California’s Office To Fight Gun Violence Will Be First In US
Attorney General Rob Bonta announced the state’s Office of Gun Violence Prevention on Wednesday. In other news from the states, New Mexico expects a Medicaid exodus, Rhode Island approves a health insurance rate increase, and more.
San Francisco Chronicle:
California To Create Nation’s First Office To Combat Gun Violence
California will soon be the only state in the nation to have a governmental office committed to preventing gun violence, state officials said Wednesday. Standing outside the violence prevention organization, United Playaz on Howard Street in San Francisco, Attorney General Rob Bonta announced the state’s Office of Gun Violence Prevention, a first-of-its-kind unit that will work with multiple agencies to deal with the mounting issue of gun violence across the state. (Vainshtein, 9/21)
In other health news from across the U.S. —
AP:
New Mexico Braces For Exodus From Medicaid Insurance
New Mexico is bracing for a rapid exodus of up to 100,000 people from subsidized Medicaid health care next year as the federal government phases out special pandemic-era spending and eligibility for the program, the state’s top health official told lawmakers Wednesday. (Lee, 9/21)
The Boston Globe:
R.I. Approves Health Insurance Rate Increases
Three months after health insurance companies requested the state approve steep rate increases, Rhode Island’s health insurance commissioner announced he has approved rate increases for the largest companies, with slight modifications. The Office of the Health Insurance Commissioner on Wednesday released the individual, small, and large group market premium rates, which will go into effect next year. (Gagosz, 9/21)
New Hampshire Bulletin:
N.H. Hospital Beds Are Full, But Not With COVID-19 Patients
When COVID-19 hospitalizations hit 433 in January, hospitals were so desperate for space they treated some patients in hallways and sent others to neighboring states. But even as the number of COVID-19 patients has plummeted, hospital beds remain in high demand. (Timmins, 9/21)
Wyoming Public Radio:
The Veterans Administration And The State Of Wyoming Launch A Campaign To Raise Awareness About Veteran Health Care Options
The Veterans Administration and the State of Wyoming have launched a new campaign that connects veterans that are traveling with telehealth and mental health resources. The collaborative effort also aims to raise awareness of these resources for veterans who live in rural areas by posting flyers in public areas such as rest areas throughout the state with information about them, including the nearest VA location, the veteran’s crisis line, and telehealth options. (Cook, 9/21)
In monkeypox updates from Missouri and California —
St. Louis Public Radio:
Form Could Keep LGBT Missourians From Monkeypox Vaccine
Some LGBTQ advocates worry Missouri health officials could discourage people from getting vaccinated by asking them about their sexual behavior and identity. (Fentem, 9/21)
The 19th:
LGBTQ+ Advocates Push For Better Monkeypox Outreach At Colleges
When monkeypox cases began to rise over the summer, scientists at the University of California, San Diego, experimented with a way to reduce community spread — surveilling wastewater for the virus just as they have for COVID-19. (Nittle, 9/21)
