Healthcare
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It’s almost flu season. Should you still get a shot, and will insurance cover it?
Amid political chatter about vaccines and the government entities that oversee them, it’s understandable to wonder where all this leaves the 2025-26 flu vaccine. In short: Yes, the flu shot is still a thing. And four doctors we spoke to said they recommend you get your flu shot this year.
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Facing cancer in Iowa: Patients share their stories
Cancer in Iowa isn’t just about treatment—it’s about surviving the system, asking why it happened, and living with the aftermath. Five Iowans share their stories.
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The future of cancer research in Iowa is uncertain—and lives are on the line
Iowa cancer patients are desperate for better screenings, treatments, and cures. Researchers are desperate to find them. So what’s the holdup?
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OPINION: Republican Congress members from Iowan have abandoned their constituents
Despite overwhelming public outcry, Republicans in Congress passed their Big, Ugly Bill, which includes the largest cuts to health care in history. After years of expanding health care coverage and working to eliminate barriers to coverage, GOP Sen. Joni Ernst, and every other Republican Iowa member of Congress, decided that tax breaks to billionaires were…
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Arizona Sen. Ruben Gallego visits Iowa State Fair
Gallego is talking about Medicaid cuts with Iowans, potentially in an effort to boost his stature among national Democrats. US Sen. Ruben Gallego of Arizona arrives in Iowa this week in an effort to reach out to Democrat voters in the state. “I’m fighting for a future where health care is affordable and within reach.…
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How pesticides help fuel Iowa’s cancer crisis
Pesticides are part of why Iowa’s fields are so productive. Research into pesticide exposure also connects them to our cancer crisis.
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Iowa hospitals brace for impact as federal Medicaid cuts loom
Federal Medicaid cuts are expected to strip health care from 86,000 Iowans over the next ten years. One rural hospital administrator warns the financial impact could be felt in months, not years. When Dr. Robin Plattenberger retired from her Washington County practice eight years ago, she left behind patients who depended on Medicaid for everything…
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The link between Iowa’s worsening water quality and rising cancer rate
Iowa’s rising cancer rate has many causes. Our worsening water quality is one.
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Iowa’s abortion ban creates costly travel for women seeking care, data shows
After a 74% drop in abortion services, Iowans increasingly cross state lines for care, while Illinois and other neighbors shoulder a regional burden. Tuesday marks one year since a law that bans most abortions in Iowa went into effect, and new data reported by providers show the impacts of the ban have been felt far…
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Cancer in Iowa: Remembering those we’ve lost amid our joy
Iowa Starting Line editor reflects on the loss of her mom to cancer as her brother’s family welcomes a new baby.
