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) 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 and Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield could not agree on a contract, leaving thousands of patients to look for other health care options to stay in Anthem’s network. Direct primary care — a subscription-based form of health care — began in the 2000’s and doctors say it is growing
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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) Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield and MU Health Care failed to reach a deal on Monday, according to a Monday news release from MU Health Care. The two sides had been in contentious negotiations for months with the intent to reach an agreement by Monday’s deadline. MU Health Care will no longer
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Thousands of MU Health Care patients insured through Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield could soon be forced to find new doctors as contract negotiations remain unresolved. Anthem’s contract with MU Health Care is set to expire on March 31. If a deal is not reached, MU Health Care will be considered out-of-network
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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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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A lawsuit filed in Boone County on Tuesday alleges that a patient at CenterPointe Hospital in Columbia was sexually assaulted by another patient last year. The plaintiff, listed as a Jane Doe, sued CenterPoint Hospital in Columbia and its parent company Acadia Healthcare. The petition accuses the healthcare company of multiple counts
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey issued a cease-and-desist order against Planned Parenthood facilities in the state, prohibiting them from performing medication abortions without an approved complication plan from state health officials. However, Planned Parenthood officials contend they are not currently offering medication abortions and have complied with state requirements. Abortion appointments resumed
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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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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Missouri Republicans are continuing their efforts to stop abortions in the state as the Columbia Planned Parenthood location is preparing to start the procedure again. Planned Parenthood will begin offering abortion care at its Columbia clinic on Monday, according to a Planned Parenthood Great Plains spokesperson. The clinic is currently offering appointments.
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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
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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By Brenda Goodman and Neha Mukherjee, CNN (CNN) — The US is in the throes of an unusually intense and severe flu season, with hospitalization rates topping the levels seen with Covid-19 at some points of the pandemic. On top of the flu infection itself, doctors say they’re seeing large numbers of patients with some
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