Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Colorado Funeral Home Operator Guilty Of Selling Body Parts
The New York Times: Funeral Home Operator Pleads Guilty In ‘Illegal Body Part Scheme’
The operator of a Colorado funeral home who was accused of stealing body parts and selling them to medical and scientific buyers, making hundreds of thousands of dollars in what the authorities called an “illegal body part scheme,” pleaded guilty to mail fraud on Tuesday, the Justice Department said. The woman, Megan Hess, 45, the principal figure in the scheme, was assisted by her mother, Shirley Koch, who is in her late 60s, prosecutors said. As part of a plea agreement, eight other criminal charges against Ms. Hess were dropped. She could face up to 20 years in prison. (Traub, 7/5)
In other health news from across the U.S. —
Detroit Free Press: Health Insurers Seek 2023 Rate Hikes As Temporary Subsidies Expire
Most health insurers in Michigan are seeking more rate hikes next year for their individual and small groups plans, and the scheduled end of temporary "Obamacare" subsidies could raise the pain level higher. State regulators announced Tuesday that insurance companies are seeking an average 5.8% rate increase for their 2023 small group policies — those for organizations with fewer than 51 employees. (Reindl, 7/5)
St. Louis Public Radio: Report Highlights Inefficient St. Louis County 911 System
St. Louis County’s 911 system is "inefficient" and "fragmented," according to a preliminary report released by Forward Through Ferguson. The report details several key findings through its digital platform #transforming911, including big-budgeted and heavily staffed police departments in the county, low dispatcher staffing levels and outdated technology. (Lewis-Thompson, 7/5)
Fox News: Florida Warns Residents Of Giant African Land Snail That May Cause Meningitis In Humans: Report
Did you know some snails can cause meningitis? The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) is warning Pasco County to beware of the giant African land snail (GALS) that can carry a rare rat lungworm called Angiostrongylus cantonensis, which may cause meningitis in humans, according to the state’s recent "Pest Alert." (Sudhakar, 7/5)
NPR: Native Tribe Near The U.S. Uranium Mill Hopes To Find Out If It's A Health Risk
A Native American community neighboring the only operating uranium mill in the U.S. is hoping a new study will answer longstanding questions about whether it is affecting their health. Members of the Ute Mountain Ute tribe living in White Mesa, Utah, say they have seen an alarming increase in health problems in recent years. (Brady Woods, 7/6)
In nursing home news from North Carolina and Pennsylvania —
North Carolina Health News: NC Veterans Agency Ignores Nursing Home Assessment Deadline
Until they heard from Gov. Roy Cooper, the state Division of Military and Veterans Affairs slow-walked directives and missed legislative deadlines to look into the state veterans nursing home system and to report regularly on their progress, state records show. (Goldsmith, 7/6)
AP: COVID Nursing Home Deaths Claim Is Campaign Trail Mainstay
Doug Mastriano, Pennsylvania’s Republican nominee for governor, has made a campaign staple out of the allegation that Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf’s policy of readmitting COVID-19 patients from hospitals to nursing homes caused thousands of deaths — a baseless claim for which no investigator or researcher has provided any evidence. In fact, layers of inspections by researchers have pointed to entirely something different — nursing home employees ushering in the virus every day — while investigators found administrators flouting staffing requirements or infection-control procedures. (Levy, 7/5)
