North Carolina Law Prevents Billing For Sexual Assault Forensic Tests
Among a slew of new legislation, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, a Democrat, signed a measure saying hospitals can't bill victims or their insurance companies for the tests, with payment coming from a special state fund. Separately, in Ohio, health advocates push to extend insurance purchasing subsidies.
AP:
NC Governor Signs Bills Addressing Sexual Assaults, Alcohol
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper signed 11 bills on his desk into law Thursday, including legislation that addresses sexual assault, domestic violence and alcohol sales. ... One signed measure makes clear that hospitals or medical offices can’t attempt to bill victims of sexual assault or their insurance companies for forensic medical examinations, leaving it to a special state fund that’s already been in place to cover the payment. (Robertson, 7/7)
The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer:
Ohio Health Care Advocates Want Congress To Extend Health Insurance Purchasing Subsidies
Health care advocates in Ohio want Congress to extend temporary federal health insurance premium subsidies that expire at the end of the current plan year. They warn that failing to extend the subsidies would jeopardize health insurance coverage for thousands of Ohioans who would otherwise have difficulty paying their premiums. (Eaton, 7/7)
AP:
Fentanyl-Driven Overdoses Jump, Officials Urge Naloxone
An Oregon Health Authority analysis released Thursday has found that drug overdose deaths in Oregon more than doubled between 2019 and 2021, driven largely by misuse of the powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl. (7/8)
In mental health news from Colorado and Georgia —
Colorado Sun:
Colorado Lawmakers Had Ambitious Plans To Help Kids In Crisis This Year. Not All The Ideas Made The Cut.
Colorado policymakers had big ambitions to help children in the juvenile justice, foster care and mental health systems this year. Some of those big-idea reforms for children were pushed to the side or relegated to task force conversations, though Colorado approved “once-in-a-generation” funding for children’s psychiatric care. (Brown, 7/7)
Albany Herald:
CIT Bracelets Help Ease Encounters Between Police, Mental Health Sufferers
As a fashion statement they’re not much. But these rubber bracelets could make a big difference with police officers interacting with individuals suffering from mental illness and alter the results of an encounter from a trip to jail to referral to treatment. ... The bracelets, which say CIT (Critical Intervention Training) on one side and Mental Health Alert on the other, can let police know how to better handle a situation when they encounter someone who is wearing one. (Mauldin, 7/6)
Rural communities struggle with the infant formula shortage —
KHN:
The Search For Scarce Formula Is Worse For Rural Families On WIC
Two months after giving birth, Jennifer Magee noticed a change in her baby’s feeding routine that scared her: She was starting to drink more formula, almost every hour. Increased appetite is normal for growing infants, including Magee’s daughter, Aubrey. But amid the national formula shortage, Magee, 25, had only one container left, barely enough to last three days. (Saint Louis, 7/8)
