Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
9% Of Texas Hospitals Teeter On Edge Of Closing, Especially In Rural Areas
Modern Healthcare: More Texas Hospitals At Risk Of Closing As Medicare Cuts Loom
More than 9% of hospitals in the Lone Star State are at risk of closure, compared with 4.7% in 2020, according to a report released this week from consulting firm Kaufman Hall. The firm identified a hospital’s closure risk based on unsustainable trends with its operating margin, days cash on hand and debt-to-capitalization ratios. (Hudson, 12/1)
In other health news from across the U.S. —
WUSF Public Media: Hillsborough Has A Free Health Plan For Residents Who Can't Get Medicaid. It Needs More Members
Ana Yanes was in crisis. It was 2019, and the kidney transplant her husband Daniel Torres had been living with for many years was failing. His health got so bad, Yanes says he couldn't work. He lost his job, and with it, the employer-based medical insurance the couple depended on. Yanes says it came at the worst possible time. “Everything happened so fast," Yanes said. "I kid you not, he lost his job June 28; by July 8 he was already admitted to the hospital.” (Colombini, 12/1)
Colorado Sun: Colorado Officials Accused Of Unfairly Boosting A Polis Health Insurance Policy
The Colorado Option, the new health insurance program that seeks to give people better coverage at lower prices, is the result of years of work by Democratic lawmakers, state officials and advocacy groups to prove that a more consumer-friendly insurance plan can be a winner in the free market. But now, health insurance brokers say the state is unfairly trying to tilt that playing field in the Colorado Option’s favor. (Ingold, 12/2)
The Boston Globe: Public Advised To Avoid Boston Harbor Following Sewage Overflow
The Massachusetts Water Resources Authority advised the public Thursday to avoid a section of Boston Harbor for at least 48 hours following an overflow of sewage related to Wednesday’s rainstorm. The area of concern is part of the inner harbor, upstream of North Washington Street Bridge, the authority said. Interacting with affected waters can cause illness and creates a potential public health risk, it said. (Mogg, 12/1)
The Maine Monitor: Walgreens Paid $68,000 In Penalties This Year After Failing To Meet Staffing Requirements, Records Show
Maine’s biggest pharmacy chain has agreed to pay more than $68,000 in fines this year for violating state staffing and operating hours laws at 10 locations, an apparent sign of continued labor shortages in the healthcare industry tied to the coronavirus pandemic. Walgreens has been fined 15 times in 2022 by the Maine Board of Pharmacy for either failing to have a pharmacist in charge — a position responsible for ensuring the pharmacy complies with state law — or reducing its operating hours without notice, according to state records. The chain with the next-highest number of penalties was CVS, with four cases and $13,500 in fines. (Andrews, 11/30)
AP: ACLU Warns Tenn. Hospital Over Transgender Treatment Policy
Civil rights advocates say a Memphis hospital is no longer providing gender-affirming surgeries, a move they argue is illegal and discriminatory. According to the American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee, Memphis-based Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare alerted their client, Chris Evans, on Nov. 21 that all gender-affirming surgeries were canceled due to a newly adopted policy. Evans, who the ACLU says suffers from gender dysphoria, had been scheduled for a surgery at MLH less than a week later. (Kruesi, 12/1)
AP: Judge OKs Federal Intervention In Struggling Water System
The U.S. Justice Department has won a federal judge’s approval to carry out a rare intervention to improve the precarious water system in Mississippi’s capital city, Attorney General Merrick Garland announced Wednesday, months after the system’s partial failure. The department filed the proposal for intervention on Tuesday and U.S. District Judge Henry Wingate approved it later that day in Mississippi. The move authorized the appointment of a third-party manager to oversee reforms to Jackson’s water system, which nearly collapsed in late summer and continues to struggle. (Goldberg, 11/30)
AP: Denver Gets Go-Ahead From EPA After Progress On Lead Pipes
The Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday approved a nearly $700 million plan to remove all lead water pipes in the Denver region, saying the local water utility’s approach for reducing lead levels is succeeding and making swift progress. It’s a recognition that cities can effectively address the lead pipe crisis if they try. (Phillis, 12/1
KHN: Watch: The Politics Of Health Care In California
KHN senior correspondent Angela Hart joined the nonpartisan group Democracy Winters on Nov. 19 to discuss the politics of health care in California. She focused on Gov. Gavin Newsom’s major health care initiatives, including a transformation of the state Medicaid program that will bring nontraditional, social services to some enrollees — with a focus on homeless patients. (12/2)
