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Perth Now
3 days ago
- Health
- Perth Now
Doctors' blunt warning on e- scooters
Doctors across the country are growing increasingly alarmed about the scale of carnage from electric scooter crashes, with one trauma specialist saying his team now confronts 'terrible injuries' daily. Professor Dieter Weber, head of trauma services at Royal Perth Hospital, told the ABC's Stateline program this week that his doctors confronted 'broken bones, significant internal organ injuries, brain injuries, spinal cord injuries', often leaving patients with 'lasting lifelong effects'. 'The facilities here at the state trauma centre allow us to give our patients the best possible care, but sadly … the pathway to try to get back to as normal a life is not always possible with these terrible injuries that we're seeing,' he said. 'We're seeing the whole range of injuries from broken bones, significant internal organ injuries, brain injuries, spinal cord this enormous group of patients that we've had to treat from injuries that are preventable.' His warning comes as Perth residents grapple with the shock death of Thanh Phan, 51, following an e-scooter crash in the CBD. Police allege British tourist Alicia Kemp was riding an e-scooter while intoxicated when she struck Mr Phan. Professor Dieter Weber treats e-scooter injuries as the head of trauma services at Royal Perth Hospital. Supplied Credit: Supplied Electric scooters are an increasingly popular method of travel. NewsWire / Ian Currie Credit: News Corp Australia She has been charged with dangerous driving causing death. Mr Phan was critically injured in the crash and died in hospital on Tuesday. Mr Phan's family have remembered him as a 'beloved husband, father of two, brother and dear friend'. 'We ask that the media respect the privacy of Thanh's family as they grieve their loss,' the family statement said. 'We also call for a review of the governance and safety regulations surrounding hired e-scooters to help prevent further serious incidents that put lives at risk.' The City of Perth has now suspended the use of hired e-scooters. The ban follows a vote from the City of Melbourne to outlaw hired e-scooters, though private scooters are still allowed across Victoria. Professor Weber's remarks also come as a new report from doctors and researchers in Queensland highlight a 'significant risk' to children from e-scooters. The report, published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health this week, analysed 176 child e-scooter injury cases that presented to Sunshine Coast University Hospital between January 2023 and December 2024. The research found 71 per cent of cases were male, falls accounted for 78 per cent of crashes, while 13 per cent involved motor vehicles. Thanh Phan died after he was struck by an e-scooter in the Perth CBD. ABC Credit: ABC Helmet noncompliance was documented in 42 per cent of the presentations, 12 per cent involved doubling, and 36 per cent exceeded the 25km/h speed limit. Further, fractures occurred in 37 per cent of cases, 18 per cent required computerised tomography scans and 11 per cent sustained life-threatening or potentially life-threatening injuries. The researchers warn e-scooter-related injuries among children are 'on the rise' and want to see Queensland's minimum age limit raised to 16 for all riders. 'While e-scooters do offer some transportation advantages, their use among children and adolescents raises significant safety concerns that cannot be ignored,' the report concludes. 'This study sheds light on the prevalence and severity of e-scooter-related injuries in this population in Queensland and underscores the importance of targeted interventions to mitigate these risks. 'We believe policymakers should urgently revisit the age limits in Queensland to ensure the safety of the state's youth until improved safety measures such as better speed-restricted e-scooters and driving proficiency tests have been implemented and demonstrated a significant risk reduction.' Research analysed e-scooter crash presentations at Sunshine Coast University Hospital. NewsWire / Nicholas Eagar Credit: NewsWire Queensland permits children aged between 12 and 15 to ride scooters if they are accompanied by an adult. Despite the rise in injuries, the researchers also warn there is no dedicated data collection system in place for e-scooter trauma. 'There are no pediatric-specific data on e-scooter trauma in Queensland, leaving policy change bereft of meaningful evidence to refine and strengthen current regulations,' the report states. Australia has a hodgepodge system of e-scooter regulations. In May, the NSW government announced a new 'framework' for e-scooter laws in the state. The new regulations would allow e-scooters to go on shared paths, with a default speed limit of 10-20km/h, and a 20km/h speed limit on roads that are signposted at 50km/h and below. E-scooters would be legal for independent riders over 16 years of age. 'These devices are creating an evolution in how people move around, and that's a good thing, but we need to get the balance right,' NSW Transport Minister John Graham said last month. 'There's still a lot of work to do, but this provides a clear path forward when it comes to properly integrating and regulating this relatively new form of transport.'
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Senior care, already challenged by pandemic and Boomers aging, needs Medicaid
PACE, the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly, centers provide government-funded medical care and social services to people older than 55, and they are a growing alternative to nursing home care. In the photo, physical therapist Brad Ellis, standing, works with George Raines on mobility issues at a PACE center in Tennessee. (Anna Claire Vollers/Stateline) Caring for Oregon's seniors has been my life's work. It began when I was a high school student in Hillsboro, and it continues today in my role leading Arete Living, an Oregon-based company that provides assisted living and memory care facilities. Our caregivers and staff provide essential care to hundreds of seniors and people with disabilities every day in all corners of the state. We meet people where they are, and we provide the care they need to sustain their independence and quality of life. The work is hard, but it is also incredibly rewarding and fulfilling. The last five years in senior care have been challenging to say the least. We faced a global pandemic and worked tirelessly to keep our residents safe and supported. And yet, with the pandemic behind us, I can say that I have never been more worried about the future of long term care in Oregon. At the federal level, discussions around cutting Medicaid are rampant and incredibly worrisome. At the state level, difficult decisions are being made about what programs to fund and what programs to cut. I am deeply concerned about what cuts to healthcare, or flat investments, will mean for our seniors as more Baby Boomers age into the years of their life when they need care, whether it is in an assisted living facility or in their own home. The increasing number of aging Oregonians who have more complex care needs than past generations, along with record-high inflation in medical supplies, food services, labor, and other critical health care components, means that the cost to provide care in Oregon is higher than it has ever been. These issues are felt more deeply in our rural and frontier communities where fewer caregivers are available and health care deserts already exist. Older Oregonians who have spent their lives in these communities should not have to move away from family and friends simply to find care. But Oregon is seeing assisted living and memory care facilities close their doors amid the combined pressures of more regulation, higher costs, and an underfunded Medicaid system. I know that lawmakers have hard choices to make, and I do not envy their positions. But I urge them to think about the seniors in their districts who have worked hard and contributed to Oregon's beauty and success. They deserve a long term care system that is well-funded and thriving. That will only happen when lawmakers step up and invest in Medicaid for our most vulnerable seniors, the same individuals we serve every day at Arete facilities and in others around the state. They are counting on us. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Glaucoma-related vision loss is often preventable, but many can't afford treatment
Charisse Brown, a 38-year-old Columbia, S.C., resident, talks about her journey with glaucoma and keratoconus, which led to vision loss in her left eye. Underinsured and not qualifying for Medicaid, she had to search for a local nonprofit to pay for her sight-saving surgeries. (Photo by Nada Hassanein/Stateline) COLUMBIA, S.C. — It's as if she's squinting through a smoke-filled room. But it's Charisse Brown's eye condition, glaucoma, that diminishes her vision. Brown, 38, has worked all her adult life, with a personal policy of keeping two jobs at once. But when she started losing sight in her left eye last year, she was forced to quit her call center job. That left her with one income stream, her marketing research job, to pay her $1,300 monthly rent and other bills. If glaucoma is caught early, monitored by a doctor and properly treated, it's possible to stall the progression of the disease. Eye drops are necessary for keeping eye pressure down to slow glaucoma-induced damage. Without insurance, the monthly cost of the medication can run anywhere from $80 per bottle for a generic version to $200 or $300 for a brand-name one. As an adult without children, Brown doesn't qualify for Medicaid in South Carolina, which has not expanded the program under the Affordable Care Act. She's enrolled in the lowest-premium plan on her state's health care insurance marketplace, but ophthalmologists in the area won't accept her insurance. She said she called 211, a hotline for community services in South Carolina, but her voicemails weren't returned. In medical debt and about to get kicked out of her apartment, she had to choose between her medication and paying for daily necessities like food and feminine care items. One food stamps enrollment worker told her: 'We can't approve you. If you go and have a baby, this will be a lot easier.' 'Single people — we're struggling,' Brown said. 'I feel like I'm getting punished for trying to do what's right.' Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that can cause a buildup of pressure that damages the optic nerve. Long called the 'thief of sight,' it's the leading cause of blindness in Black Americans like Brown. Black people are five times more likely to have glaucoma, and lose their sight at six times the rate of white people. Hispanic and Latino communities suffer similar disparities. Among Black patients, a timely diagnosis is paramount: Glaucoma occurs on average a decade earlier — and advances faster. But diagnosis and treatment can be costly and out of reach for many. In the Deep South, health care fights echo civil rights battles In South Carolina and the other nine states that have not expanded Medicaid, opponents of expansion say it would be too expensive to provide health coverage to more people, even though the federal government picks up 90% of the tab. But forgoing expansion also has costs. People without insurance or not enough insurance are more likely to visit the emergency room, as glaucoma and other chronic diseases take their toll. When it comes to eye diseases, vision can deteriorate without coverage for preventive care. And racial health disparities are higher in states that have not expanded. 'You see a lot of end-stage disease,' said Dr. Rebecca Epstein, a glaucoma specialist and ophthalmologist at South Carolina's Clemson Eye, which was not involved in Brown's care. 'They don't have insurance, and so they will delay care. And then they come in, one eye is already gone, another eye is on its way — and I'm sitting here having to tell them I've got to operate on their only eye.' For about two months, Brown was fully blind in her left eye. Surgeries to address her warping cornea, a condition called keratoconus, and another to relieve pressure causing her glaucoma would cost upward of $10,000. Asked if they could offer a payment plan, her doctor's office staff said no. For days, Brown and her siblings called dozens of charities, asking for help to pay for her surgery. They called doctors across the state, asking if they had the necessary surgeon specialists and whether they accepted her insurance. Some nonprofits told Brown she was too young, that their help was reserved for older adults. She finally landed on the South Carolina charity Lions Vision Services, affiliated with Lions Club International. The group offers eyeglasses, vision screenings and reimbursements to local doctors for surgeries patients living below the poverty line can't afford. The charity told her it could pay for her eye surgeries, and Brown was in disbelief. You don't give them access to care. You let them go blind, and then you're going to pay for their disability when they go blind? – Dr. Rebecca Epstein, ophthalmologist at Clemson Eye 'Access shouldn't be this hard. Our state should do a better job of making sure that we have coverage for people and that they have access to care — before they're blind,' Epstein said. 'Here's the crazy thing to think about: So, you don't give them access to care. You let them go blind, and then you're going to pay for their disability when they go blind, right? How backwards is that?' Had she not gotten the surgeries, Brown would have lost sight completely in that left eye, doctors told her. Before she found Lions, the search had been so frustrating that she told her mother through tears, 'Maybe I should just let this eye go.' Since Brown could no longer drive, she'd take Uber rides across town for her frequent appointments. For appointments in Charleston with her surgeon, her mother would drive from Myrtle Beach to Columbia, 2 1/2 hours away, for another two-hour drive to Charleston. After one surgery, she developed an infection and had to visit her Columbia doctor daily — $30 roundtrip — because her case was so critical. Knowing she couldn't afford the appointments, her doctor stopped charging her at follow-ups. Servants for Sight, a faith-based nonprofit that helps South Carolinians in poverty pay for vision care, offers to pay for surgeries, treatments and Uber rides to eye care appointments. Rideshares have helped people 'not only start their care, but complete their care,' said Amy Evette, executive director of Servants for Sight. The group also runs a mobile vision screening unit that visits communities across northwestern South Carolina. Volunteers and staff screen for signs of diseases such as glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy inside the white-and-green van, and connect patients to ophthalmologists for further care. The van is equipped with retinal imaging equipment and rows of free sunglasses. On the outside are logos of various eye care centers and nonprofits who volunteer to help. 'If people don't have insurance or are not able to afford an eye exam once a year, it's very difficult for them to detect any kind of eye disease,' said Sandra Torres, an ophthalmic technician of 17 years. The group works with homeless shelters, and she says many people end up on the streets because they lose their sight, and then their jobs. The vehicle saw a busy recent Thursday morning in Spartanburg, a city of about 38,000 people roughly 30 miles southeast of Greenville. Stationed in the parking lot behind a free medical clinic, staff prepared for nearly three dozen patients scheduled that day. Multiple residents filed into the van throughout the morning, many with thick contact casts wrapped around their calves and feet, used to heal and protect diabetic ulcers. Diabetes, which increases the risk of glaucoma, disproportionately affects people with lower incomes and communities of color, amid structural barriers to affordable health care and healthier food. Angela Garrett, a local pastor, has been grappling with blurred vision and diabetes. Uninsured, she came to the unit to get her eye pressure and vision checked. Garrett, 55, is also recovering from a recent open-heart surgery. A caregiver for older adults, she said she'll apply for Medicaid as soon as she's recovered and can go back to work. In South Carolina, the income limit for a single person who is blind or living with a disability is $15,650. She's passionate about caregiving, a pursuit 'from the heart,' even though her job is 'the bottom of pay in medical,' she said. Despite her modest income, she may not qualify for Medicaid. Often, patients don't know help is available, or they stop coming to their appointments because they can't drive and lack transportation, or they're unable to pay, said Dr. Peter Daniel, another ophthalmologist and glaucoma specialist who works with the nonprofits. He recalled a glaucoma patient who stopped showing up for appointments. The man began to weep when Daniel told him not to worry about the cost and connected him with the charities. 'They're in very difficult socioeconomic and complex situations,' Daniel said. 'And those are the folks that I worry about going blind.' Columbia optometrist Kendria Cartledge sees late-diagnosed glaucoma 'daily.' She said the majority of her patients are on Medicaid, and that not enough eye care providers accept the public insurance program, putting more pressure on the ones who do. The state Medicaid eligibility redetermination process has complicated matters. Patients may have had Medicaid in the past and are still struggling financially, but as states cull the rolls, they may lose coverage without knowing it. With glaucoma patients and others at risk of losing vision, timely care gets interrupted. 'A lot of these patients are getting lost to follow-up,' said Cartledge, who has been treating whole families with the disease among multiple siblings for years, building a relationship with them. 'Some expansion would definitely help out these patients have better outcomes, have a better quality of life.' The gigantic tax and spending bill the U.S. House approved last week could make that situation worse. The measure would cut federal Medicaid spending by $625 billion over 10 years, largely by enacting new work rules and additional paperwork requirements. The changes would remove about 7.6 million people from the Medicaid rolls over the next decade, according to initial estimates by the Congressional Budget Office. Ophthalmologists like Daniel give care knowing they're losing money, even after partial reimbursement from charities. 'If a charity can carry that burden, why can't our state and federal systems help shoulder that burden? We do it for older patients, we do it for our Medicare population,' said Epstein, the Clemson Eye ophthalmologist. 'Why can't we do it for our younger patients?' Clad in a bright yellow tunic and woven sun hat, Jekeithlyn Ross stopped by the Servants for Sight check-in table to introduce herself. Only she didn't have to. Marion Keller already knew Ross was the daughter of eye disease advocate J.C. Stroble as soon as she spoke her dad's name. Keller has a bobblehead figurine of Stroble in her curio cabinet. Ross has been on a mission to relaunch her nonprofit, the J.C. Stroble Glaucoma Awareness Foundation. Dormant during COVID-19, the organization is named for her late dad, who had glaucoma and was blind. The eye care advocate and Spartanburg icon died in 2013 at 71. 'Trying to get services to those that are falling between the cracks or the socioeconomically challenged is a challenge,' Ross said. 'What we're trying to do is go to the people, try to get the services to decrease the rate of blindness here.' A volunteer with the South Carolina Lions Club and speaker at churches and national and local civic events, Stroble was also well-known in the community for his boisterous order-calling at the local fast-food fixture, the Beacon Drive-In. The eatery, where he was nicknamed the 'Beacon Barker,' is popular among locals and as a stop on campaign trails. Inside, Stroble's portrait adorns the wall chronicling the diner's storied history, which includes presidential candidate visits, along with benchmarks like the launch of the internet. Medicaid cuts may disproportionately affect Black, Latino doctors and their patients At the Servants for Sight check-in table, the excitement was palpable: Ross and Keller talked about their mirrored missions as if they were old friends. Keller shared that she had a cornea transplant, and before they parted ways, she and Ross blew each other a kiss. 'This is a marriage. This is only the beginning,' Ross said. Ross said she was aware of glaucoma because of her dad, but others without exposure might not know the importance of getting their eyes checked, or even that it runs in their families. 'We're back in action — because the need is great,' Ross said. 'Education, awareness is the key. It's essential, and it's not enough foot soldiers out there putting that message out.' She's been going to churches, civic groups, clinics and mobile units to spread the word about the foundation. 'Nonprofits pick up the pieces. We have a little joke: 'When the government and all else fails, then you come to us,'' she said with a wry chuckle. 'Because what do you do? You help.' Servants for Sight helped pay for glaucoma surgery and eye drops for 71-year-old Jimmie 'Coach Sheek' Robinson. The retired school bus driver and Little League coach said he's had trouble accessing Medicare. 'It was like looking through a plastic sandwich bag,' he recalled. 'I'm asking, 'Lord, what is happening to my eyes?'' Often running in families, glaucoma can sneak up in those with 20/20 vision all their life, like Robinson. He couldn't see his fellow churchgoers' hands, extended to greet him with a handshake. He'd have to explain that his peripheral vision was waning. Handshakes matter at Piney Grove Baptist, a small congregation with scarlet carpets in Anderson, about 30 miles southwest of Greenville. A 'flimsy grip won't do it,' said one deaconess at the podium on a recent Sunday. 'You can tell someone loves you,' she said, by their handshake. 'Shake my hand,' she exclaimed as parishioners laughed. 'Show up with love.' That day, Robinson, donning glasses, was able to do that. Throughout the sermon, he'd wave his hand in prayer over his daughter and grandchildren, who filled the pew behind him. 'I'm not going to get depressed over my eye,' he said. 'God been good to me.' Back in Columbia, with those costly prescriptions, doctor and rideshare visit costs adding up, Charisse Brown said she is now steeped in about $7,500 in debt, with Uber costs totaling $1,500 alone. She's kept a GoFundMe up to try to chip away at bills through donations. She has just moved into another apartment, a gray-floored two-bedroom, where rent is $300 cheaper than her previous one-bedroom flat. Leaving lights on at night, along with the beaming lamppost right outside her back door, helps her navigate her apartment after dark. 'That's pretty much the only way that I am able to see, is enough light is coming in, especially in my left eye,' she said. Brown said her friends have noticed her own light dimming. Friends have always called her 'Kumbaya' for her outgoing and positive attitude. But after her vision crisis, she fell into despair. She stopped going out, self-conscious about the appearance of her left eye, which is sometimes swollen and has strabismus. Because she can't hop in her car for a spontaneous road trip like she used to, she's leaned on her personal avatar in the online game 'Second Life,' where she simulates going to the beach and streams her pastor's sermons, as if she's sitting in the pews. She's trying to lift her spirits by writing poetry and tending to her plants. In the corner of her sparsely furnished living room sits a fern she's named Duchess, a pothos called Prince and a few other small pots, studded with budding succulents. Sitting on the couch, she reads from her poem 'Overcome.' She'd been lying in the hospital bed after a surgery, using speech-to-text to write: Darkness and light both dwell in the same universe, but light always outshines – so I nicknamed myself 'Bright,' To be able to blind the Dark from coming my way. It's so blinding that maybe he would give up And leave me alone today. This story is part of 'Uninsured in America,' a project led by Public Health Watch that focuses on life in America's health coverage gap and the 10 states that haven't expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. Stateline reporter Nada Hassanein can be reached at nhassanein@ SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
As Teacher Burnout Deepens, States Scramble to Fill Job Vacancies
This article was originally published in Stateline. As another school year ends, superintendents across the United States are staring down an autumn staffing crisis, with 1 in 8 teaching positions either vacant or filled by an underqualified educator. States that are struggling with post-pandemic teacher shortages have spent millions to lure replacements and retain veterans with hiring bonuses and bumps in salaries. But hiring gaps remain, so some states also are trying another tactic: changing their standards. Get stories like this delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for The 74 Newsletter The changes in teacher training and licensing come amid widespread turmoil in public schools: Tax revenue is being siphoned toward private school vouchers in many states; some classrooms are being scrutinized for banned books, displays or teaching lessons that trip into diversity, equity and inclusion territory; and students who went through pandemic-era shutdowns are struggling both with sitting still and with learning the material. Some surveys show that fewer than a fifth of teachers are happy in their jobs. 'Teaching is not seen as an attractive profession right now,' said Drew Gitomer, an expert on teaching assessment at Rutgers Graduate School of Education. 'COVID exacerbated things, and teachers are caught in the middle of political battles — over curriculum, book bans, even personal attacks,' he said. 'It's not a healthy work environment, and that drives people away.' Last year, Illinois enacted a law allowing teacher candidates to begin student teaching before passing content-area exams. It was an effort to reduce barriers for underrepresented groups, the measure's sponsor said. A bill under consideration this year would give more districts discretion over whether to factor pupils' test scores into teacher evaluations, a break from a 15-year-old mandate. In New Jersey, a new law formally removes the Praxis Core exam — traditionally used as an entry-level screening tool for aspiring teachers — from certification requirements. And in Nevada — one of the states hit hardest by teacher shortages — a bill would streamline licensure for incoming educators. The bill would allow teachers credentialed in other states to begin working in Nevada classrooms while awaiting formal approval. It also would remove extra steps for teachers switching grade levels and would waive application fees for recent substitute teachers. Linda Darling-Hammond, founding president and chief knowledge officer of the Learning Policy Institute, a nonpartisan think tank, said teacher shortages hit hardest in schools serving low-income students and students of color, where instability often leads to larger class sizes, canceled courses or a revolving door of substitute teachers. 'When you walk into a school facing shortages, you see instability,' she said. 'Students may be taught by people who don't know what to do, who leave quickly, and who often rely more on discipline than engagement.' The root cause? Teacher attrition. 'Nine out of 10 vacancies every year are because of attrition — and two-thirds of that is not retirement,' Darling-Hammond said. 'Support in the beginning matters. Teachers who come in and get a mentor stay longer. If you're just thrown in to sink or swim, the odds of leaving are much greater.' States have long struggled to attract teachers, and credentialing changes aren't unusual. But some education advocates fear long-term repercussions. Melissa Tooley, director of K-12 educator quality at the left-leaning think tank New America, said most states now offer alternative and fast-track teacher certification pathways, many of which allow candidates to start teaching with little or no pedagogical training in how to teach. 'We're churning through people who might have potential, but we're not setting them up for success,' she said. 'A lot of what states are doing is short term. It's about filling seats, not necessarily building a sustainable or high-quality workforce.' More than 40 states require aspiring teachers to take the costly Praxis Subject test for the subject they want to teach, which some experts argue excludes strong candidates and duplicates other assessments. 'You were excluding people who might be good teachers but didn't do well on that specific test,' said Rutgers' Gitomer, who has researched the test's effects on recruitment. However, he added, dropping tests doesn't necessarily help. Several states — Georgia, New Jersey, New York, Washington and Wisconsin — have dropped a licensure requirement known as edTPA since 2022, but there's little evidence the move has helped ease teacher shortages, Gitomer said. (The acronym stands for Educative Teacher Performance Assessment and involves a portfolio that includes testing and videos of classroom performance.) 'The state eliminated edTPA but didn't replace it with a specific alternative,' he said. 'Instead, it gave full discretion back to individual institutions to develop or adopt their own performance assessments,' he said. 'When we talked to institutions, it became pretty clear they didn't think removing edTPA would be a major driver in addressing the shortage — and they haven't seen evidence that it has been.' Tooley said state credentialing systems must navigate a delicate balance: ensuring there are enough teachers, maintaining instructional quality and increasing workforce diversity. 'There's this triangle — three pieces that need to be in place — and I think there are real tensions when it comes to how states are designing their certification policies,' she said. And Gitomer described a fragmented national landscape, where some states are tightening teacher entry standards while others are dramatically loosening them — even allowing non-degreed individuals to teach. 'Some states are trying to raise standards; others are relaxing them to the point where you may not even need a college degree,' he said. Indiana now requires all pre-K through grade 6 and special education teachers to complete 80 hours of training on the 'science of reading,' a method that includes phonics, and pass an exam by 2027. State Sen. Jean Leising, a Republican, has proposed cutting the requirement in half, calling it 'an excessive burden with little actual benefit' in a news release. In Texas, a bill aims to reduce the use of uncertified teachers by the 2029-30 school year. The legislation would set a gradual cap on the percentage of uncertified teachers districts can employ in core curriculum classes — starting at 20% in 2026-27 and decreasing to 5% in 2029-30. According to the Texas Education Agency, 31% of new hires in 2024-25 lacked a state teaching certificate or permit. Yet some states stand out for how they're changing their requirements, Tooley said. She pointed to Washington, which has designed a recruitment strategy encouraging paraprofessionals, often known as teacher's aides, to become classroom teachers. Also known as paraeducators, they're a group with classroom experience, community ties and higher retention likelihood. There, school districts are required to offer foundational training — ranging from 14 to 28 hours — directly to paraeducators. In West Virginia, a new law now allows districts to count full-time behavior interventionists working in one or two classrooms toward meeting the required number of aides or paraprofessionals in K-3 classrooms. Tooley noted that Pennsylvania and Alabama are experimenting with 'menu-style' licensing flexibility — allowing candidates to demonstrate qualification through various combinations of GPA and test scores, rather than rigid cutoffs. 'These are people already in schools, often from the same cultural or linguistic backgrounds as students,' Tooley said. 'They're more likely to succeed and to stay.' A 2024 national survey by the EdWeek Research Center found that public school teachers are increasingly reporting declines in mental health, job satisfaction and classroom stability. Seventy percent of teachers recommended student mental health interventions, and nearly half said schools lack enough counselors, psychologists and social workers. As mental well-being has worsened, the share of public school teachers who are very satisfied with their jobs has also declined by 2 percentage points from the previous year, to 18%, according to the survey, which was conducted by the EdWeek Research Center on behalf of Merrimack College. While teacher wellness supports remain limited, educators say improvements in pay and student discipline are the most needed changes. To entice passionate but burned out educators from leaving the workforce, several states have raised minimum teacher pay. Arkansas boosted salaries to $50,000 statewide, and South Carolina raised starting pay to $47,000 this year, giving it a boost to $48,500 next school year. South Dakota enacted a $45,000 minimum with yearly increases, and penalties for districts that fail to comply by 2026. Connecticut advanced a bill setting a $63,450 salary floor, while Indiana and others are eyeing further increases. At the federal level, the proposed American Teacher Act seeks to establish a national $60,000 minimum salary for teachers at a qualifying school to boost recruitment and retention across the country. The bill, sponsored by U.S. Rep. Frederica Wilson, a Florida Democrat, remains in committee. Stateline is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Stateline maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Scott S. Greenberger for questions: info@
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
23andMe users' genetic data is at risk, state AGs warn; here's how to delete your data
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways Genetic testing company 23andMe, once valued at $6 billion, has filed for bankruptcy. State attorneys general are urging concerned customers to delete their data, while experts warn that state and federal laws may not fully protect their privacy. (Photo by) The fate of more than 15 million customers' genetic data remains in limbo after popular DNA testing company 23andMe filed for bankruptcy in March. The data is up for sale, stoking fears about how it might be used and prompting attorneys general from more than a dozen states to warn 23andMe users: Delete your data. 'Your genetic data is your most personal, confidential data, and you should be able to protect who has access to it,' North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson, a Democrat, said in a March statement. 'You have the power to delete your data now — please act quickly.' Dr. Adam Brown, a Washington, D.C.-based emergency physician and the founder of a health care strategy firm, deleted his information on 23andMe as soon as he learned of the bankruptcy filing, he told Stateline. For him, the bankruptcy begs a vital question that federal and state laws don't fully address: What happens to your genetic data when the company holding it collapses? Federal protections are flimsy. States have beefed up their genetic privacy laws in recent years, but many experts say they don't go far enough. 23andMe has said the bankruptcy will not change how it stores, manages or protects its trove of sensitive customer information. In a news release issued shortly after the bankruptcy announcement, the company said any potential buyers would have to agree to comply with 23andMe's consumer privacy policy and all applicable laws. When contacted by Stateline, the company declined to comment beyond what it has published in news releases and information it posted for customers on its website. But once the data is in the hands of another company, that company could change its privacy policy at any time, experts noted. 'Once you get to the point of bankruptcy court, there may not be those same guarantees or the same ethos a new company may have around privacy protections for consumers,' Brown said. 'I want people to understand there actually are not a lot of data privacy protections for consumers, especially for these direct-to-customer-type businesses.' HIPAA doesn't help Companies such as 23andMe offer their users potentially game-changing revelations about their health and ancestry. The process is simple: Mail in a saliva sample and the company uses it to build an individual genetic profile that can reveal not only a person's family connections, but also health insights such as their risk of developing a disease like cancer or Alzheimer's. This valuable personal data underpins a direct-to-customer genetic testing market that was valued at $1.93 billion globally in 2023 and is expected to grow, according to market research firm Grand View Research. 23andMe was an industry giant until its stock price plummeted following a massive 2023 data breach that affected the accounts of nearly 7 million customers. Then came the $30 million class-action lawsuit settlement. The company declared bankruptcy in late March of this year, and announced it's up for sale. A flurry of alerts from state attorneys general around the country soon followed. AGs from states including Alabama, Arizona, California, Kentucky, New Hampshire, North Carolina and Texas issued similar press releases that recommended customers ask the company to delete their genetic profile and destroy the saliva sample used to create it. 'We have robust state privacy laws that include data deletion rights, and I would encourage any Texan concerned about their data to exercise the right to have their data securely deleted,' Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican, said in an April statement. The fear is that a new 23andMe owner could choose to use or share sensitive personal genetic data in ways the company's current privacy policy doesn't allow. There's worry it could be used, for example, to inflate people's life insurance premiums or expose them to employment discrimination. And there aren't many guardrails to prevent that from happening. HIPAA, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, doesn't apply to companies like 23andMe. The landmark federal law protects patients' sensitive health information when it's handled by doctors, hospitals and health insurers. But direct-to-customer companies such as 23andMe or Ancestry aren't considered health care providers, and their non-invasive saliva collection kit isn't considered a medical test. The main federal law that protects people from discrimination based on their genetic information is nearly 20 years old. The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) was passed in 2008, long before the rise of at-home testing kits. It applies to employers and health insurers, but not to life insurance companies, mortgage lenders and other non-health entities. And it doesn't explicitly protect epigenetic information, which is information about the way a person's genes — and by extension, health — are affected by outside factors such as smoking, disease or stress. How to delete your 23andMe data Log in to your 23andMe account on Under your profile, click 'Settings.' Scroll to the '23andMe Data' section. Click the 'View' button. If you want a copy of your genetic data, choose the option to download it to your device before proceeding. Scroll to the 'Delete Data' section. Click 'Permanently Delete Data.' Check your email for a confirmation email from 23andMe, then follow the link in the email to confirm your deletion request. If you previously opted to have your saliva sample and DNA stored by 23andMe but want to change that preference, you can do so from your account settings page, under 'Preferences.' If you previously consented to 23andMe and third-party researchers using your genetic data and sample for research purposes, you can withdraw that consent from your account settings page, under the 'Research and Product Contents' section. If you have concerns, you can contact your state attorney general's office. Find yours at Source: Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia What states are doing In the past five years, at least 14 states have passed laws regulating direct-to-consumer genetic testing offered by companies like Ancestry and 23andMe. There's variation, but generally the laws require companies to get customers' express consent before using or sharing their data, and allow customers to request their genetic data be deleted and biological samples destroyed. It's a good start, but doesn't go far enough, said Anya Prince, a University of Iowa law professor whose research focuses on health and genetic privacy. Many of those state efforts were built around a model law developed by the Coalition for Genetic Data Protection, an industry group with two member companies: 23andMe and Ancestry. As DNA testing kits exploded in popularity and attracted increased scrutiny from lawmakers, the coalition pushed to influence legislation and set industry standards. The privacy protections in the laws mirror what 23andMe and Ancestry were already doing with their own privacy policies, experts say. 'They do have some really sensible privacy protections,' said Prince. 'It's great that people can delete their genetic data, and it's great that law enforcement needs a warrant to access it. But if a privacy advocate had written a model law, there would be the potential for more and broader protections.' For example, she said, many of the state laws address privacy requirements just for direct-to-consumer DNA testing companies. If 23andMe's data is bought by, say, a pharmaceutical company, those state laws no longer apply. The coalition now appears to be inactive, its website defunct. Since 2020, more than a dozen states have passed some version of a genetic information privacy law, including Alabama, Arizona, California, Florida, Kentucky, Maryland, Montana, Nebraska, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Wyoming, based on a Stateline analysis. This year, the Indiana legislature passed a bill that's now headed to the governor's desk. Bills have been introduced this year in other states, including West Virginia. Prince said state laws rely too heavily on consumers to self-manage their data privacy. They're expected to understand a company's policy, when studies have shown the public often doesn't read privacy notices nor fully understand how companies use their data. Further, many state laws don't address how third parties, such as law enforcement, can access and use consumer genetic data. It's also not always clear how the laws will be enforced, or who's responsible for oversight. 'In general, I think there's a disconnect between how people think their privacy is protected and how it's actually protected,' she said. But a few states have enacted laws that are more robust. California, for example, has a genetic information privacy law, but also has a general data protection law, as well as a state version of the federal GINA law that extends genetic anti-discrimination protections into areas including housing, education and licensing. Florida has beefed up its DNA privacy laws in recent years, making the using or selling of an individual's DNA without informed consent a felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison and up to a $10,000 fine. Florida was also the first state to prohibit life, disability and long-term care insurance companies from using genetic information to determine coverage.
