Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
As Evictions Loom, Does CDC's Temporary Ban Go Far Enough?
NPR: Preventing Eviction Is Good For Health. Is The CDC's Temporary Ban Enough?
As many as 40 million Americans faced a looming eviction risk in August, according to a report authored by 10 national housing and eviction experts. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cited that estimate in early September when it ordered an unprecedented, nationwide eviction moratorium through the end of 2020. That move — a moratorium from the country's top public health agency — spotlights a message experts have preached for years without prompting much policy action: Housing stability and health are intertwined. (Sable-Smith, Bebinger and Benson, 9/29)
WBUR: Evictions Damage Public Health, Which Is Why The CDC Has Banned Them ― For Now
As many as 40 million Americans faced a looming eviction risk in August, according to a report authored by 10 national housing and eviction experts. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cited that estimate in early September when it ordered an unprecedented, nationwide eviction moratorium through the end of 2020. (Sable-Smith, Bebinger and Benson, 9/29)
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Evictions Continue In Milwaukee, Wisconsin Despite CDC Moratorium
Few moratoriums are more porous and confusing than the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's ban on evictions. Since the CDC ban took effect Sept. 4, Milwaukee County sheriff's deputies have evicted 109 people from their homes, and landlords filed about 249 new eviction suits. Statewide about 727 eviction actions have been filed through Wednesday. (Spivak, 9/24)
In related news on the pandemic's economic toll —
The New York Times: As Covid-19 Looms, Some Workers Face Loss Of Health Insurance
Jeremy Fritz stopped working as an assistant manager for a fitness center in Carlsbad, Calif., during the pandemic lockdown in the spring when gyms were first closed. By the end of April, the company operating the fitness center, Active Wellness, eliminated his health insurance. And in July, he was laid off when it became clear the center where he worked would be closed through 2020. Most of the small company’s gyms are still shuttered. (Abelson, 9/28)
The New York Times: Workers Face Looming Cutoffs In Health Insurance
Tens of millions of people could lose their job-based insurance by the end of the year, said Stan Dorn, the director of the National Center for Coverage Innovation at Families USA, the Washington, D.C., consumer group. “The odds are we are on track to have the largest coverage losses in our history,” he said. While estimates vary, a recent Urban Institute analysis of census data says at least three million Americans have already lost job-based coverage, and a separate analysis from Avalere Health predicts some 12 million will lose it by the end of this year. Both studies highlight the disproportionate effect on Black and Hispanic workers. (Abelson, 9/28)
North Carolina Health News: Lose Your Job And Health Insurance Due To COVID-19? Here’s A Tip.
Who knew? The tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of North Carolinians who have lost health insurance since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic might have a new option. They should check out the federal marketplace created by the Affordable Care Act. A change quietly enacted on the federal Healthcare.gov website sometime in August creates a “special enrollment period” for anyone who lost employer-sponsored insurance since January. (Hoban, 9/28)
