Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
California Sues 18 Companies Over 'Staggering' Chemical Water Pollutants
Bloomberg: DuPont, 3M Sued By California Over Toxic ‘Forever Chemicals’
California is suing 3M Co., DuPont de Nemours Inc. and other chemical companies over “staggering” water contamination from products made with “forever chemicals” that are impossible to get rid of after they accumulate in the ground. (Nayak, 11/10)
KHN: California Stockpiles Penalties From Uninsured Residents Instead Of Lowering Care Costs
Nearly three years after California started fining residents who don’t have health insurance, the state has not distributed any of the revenue it has collected, KHN has learned — money that was intended to help Californians struggling to pay for coverage. And so far, the majority of Californians paying the tax penalty for not having insurance are low- and middle-income earners, according to state tax officials — just the people the money was intended to help. (Hart, 11/14)
Columbus Dispatch: Rural Health In Ohio: Doctor Shortage In Small Towns Threatens Care
Dr. Dhriti Sooryakumar gets to know her patients in a way many physicians won't ever have the chance to. When Sooryakumar clocks in every morning at the hospital, one of the first things she does is look to see if she knows any of the patients she'll be treating in the emergency department. (Filby, 11/14)
Public Service Journalism Team: Medicaid Expansion Remains On Hold In Texas As State Struggles With Medical Debt, High Uninsured Rate
The country’s medical debt crisis is at its most dire in several parts of Texas, which is home to three of the worst 10 U.S. counties for medical debt, according to data analyzed by the Urban Institute. (Colombo, 11/11)
Charlotte Ledger: In Charlotte, Health Care For Women Only?
The term “women’s health” tends to conjure images of gynecology offices, hospital maternity centers or other facilities focused on women’s reproductive health. But at the Novant Health Women’s Center in Charlotte’s SouthPark area, you can find neurology, psychiatry, pulmonary and cardiology clinics tailored specifically to women. (Crouch, 11/14)
The Boston Globe: As Recreational Marijuana Prices Plummet In Massachusetts, Medical Sales Slump
At the same time, the medical side of the business is slumping, as some shoppers calculate the cost of obtaining a card is no longer worth the savings from not having to pay taxes on recreational pot. That’s a reversal from the explosion in medical sales at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, when recreational pot stores were among the businesses deemed nonessential by the state and had to shut for nearly two months. (Adams, 11/13)
