A weekly roundup of noteworthy stories in public health news.
Court Ruling Stops Florida Doctors From Asking About Guns
An appeals ruling Tuesday removed a stay against a 2011 state law that prohibits doctors from asking patients about gun ownership or use when it's not directly related to the treatment being given. Opponents of the law say it prevents doctors from starting conversations about children's safety when there are guns at home. - The Tampa Bay Times
Medicaid Turns 50: What's Next For The Nation's Health Safety Net?
Medicaid may have turned 50 on Thursday, but it's in the midst of a major growth spurt. Nationally renowned Medicaid scholar Frank J. Thompson says more Americans will be covered, but states will have more control over what that coverage looks like. - Side Effects
Beware The Lone Star Tick (Especially If You Like Cheeseburgers)
Unlike the more familiar deer tick, this bug won't give you Lyme disease, but it could make you allergic to red meat. And as Side Effects' Bram Sable-Smith reports, climate change is giving the insect an expanded range.
No Easy Feat: Promoting the HIV Prevention Pill Among Latinos
Truvada -- the pill you can take every day that reduces your chances of contracting HIV by 90 percent, has been available for three years now. But Latinos -- who have higher rates of HIV than other groups, are slow to adapt the medication. Advocacy groups around the country are trying to change that. - Kaiser Health News
The New York Subway: Rats? Yes. Plague? No.
In a widely-covered study earlier this year, researchers reported finding traces of anthrax and bubonic plague in bacterial samples taken at subway stations in New York City. But this week the authors admitted they were wrong about those scary germs, as the blog Retraction Watch reports.
