Wellness influencer and entrepreneur Dr. Casey Means shared a vision for addressing the root causes of chronic disease instead of what she calls "reactive sick care" during her confirmation hearing to become the next surgeon general. Wednesday's hearing in the Senate health committee was rescheduled from October, when Means went into labor the day she was set to appear. Means' message that dietary and lifestyle changes are needed to heal an ill and struggling nation aligns closely with that of her ally Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. But she also faced tough questions about topics that have become divisive in recent years, such as vaccines and hormonal birth control, as well as about her qualifications for the job.
People with private health insurance would be able to pick up over-the-counter methods like condoms, the "morning after" pill and birth control pills for free under a new rule the White House proposed on Monday. Without a doctor's prescription, women may pay as much as $50 for "morning after" pills. And women who delay buying the medication in order to get a doctor's prescription could jeopardize the pill's effectiveness, since it is most likely to prevent a pregnancy within 72 hours after sex. The new rule would also require insurers to fully bear the cost of the once-a-day Opill, the only FDA-approved over-the-counter birth control pill.
