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The Republican budget bill that passed the House last week would cause health care chaos and a massive transfer of wealth to the rich, Massachusetts’ leading Democrats argued Tuesday as the party mobilized a nationwide bid to derail the legislation. The budget bill, which now awaits a vote in the Senate, could cost the state $1.75 billion in federal support, deprive a quarter of a million people of health insurance, and threaten the existence of already strained hospitals and health centers in the state, according to the lawmakers.

Bristol Community College celebrated its 58th Commencement Ceremony on Saturday, under the college’s solar canopies at the Bristol Fall River Campus. At the ceremony, Bristol awarded 881 degrees in Associate in Science, Associate in Arts and Associate in Applied Science. Academic achievement with cum laude, magna cum laude and summa cum laude designations were also recognized.

Drugmakers have to continue paying hospitals upfront discounts for drugs in the 340B program — at least in the near term — after a federal court ruled late last week against major manufacturers that wanted to issue rebates for 340B drugs instead.

Hospitals hoping to avoid having to use a rebate model in the 340B Drug Pricing Program received good news in court recently. A federal judge issued a May 15 written opinion that the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) was within its rights to deny four drug manufacturers unilateral authority to implement a rebate model for providing 340B discounts.

Massachusetts doctors say former President Joe Biden's prostate cancer is not curable, but it is treatable, emphasizing the importance of early screening in diagnosing prostate cancer. Doctors say symptoms helped lead to Biden's diagnosis, but the chair of urology at UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester says early screenings can be one of the best tools in diagnosing prostate cancer.

Joe Biden’s personal office made the announcement on Sunday, saying the former president was seen for a new finding of a prostate nodule last week and diagnosed Friday with prostate cancer. Dr. Mitchell Sokoloff said, for most men, usually the disease is detected in an earlier stage. “Not surprised that an 82-year-old gentleman would be diagnosed with prostate cancer," Sokoloff said. "However, it was a little surprising how advanced the disease had become.”

From delayed surgeries to increased patient complications, the stakes of the anesthesia shortage could not be more clear. To address these stakes, nine leaders joined Becker’s to discuss the effects and consequences of the anesthesia shortage.