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Hundreds of weather forecasters and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration employees were fired Thursday in the latest wave of cuts from Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, sparking concern among local forecasters and emergency officials. The Associated Press reports that the cuts appear to be happening in two phases, with roughly 1,300
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Measles vaccination rates are declining in Missouri and across the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In the 2023-24 school year 90.4% of kindergarten students were vaccinated for the measles compared to 91.3% during the 2022-2023 school year, according to the CDC. The Missouri Department of Health and
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By Brenda Goodman, CNN (CNN) — Soaring egg prices have consumers boiling, and on Wednesday, the United States Department of Agriculture blamed rising costs on the bird flu epidemic and said it will take new steps to quell the outbreak. The new plan appears to have refocused the department’s efforts around the goal of lowering
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Columbia Fire Department advises being mindful when storing and using devices with lithium-ion batteries after two fires this month that were reportedly caused by them being overcharged and thrown away improperly. Batteries can be found in various everyday devices like toys, tablets electric vehicles, and vapes. On Saturday morning, Tiger Nutrition owner Sharon
Continue Reading COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) MU Health Care wrote in an email to patients who use Anthem Blue Cross Shield to apply for “Continuity of Care” in case the two sides don’t come to an agreement. The email recommends Anthem customers call the insurance giant at the number on the back of their insurance cards to learn
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When the wind chill is -15°F or lower, people can get frostbite in 30 minutes or less, according to the Cleveland Clinic. A Cold Weather Advisory has been issued in Mid-Missouri for Tuesday at 6:00 p.m. through Thursday at 12:00 p.m. for wind chills as low as 20 below.
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services reported over 14,000 flu cases in CDC Week 6 (Feb. 2 to Feb. 8). That total is more than double the amount of the 5,000 cases recorded in January (Jan. 5 to Jan. 11). According to previous reporting, the flu and respiratory illnesses have
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