Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
California County Extends Health Aid To Prisoners Reentering Society
The Mercury News: Santa Clara County: Officials Announce Program To Provide Health Services To Those Released From Prison
Santa Clara County is one of the first in the state to implement a program that would provide health services to people who are set to be released from prison or jail through Medi-Cal, county officials said at a press conference in San Jose on Tuesday. The Justice-Involved Reentry Initiative would provide medical and behavioral health services for Medi-Cal eligible adults and youth in state prisons, county jails and youth correctional facilities 90 days before their release. Officials said Tuesday that they had already enrolled 100 people in the county’s pilot program. (Delacruz, 10/29)
Modern Healthcare: State Medicaid Pay Is Too Low, Insurers Say. States Disagree
Twenty-five of 41 states surveyed increased Medicaid capitation payments for fiscal 2024 and fiscal 2025 to reflect rising acuity in the aftermath of mass eligibility redeterminations, according to a report the health policy research institution KFF published last week. Michigan, for example, boosted rates in April to address escalating costs. But health insurance companies argue the raises did not do enough to steady their finances. (Tepper, 10/29)
CIDRAP: In Florida Nursing Homes, Only 11% Say Staff Flu Vaccination Is Required Despite High-Risk Setting
Only 11% of infection-prevention leads at 3,700 Florida nursing homes and assisted-living facilities (ALFs) said their facility requires influenza vaccination for healthcare workers despite the high risk to residents, shows a survey published last week in the American Journal of Infection Control. (Van Beusekom, 10/29)
CBS News: Ann Arbor Teachers Sound Alarm Over New Health Care Rate Hikes
Teachers in Ann Arbor Public Schools are saying new health care premium increases would make it difficult for them to continue teaching in the district. This followed the Board of Education's March announcement that it was suddenly facing a $25 million "budget shortfall." Fred Klein, president of the Ann Arbor Education Association, said although the increase came from insurance companies, the district decides how to divide costs. (Bruckner, 10/29)
On addiction and overdoses —
San Francisco Chronicle: S.F. To Pay Drug Users Up To $100 A Week For Sobriety Under New Program
San Francisco will begin paying city welfare recipients up to $100 for every week they stay sober, the latest city strategy to combat a drug epidemic that has claimed over 500 lives this year. Mayor London Breed and Supervisor Matt Dorsey — who represents the South of Market and Mission Bay — unveiled the “Cash Not Drugs” bill in July, and the plan to pay welfare recipients when they test negative for illegal substances passed the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday. (Toledo, 10/29)
Los Angeles Times: 14 Sent To Hospital After Suspected Overdoses At Men's Central Jail
Three weeks after one man died from a suspected overdose at a downtown jail, authorities said another seven Men’s Central Jail inmates were hospitalized early Tuesday morning following another potential drug exposure incident. ... In addition to taking lifesaving measures — including giving the men the overdose-reversing drug naloxone — deputies requested help from the Los Angeles Fire Department. (Blakinger and Uranga, 10/29)
Stateline: Overdose Deaths Are Rising Among Black And Indigenous Americans
The recent decline in overdose deaths hides a tremendous disparity by race: Deaths have fallen only among white people while continuing to rise among people of color, according to a new Stateline analysis of federal data.Health experts in nonwhite communities say they’re finding strategies that work in their areas, but that they still struggle for recognition and funding to address the problems, especially among Black and Native people. (Henderson, 10/29)
KFF Health News: For People With Opioid Addiction, Medicaid ‘Unwinding’ Raises The Stakes
It was hard enough for Stephanie to get methadone treatment when she moved to Florida from Indiana last year. The nearest clinic was almost an hour’s drive away and she couldn’t drive herself. But at least she didn’t have to worry about the cost of care. As a parent with young children who was unable to find a job after moving, Stephanie qualified for Medicaid despite Florida’s tight eligibility rules. The state insurance program for people with low incomes or disabilities covers the methadone she needs to reduce her opioid cravings and prevent withdrawal sickness. (Krisberg and Colombini, 10/30)
