Over $600 Million In Medicaid Funding For Special Ed Program Cut In Texas
The move is expected to worsen already strained care budgets for low-income students with disabilities in the coming year. More than 775,000 students receive special education services in Texas, though not all through Medicaid. In other news: California wants to ban slavery; mental health hotline for first responders; and more.
The Texas Tribune:
Texas Cuts $600 Million From Special Education Program
Texas is clawing back more than $607 million per year in federal funding for special education services, a move local school district officials say will likely worsen already strained budgets for students with disabilities. The School Health and Related Services (SHARS) program provides hundreds of school districts critical funding for special education services, reimbursing them for counseling, nursing, therapy and transportation services provided to Medicaid-eligible children. (Edison, 10/28)
AP:
Police Investigate After A Dead Infant Is Found In A Baby Box At An Idaho Hospital
Police are investigating after the body of a baby girl was found at a southeastern Idaho hospital in a box meant for people to anonymously give up a newborn, officials said Monday. Police officers in Blackfoot, Idaho, about 250 miles east of Boise, responded Oct. 13 to a report of a deceased infant left in the Safe Haven Baby Box at Grove Creek Medical Center, news outlets reported. (10/28)
WFSU:
Florida Kicks Off A Mental Health Hotline For First Responders
Florida has launched a hotline for first responders dealing with mental health issues. Those in need can call 1- 866-4-FL-HERO (866-435-4376 ) or go online to lasttoask.com. Attorney General Ashley Moody announced the "First Responder Hope Line" during a press conference in Tampa. Moody said the statewide service developed from several regional ones around Florida that have found success. It’s meant to help police, firefighters or EMTs seek help for trauma they receive on the job. (Wood, 10/28)
Politico:
A California Ballot Measure Wants To Ban Slavery. Why Is It Losing?
A ban on slavery and involuntary servitude seems like it should be an easy sell in a progressive state like California. So why does it look like voters may reject Proposition 6 next week? The measure, which would amend California’s state constitution to ban involuntary servitude in an effort to eliminate forced prison labor, faces no formal opposition. But its backers are struggling to explain it to voters with limited resources at their disposal. Their efforts are complicated by a louder debate about another crime-related measure, Prop 36, on which voters appear inclined to back a tougher approach. (Schultheis, 10/28)
The Hill:
California's Salton Sea Dust Triggering Child Respiratory Issues: Study
Wind-strewn dust from California’s lithium-rich, shrinking Salton Sea may be triggering respiratory issues in children who live nearby, a new study has found. Among the many symptoms — worse for those young people who reside closest to the saline lake — are asthma, coughing, wheezing and sleep disruptions, according to the study, published in Environmental Research. (Udasin, 10/28)
The Baltimore Sun:
Baltimore Landmarks To Light Up In Teal
The Charm City skyline will light up in teal Friday night to raise awareness of Alzheimer’s disease. The Baltimore World Trade Center, Bromo Seltzer Arts Tower, M&T Bank Stadium and other landmarks are participating in the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America’s “Light the World in Teal” display along with over 1,300 buildings around the world, according to a news release from the foundation. November is Alzheimer’s Awareness Month. (Mullan, 10/28)
KFF Health News:
‘Dreamers’ Can Enroll In ACA Plans This Year — But A Court Challenge Could Get In The Way
When open enrollment for the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, starts nationwide this week, a group that had previously been barred from signing up will be eligible for the first time: The “Dreamers.” That’s the name given to children brought to the United States without immigration paperwork who have since qualified for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. Under a Biden administration rule that has become contentious in some states, DACA recipients will be able to enroll in — and, if their income qualifies, receive premium subsidies for — Obamacare coverage. The government estimates that about 100,000 previously uninsured people out of the half-million DACA recipients might sign up starting Nov. 1, which is the sign-up season start date in all states except Idaho. (Appleby, 10/29)
KFF Health News:
KFF Health News' 'An Arm And A Leg': Can Racism Make You Sick?
In this episode of “An Arm and a Leg,” host Dan Weissmann sits down with KFF Health News’ Cara Anthony to talk about the documentary and podcast series she produced about the impact of a 1942 lynching and a 2020 police killing on a rural Missouri community. The project is called “Silence in Sikeston.” (10/29)
