A Year Into Iowa Medicaid ‘Unwinding,’ More Lost Coverage Than Expected

Iowa Public Radio: The Number Of Iowans Disenrolled From Medicaid Far Exceeds Projections 
A year into the process of Medicaid unwinding, the number of Iowans who have been disenrolled has far exceeded the state's initial projection. According to state data, at least 283,000 Iowans have been disenrolled as of March, including 87,000 children. (Krebs, 5/3)

KFF Health News: Journalists Delve Into Climate Change, Medicaid 'Unwinding,' And The Gap In Mortality Rates
KFF Health News and California Healthline staffers made the rounds on national and local media this week to discuss their stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances. (5/4)

On the spread of STDs in Colorado and Florida —

CBS News: Colorado County Leaders Work To Improve Testing For Congenital Syphilis In The Community
Adams County Medical Officer Bernadette Albanese says she has seen the impact time and time again; a baby infected by infected by congenital syphilis. Health leaders and elected officials in Adams County and throughout Colorado are working to improve testing amid a spike in the potentially deadly disease over the last six years. "It's very disruptive to start one's life already with this burden on board," said Albanese. (Vidal, 5/4)

WUSF: STD Surge: Florida Hits Record High Rates, Surpassing Pre-Pandemic Levels 
Sexually transmitted disease rates in Florida have skyrocketed by 42% in the last decade. These numbers are surpassing prepandemic levels, hitting its highest since 1990.The highest rate in Florida belongs to Leon County with 1,760 per 100,000 people, which is more than twice the state average. (Kissel, 5/3)

More health news from across the U.S. —

San Francisco Chronicle: California Settles With Drugmaker It’s Working With On Overdose Meds
California announced a tentative settlement agreement Friday with a pharmaceutical company over its alleged role in perpetuating the opioid addiction crisis battering the state — the same company Gov. Gavin Newsom is partnering with to produce lower-cost opioid overdose reversal drugs. That means the state could hand any funds it receives from the settlement right back to the company for the overdose reversal drugs it is partnering with the company, Amneal Pharmaceuticals, to produce. (Bollag, 5/3)

The Washington Post: Prosecutor Seeks To Drop Charges Against Five Deputies In Otieno Case
The Virginia prosecutor investigating the death of Irvo Otieno is seeking to withdraw charges against five law enforcement officers who were indicted on murder counts last year, curtailing the scope of what was once a sprawling case to just three defendants. Otieno, a 28-year-old Black man whose family said he was in mental distress when he arrived at Central State Hospital for treatment, died there of asphyxia as Henrico County sheriff’s deputies and hospital workers restrained him for 11 minutes, according to surveillance video and the medical examiner. (Rizzo, 5/5)

North Carolina Health News and WRAL-TV: Former Employees Say NC Psych Hospital Rife With Violence, Abuse 
In June last year, 11-year-old Henry picked up a sharp object and threatened to harm himself and his mother. It had been a rough year for Henry, who has autism spectrum disorder and has been diagnosed with a host of other developmental, mental and physical health conditions. His mother, Nicole, said her son had been bullied by kids near their home in northeastern North Carolina, and he had been hospitalized a few months earlier due to suicidal thoughts. (Knopf, 5/6)

The Baltimore Sun: This Program Pays Students To Get Their Nursing Degrees
Becoming a nurse sounded like the perfect job for Danielle Gonzalez — at least on paper. She already had experience working in health care. Before leaving the workforce to look after her third child, who was born with health problems, she worked as a certified medical assistant for about 10 years. Plus, she loved caring for others. (Roberts, 5/3)