Health Care

The midwife-run centers are still in the vast minority of births — less than 1% nationwide in 2024 — but are finding popularity in especially rural Western states.

General practitioners who come from — or train in — rural areas are more likely to practice in rural areas long term. Utah is getting $1.5 million federal dollars to support those programs.

A decade ago, only two states let Medicaid help cover the cost of doulas, who provide emotional support and information to people around childbirth. Now, 28 do, including five in the Mountain West.

Utah, Arizona, and Colorado got C grades in a new maternal mental health report card. Idaho, New Mexico, Nevada, and Wyoming got D's.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in Utah and the country — and many don't realize they have it. Things like screenings and healthy eating can help prevent high cholesterol.

The Trump administration ordered the changes to root out fraud and waste, but in a new report, some specialists said that connecting with Social Security now was like screaming into a black hole.

We talk with USU researchers Beth Fauth and Heather Kelley. They are directors of the new Dementia Resource Ambassador program.

Housing affordability was a critical issue. Lawmakers allocated $10 million in grants for first-time homebuyers, but limited it to new construction.

Around 17% of Utahns provide unpaid care for a family member, according to a new AARP study, which can create an emotional, financial, and health toll.

In other news, half of the Medicaid funds intended for patient care at nursing homes were misused, according to a state audit. And, privacy rules for voter registration records have changed in Utah.