Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Connecticut Spent $20M On Health Data Network, Then Didn't Use It
C-HIT.org: State Officials Nixed Health Information Network Computer Software They Spent $20M Developing
When Connecticut needed a computer system for its planned health information network, it came up with a novel solution. (Hoffman, 8/14)
In health news from Florida, North Carolina, Ohio, and Missouri —
Health News Florida: U.S. Supreme Court Has Been Asked To Hear A Case On A Florida Health Coach Giving Dietary Advice
A woman who operated a health and nutrition coaching business asked the U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday to take up a First Amendment challenge to a Florida law that blocked her from providing dietary advice to clients. (Saunders, 8/13)
Politico: The Medical Crisis That Finally Convinced Republicans In North Carolina To Expand Medicaid
The early days of Courtney Smith’s pregnancy were dark. She bled for six weeks, a common but frightening experience during the first trimester of pregnancy. Doctors in Louisiana, where Smith was living at the time, made matters worse by suggesting she might miscarry. After diagnosing her with hypertension, diabetes and depression, the doctors “threw pills at me,” Smith says. Medicaid paid for her care, but the care was poor: Her Prozac dose was too high, her blood pressure medication was too low, and they gave her medication to control her diabetes without giving her a way to monitor her blood sugar. Meanwhile, her boyfriend made it clear he wasn’t interested in being a father. By the time she was eight weeks pregnant, she was ready to drive into the bayou and end her life. (Rab, 8/14)
Columbus Dispatch: Mike DeWine Made Mental Health In Ohio His Priority. What's Been Done?
Before COVID-19, one of the bigger highlights under DeWine was establishing "wellness dollars" ‒ used by school districts to help provide wraparound services for students. Those amounts were increased last year, and Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services Director Lori Criss said they've supported more than 1,300 services focused solely on mental health. (Wu, 8/14)
St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Nashville Family Travels To St. Louis To Meet Recipient Of Loved One's Donated Heart
Not all organ transplant recipients want to write to the donor families. The gratitude for a life-saving gift can be difficult to convey to strangers — strangers whose immeasurable loss is the source of your survival. But Darren Garmer said he felt a nudge, from the pit of his stomach, to reach out to the family of Cheston Miller. (Munz, 8/14)
