Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Army Rebukes Maine Shooter's Superiors For Ignoring Health Concerns
Military.com: 3 Army Officials Punished After Investigation Of Maine Reservist's Mass Shooting Finds Numerous Failures
Sgt. 1st Class Robert Card, the Army reservist who went on a shooting rampage in Lewiston, Maine, in October, seemed like a textbook case of someone who needed help. He was hearing voices, became increasingly paranoid, threatened people, and owned guns. Now, months after his deadly mass shooting, Army officials have taken significant punitive measures against three officials in his chain of command, barring them from advancement -- a move that's just a hair away from legal action and effectively encourages those officials to leave the service without the Army outright forcing it. Army Reserve officials stopped short of publicly naming the officers punished since they were not held legally liable for mishandling Card's mental health care treatment. (Beynon and Toropin, 7/23)
The Boston Globe: Lewiston Shootings: Gunman Had A 'Hit List,' Army Reserve Report Says
A civilian psychiatric hospital in New York tried to have Robert R. Card II involuntarily committed last summer after he told them he had a hit list, but released him nearly three months before he went on a shooting rampage in Lewiston, Maine. The troubling detail, revealed Tuesday in investigative reports conducted by the military, was the latest of many warning signs authorities received, but failed to follow through on, of the Army reservist’s menacing and disturbing behavior in the months leading up to the Oct. 25 shooting. (Hilliard, 7/23)
In other health news from across the U.S. —
WUSF: New Law Requires State Health Plans In Florida To Cover Biomarker Testing
A new state law expands access to tests that can help medical professionals diagnose and treat diseases like cancer and Alzheimer's. It will require Florida Medicaid and state employee health insurance plans to cover biomarker testing when supported by medical and scientific evidence. (Colombini, 7/23)
Central Florida Public Media: Medicare’s GUIDE Model, New This Month, Aims For Coordinated Alzheimer’s Care
A coordinated Alzheimer's disease care program -- Medicare's new GUIDE Model -- began an eight-year trial this month with several Florida clinics taking part. Its current participants include nine established memory care clinics in Florida. Twenty-one more medical groups have signed on to start next July. (Byrnes, 7/23)
North Carolina Health News: Medicaid ‘Unwinding’ Winds Down In NC
In June 2023, the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services began verifying the eligibility of 2.5 million Medicaid participants for the first time since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. This marked the start of the so-called unwinding of the continuous coverage requirement, a federal provision that provided states with increased funding for Medicaid in exchange for not removing beneficiaries from the rolls while the national emergency declaration for COVID-19 was in place. (Baxley, 7/24)
NPR: Parents Don’t Get Instructions For Babies. But In Oregon, They Now Get A Nurse
Barb Ibrahim, a nurse of more than 30 years, unpacks in Matt and Amber Luman’s kitchen, in rural Jefferson County, Ore. ... Ibrahim drove half an hour to check in on Esserley and her parents. She’s part of a new program, slowly rolling out across Oregon, called Family Connects. The program offers any family with a new baby a no-cost visit at home with a trained nurse, like Ibrahim. It’s the state’s response to a grim, American reality: The U.S. has one of the highest death rates of any wealthy nation for infants and new mothers both. (Turner, 7/23)
Los Angeles Times: Amid Questions About Pesticides, Cannabis Regulators Rush To Test Weed
Under intense pressure from millions of weed users, California officials are scrambling to test cannabis products for pesticides following a Times investigation last month revealing that regulators have failed to keep vapes and pre-rolls rife with toxic chemicals out of stores. The revelation shook consumer confidence in the safety of legal products and panicked industry leaders: Three leading dispensary chains announced their own product testing programs in the absence of similar safety checks by regulators. (St. John, 7/23)
