Latest Morning Briefing Stories
蘑菇影院 Health News' 'What the Health?': Bird Flu Lands as the Next Public Health Challenge
Public health authorities are closely watching an unusual strain of bird flu that has infected dairy cows in nine states and at least one dairy worker. Meanwhile, another major health system suffered a cyberattack, and Congress is moving to extend the availability of telehealth services. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call, and Rachel Cohrs Zhang of Stat join 蘑菇影院 Health News鈥 Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Atul Grover of the Association of American Medical Colleges about its recent analysis showing that graduating medical students are avoiding training in states with abortion bans and major restrictions.
California鈥檚 $12 Billion Medicaid Makeover Banks on Nonprofits鈥 Buy-In
California鈥檚 Medicaid program is relying heavily on community groups to deliver new social services to vulnerable patients, such as security deposits for homeless people and air purifiers for asthma patients. But many of these nonprofits face staffing and billing challenges and haven鈥檛 been able to deliver services effectively.
Addiction Treatment Homes Say Montana鈥檚 Funding Fixes Don鈥檛 Go Far Enough
Montana has created a voucher program to help cover room and board costs at low-intensity residential programs for people with addiction. Those running the homes say bridging that care is urgent but that the program鈥檚 funding falls far below the need.
Why Medicaid鈥檚 鈥楿ndercount鈥 Problem Counts
Millions of people were surprised to find themselves booted from Medicaid over the past year after pandemic-era protections expired that had prevented states from terminating their coverage. Turns out, millions of them were also unaware they had been covered by the government program. Nearly 1 in 3 people enrolled in Medicaid in 2022 鈥 or […]
Medicaid 鈥楿nwinding鈥 Decried as Biased Against Disabled People
People with disabilities say they are abruptly losing their Medicaid home health benefits and are being advised incorrectly when they call state offices for more information. 鈥淓very day the anxiety builds,鈥 one beneficiary told 蘑菇影院 Health News.
蘑菇影院 Health News' 'What the Health?': Newly Minted Doctors Are Avoiding Abortion Ban States
For the second year in a row, medical school graduates across specialties are shying away from applying for residency training in states with abortion bans or significant restrictions, according to a new study. Meanwhile, Medicare鈥檚 trustees report that the program will be able to pay its bills longer than expected 鈥 which could discourage Congress from acting to address the program鈥檚 long-term financial woes. Lauren Weber of The Washington Post, Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins University schools of nursing and public health and Politico Magazine, and Anna Edney of Bloomberg News join 蘑菇影院 Health News鈥 Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more.
Journalists Delve Into Climate Change, Medicaid ‘Unwinding,’ and the Gap in Mortality Rates
蘑菇影院 Health News and California Healthline staffers made the rounds on national and local media this week to discuss their stories. Here鈥檚 a collection of their appearances.
In Oregon, Medicaid Is Buying People Air Conditioners
Oregon has started providing air conditioners, air purifiers and power banks to help some of its Medicaid recipients cope with soaring heat, smoky skies and other dangers of climate change. It鈥檚 a first-in-the-nation experiment that expands a Biden administration strategy to take Medicaid beyond traditional medical care and into the realm of social services. 鈥淐limate change is […]
AC, Power Banks, Mini Fridges: Oregon Equips Medicaid Patients for Climate Change
Oregon is giving Medicaid patients air conditioners and other equipment to help them cope with soaring heat, smoky skies, and other dangers of climate change. Oregon health officials hope to show other states and the federal government that they can save lives and money.
Millions Were Booted From Medicaid. The Insurers That Run It Gained Medicaid Revenue Anyway.
Big health insurers that have contracts with state Medicaid programs find themselves making more money even as enrollment in Medicaid programs has dropped. Here鈥檚 why.
蘑菇影院 Health News' 'What the Health?': Abortion 鈥 Again 鈥 At the Supreme Court
For the second time in as many months, the Supreme Court heard arguments in an abortion case. This time, the justices are being asked to decide whether a federal law that requires emergency care in hospitals can trump Idaho鈥檚 near-total abortion ban. Meanwhile, the federal government, for the first time, will require minimum staffing standards for nursing homes. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Tami Luhby of CNN, and Joanne Kenen of Johns Hopkins University and Politico Magazine join 蘑菇影院 Health News鈥 Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Plus, for 鈥渆xtra credit,鈥 the panelists suggest health policy stories they read this week they think you should read, too.
Unsheltered People Are Losing Medicaid in Redetermination Mix-Ups
Some of the nearly 130,000 Montanans who have lost Medicaid coverage as the state reevaluates eligibility are homeless. That鈥檚 in part because Montana kicked more than 80,000 people off the program for technical reasons rather than income ineligibility. For unhoused people who were disenrolled, getting back on Medicaid can be extraordinarily difficult.
California Legislators Debate Froot Loops and Free Condoms
California state lawmakers this year are continuing their progressive tilt on health policy, debating bills banning an ingredient in Froot Loops and offering free condoms for high schoolers.
蘑菇影院 Health News' 'What the Health?': Too Big To Fail? Now It鈥檚 ‘Too Big To Hack’
Congress this week had the chance to formally air grievances over the cascading consequences of the Change Healthcare cyberattack, and lawmakers from both major parties agreed on one culprit: consolidation in health care. Plus, about a year after states began stripping people from their Medicaid rolls, a new survey shows nearly a quarter of adults who were disenrolled are now uninsured. Jessie Hellmann of CQ Roll Call, Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet, and Lauren Weber of The Washington Post join 蘑菇影院 Health News鈥 Mary Agnes Carey to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, 蘑菇影院 Health News鈥 Julie Rovner interviews Caroline Pearson of the Peterson Health Technology Institute.
Nearly 1 in 4 Adults Dumped From Medicaid Are Now Uninsured, Survey Finds
A first-of-its-kind survey of Medicaid enrollees found that nearly a quarter who were dropped from the program in the last year鈥檚 unwinding say they鈥檙e uninsured.
Casi 1 de cada 4 adultos desafiliados de Medicaid siguen sin seguro, indica encuesta
Las protecciones que tuvo el programa durante la pandemia, que imped铆an que se expulsaran beneficiarios, expiraron la primavera pasada.
Doctors Take On Dental Duties to Reach Low-Income and Uninsured Patients
More doctors are integrating oral health care into their practices, filling a need in America鈥檚 dental deserts.
M茅dicos de atenci贸n primaria asumen tareas de dentista para ayudar a pacientes vulnerables
En Denver, la inestabilidad de la vivienda, las barreras del idioma, la falta de transporte y el “costo astron贸mico” de la odontolog铆a sin seguro hacen que la atenci贸n dental sea inaccesible para muchos nuevos inmigrantes.
An Arm and a Leg: Attack of the Medicare Machines
In this episode of 鈥淎n Arm and a Leg,鈥 host Dan Weissmann tells a horror story. Instead of monsters and aliens, it鈥檚 about private health insurance companies and algorithms that call the shots on patient care.
Rising Complaints of Unauthorized Obamacare Plan-Switching and Sign-Ups Trigger Concern
Federal and state regulators are mulling what they can do to thwart this growing problem.
