STAT+: STAT examines America’s deadliest drug

STAT PlusNewsletterD.C. Diagnosis STAT examines America’s deadliest drug You’re reading STAT’s D.C. Diagnosis newsletter Manage alerts for this article Email this article Share this article By John WilkersonMay 12, 2026 Washington Correspondent John Wilkerson[email protected]John Wilkerson is a Washington correspondent for STAT who writes about the politics of health care.

He is also the author of the twice-weekly D.C. Diagnosis newsletter. “Under-babied.” Dr.

Oz said that’s the name for a condition that affects one-in-three Americans. I guess that means over-babied is the condition of having too many kids, but then what do you call having the right number of babies? Baby-neutral?

Balanced-babied? Send news tips and your favorite lines from Raising Arizona to [email protected] or John_Wilkerson.07 on Signal. Scrambling for work requirement exemptions Patient groups are jockeying for exemptions from Medicaid work requirements, but the unusually fast implementation timeline for states is causing headaches.Advertisement Advocates for people in Medicaid would prefer that the federal government exempt specific patient populations from new requirements that able-bodied adult Medicaid beneficiaries work at least 20 hours a week, or be in school or volunteer for community service.

Otherwise, it’ll be difficult to help people navigate a state-by-state patchwork of rules. STAT+ Exclusive Story Already have an account? Log in This article is exclusive to STAT+ subscribers Unlock this article — plus in-depth analysis, newsletters, premium events, and news alerts.

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