Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Assisted Suicide Will Be Allowed For First Non-Resident in Vermont
AP: Conn. Woman 1st Non-Vermonter Granted Assisted Suicide Right
Lynda Bluestein has terminal cancer and knows she’ll likely die soon, but until Tuesday, she didn’t know if she’d be able to choose how or when and whether her family, friends and dog would be with her when the time comes. The 75-year-old from Bridgeport, Connecticut, reached a settlement with the state of Vermont that will allow her to be the first non-resident to take advantage of its decade-old law that allows people who are terminally ill to end their own lives, provided she complies with other aspects of the law. (Rathke, 3/14)
AP: Medicaid Agreement In North Carolina Closes In On Passage
The details of a deal reached by North Carolina legislative Republicans to expand Medicaid to hundreds of thousands of low-income adults received overwhelming initial approval from the state Senate on Tuesday. The 43-2 vote on formal legislation comes less than two weeks after House and Senate leaders unveiled an agreement that could cover 600,000 people who make too much to qualify for conventional Medicaid but not enough to obtain highly subsidized private insurance. (Robertson, 3/14)
Billings Gazette: Lawmakers Vote To Add 12 Months Of Postpartum Coverage To Montana Medicaid
Montana lawmakers on Tuesday took an initial vote to provide 12 months of postpartum health care coverage for people covered by Medicaid. The vote came as part of the House Appropriations committee’s opening work on the state’s $13.4 billion dollar budget, also known as House Bill 2. The committee will spend much of the week moving through state agency budgets, putting their own mark on work done previously this legislative session by budget subcommittees. (Michels, 3/14)
The Boston Globe: New Boston Program To Offer Free Postpartum Support To Parents
A new initiative announced by Mayor Michelle Wu’s office will offer free postpartum education and support to 32 women in the Boston area who have recently given birth or are expecting to give birth soon. The 10-week virtual pilot program, announced Monday, will focus on supporting mothers, particularly Black and Brown women, through the pregnancy and postpartum period. (Mohammed, 3/14)
AP: Kentucky Passes Cancer Testing Mandate For Insurers
Kentucky lawmakers have overwhelmingly passed a bill that would require health insurers to cover “ biomarker tests ” that can help determine the best cancer treatment plans for patients. The bipartisan measure won final passage on Monday, and was hailed as a consequential step in a state long plagued by high rates of cancers. (Schreiner, 3/14)
The Colorado Sun: Colorado Tries — Carefully — To Lower Hospital Costs
For years now, Democratic lawmakers have hammered a consistent point when it comes to health care prices: Coloradans are not getting their money’s worth. “We pay too much for too little,” Gov. Jared Polis said at a recent news conference. But this effort to reign in the costs of care, especially when it comes to hospitals, has this year hit a barrier. (Ingold, 3/15)
Philadelphia Inquirer: Delaware County Offers To Mail Free Condoms To Residents To Combat Sexually Transmitted Infections
Aiming to curb the spread of diseases spread by sex, Delaware County is offering a free program that will mail up to 10 condoms directly to residents at their request. Called “Doing Delco Safely,” the program allows residents to choose from options including Trojan brand condoms, non-latex and lubricated varieties and female condoms. (Whelan, 3/14)
