Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Application Period For Post-Ida Food Stamp Aid In Louisiana Extended
New Orleans Times-Picayune: Louisiana Disaster Food Stamp Application Period Extended Through Oct. 13
Louisiana will extend its Hurricane Ida food stamp application period by three days due to high demand, officials said Wednesday. The Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance program, or DSNAP, opened Sept. 20 and now will run through Oct. 13. About 850,000 Louisianans who already receive regular food stamps, about one fifth of the population, need not apply; DSNAP is for those who don't normally qualify, officials said. State officials said that in the first phase of the disaster program, they received 100,000 calls and 73,000 applications, and were logging as many as 350 calls per second. They project 185,000 Louisianans will apply. (Pierce, 9/29)
In news from California —
AP: California Governor Signs Laws Aimed At Homeless Crisis
California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed seven new laws on Wednesday aimed at addressing the state’s homelessness crisis, pleading with a skeptical public to have patience as the nation’s wealthiest and most populous state struggles to keep people off the streets. Among California’s myriad problems — including wildfires, historic drought and a changing climate impacting them both — homelessness is perhaps the most visible, with tens of thousands of people living in encampments in cities large and small across the state. (Beam, 9/30)
Bay Area News Group: California Jobs Recovery Is Jolted By COVID’S Delta Variant
The spread of COVID’s delta variant is slowing California’s economic recovery as it seeks to rebound from the epic job losses that devastated the state and Bay Area at the start of the pandemic, according to the state’s leading economic forecast, released Wednesday. The growth of California’s job market is expected to trail the United States in 2021, according to the UCLA Anderson Forecast, which just six months ago projected that the Golden State would bounce back much faster than the nation. Now, forecasters said, it will be 2022 before the state is poised to charge past the nation. The latest quarterly forecast found that California didn’t really roar back to recovery after the statewide economy was formally reopened in June of this year. In fact, measured by nonfarm payroll employment, California’s job market is predicted to grow by just 1.8% over the course of this year — less than half of the 3.7% increase projected for the nationwide economy. (Avalos, 9/29)
In updates from Maryland, North Carolina, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Texas —
The Baltimore Sun: Baltimore Inspector General Raises Concerns About Conditions At Druid Heights Sexual Health Clinic
A new report from the Baltimore Office of the Inspector General raises concerns about dead rodents, water damage and fluctuating temperatures that put medical supplies in jeopardy at a city-run sexual health clinic in Druid Heights. Inspectors conducted a site visit in December 2020 where they found the clinic at 1515 North Ave. in Baltimore struggled with rodents in its basement, water damage and water leak issues, an outdoor dumpster constantly overflowing with trash from neighbors and temperature control issues that employees said have caused delays in testing for sexually transmitted diseases. (Wagner, 9/29)
North Carolina Health News: Changes For NC’s Veteran Nursing Homes In Budget Bill
Residents of North Carolina’s state veterans nursing homes would get much more attention from the General Assembly under a state House budget proposal that could bring numerous changes to the state’s approach to publicly-funded, yet privately managed homes. Meanwhile, a Georgia for-profit company has again won a five-year contract to manage the four homes, where 39 residents died from COVID-19 infections last year. PruittHealth, of Norcross, Ga., earned a renewal of the contract by bidding against two competitors for the business of running the homes, according to an NC Department of Administration spokeswoman. (Goldsmith, 9/30)
AP: WVa Health Centers Receiving More Than $18M In Federal Funds
More than $18 million will go to 27 West Virginia health centers to strengthen health care infrastructure and assist health care in medically underserved communities, U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin said. The funding is distributed through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under the American Rescue plan, Manchin said Wednesday. It will be used to support expansion and renovation projects and support COVID-19 testing, treatment and vaccinations, Manchin said in a news release. (9/30)
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Grafton Housing Development For Adults With Autism Wins Key Financing
An unusual Grafton development that would provide supportive housing for adults with autism has gained a key part of its financing. Woodside Prairie would feature four six-bedroom homes at the northwest corner of Hunter's Lane and Port Washington Road. Construction is to begin next spring, with the units opening in fall 2022. Around half the 24 units are still available. Each house would have a shared kitchen, living room and dining room. Woodside Prairie would hire staffers who are trained to work with people with autism. (Daykin, 9/29)
KHN: Death In Dallas: One Family’s Experience In The Medicaid Gap
For years, Millicent McKinnon of Dallas went without health insurance. She was one of roughly 1 million Texans who earn too much to qualify for Medicaid in the state but too little to buy their own insurance. That is, until she died in 2019. She was 64 and had been unable to find consistent care for her breast cancer. Lorraine Birabil, McKinnon’s daughter-in-law, said she is still grieving that loss. “She was such a vibrant woman,” she said. “Just always full of energy and joy.” Health insurance for roughly 2.2 million Americans is on the table as Congress considers a spending bill that could be as high as $3.5 trillion over the next decade. (Lopez, 9/30)
