Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
$1 Million In Tax Dollars Will Support West Virginia Anti-Abortion Centers
AP: West Virginia Places Anti-Abortion Pregnancy Center Coalition At The Helm Of $1M Grant Program
A West Virginia coalition that helps support a network of anti-abortion pregnancy centers in the state is receiving $1 million in taxpayer dollars to distribute to organizations committed to encouraging people not to end their pregnancies. The West Virginia Pregnancy Center Coalition has been selected to manage the new West Virginia Mothers and Babies Support Program, the state department of health and human resources announced this week. (Willingham, 12/1)
AP: Tennessee's Penalties For HIV-Positive People Are Discriminatory, Justice Department Says
Tennessee’s decades-old aggravated prostitution statute violates the Americans with Disabilities Act, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Friday after an investigation, warning that the state could face a lawsuit if officials don’t immediately cease enforcement. Tennessee is the only state in the United States that imposes a lifetime registration as a “violent sex offender” if convicted of engaging in sex work while living with HIV, regardless of whether the person knew they could transmit the disease. (Kruesi, 12/1)
St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Missouri Sees Alarming Rise In Suffocation Deaths Among Kids
State officials are warning of two alarming trends in the deaths of Missouri children: increasing numbers of infants suffocated during sleep, and children accidentally poisoned by fentanyl. The findings from 2022 were released this week in the annual Missouri Child Fatality Review Program report compiled by the Missouri Department of Social Services. (Munz, 12/3)
Colorado Sun: Colorado's Health Coverage Uninsured Rate Hit An All-Time Low
Colorado’s uninsured rate — the percentage of people without health care coverage — hit an all-time low this year, but federal policy changes mean it’s unclear whether that success can last. (Ingold, 12/2)
