Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Data Show More In North Carolina Were Kicked Off Medicaid Than Predicted
North Carolina Health News: Medicaid Unwinding Numbers Show More Kicked Off Of Program Than Anticipated
North Carolina began kicking Medicaid participants off the rolls last month for the first time in more than three years, initiating a purge that experts fear will leave an untold number of residents without health insurance — even if they remain eligible for the program. People enrolled in Medicaid had been protected by a federal provision that prevented states from discontinuing coverage during the COVID-19 pandemic. That meant that anyone who was deemed eligible for the combined state- and federally funded program starting in March 2020 remained on the program, ballooning North Carolina’s overall enrollment. (Baxley, 7/19)
In other news from across the country —
Los Angeles Times: California Will Cap Hundreds Of Orphaned Oil Wells
California state regulators announced on Tuesday their plans to cap orphaned oil wells across the state, including wells in a South Central residential neighborhood near USC that caused health complaints from residents for years. The effort is part of a new push to close problem sites that have posed health risks to communities across the state, oftentimes disadvantaged neighborhoods in close proximity to oil drill sites. California Gov. Gavin Newsom earmarked $100 million in the state budget to address the issue. (Solis and Martinez, 7/18)
Colorado Sun: Coloradans Increasingly Worried About Cost Of Living, Housing And Homelessness
Cost of living and housing affordability are the top concerns of Coloradans this year, according to a poll released by the Colorado Health Foundation. In an open-ended question asking participants what they thought the most important issue facing Colorado is right now, 16% answered cost of living and 15% answered housing affordability. Other issues in the top five were government and politics, public safety and crime, and homelessness. (Yamasaki, 7/18)
The CT Mirror: CT Doctors Say Non-Compete Agreements Limit Health Care Access
Non-compete agreements in job contracts are reducing health care access and affordability, a group of physicians, surgeons and lawyers told U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., at a roundtable conversation in New Britain Tuesday. In Connecticut, two major health systems — Hartford HealthCare and Yale New Haven Health — own most of the state’s hospitals and many of its physician practices, and health care professionals who work for one system under non-compete agreements are limited if they want to find a new position with another provider. (Phillips, 7/19)
MPR News: Minneapolis Behavioral Crisis Response Team Says Its Success Is Despite Lack Of Support From City
The Minneapolis City Council will vote on a new contract this week for the city's behavioral crisis response (BCR) team — that's a group of mental health workers who respond to some 911 mental health crisis calls instead of police. The team received a pat on the back from the U.S. Department of Justice last month in its investigation into the Minneapolis Police Department. Mental health workers have responded to 12,000 calls since December 2021. (Wurzer and Brown, 7/18)
Bay Area News Group: San Jose's Main Water Utility Failed To Report E. Coli Sample
San Jose Water failed to report and conduct a formal investigation into an E. coli sample discovered at one of its wells, according to San Jose City Councilmember Rosemary Kamei. In an emailed communication sent out Tuesday afternoon, Kamei said the bacteria was detected on May 5 from a routine sample at one of the water utility company’s groundwater sites. The well was immediately taken offline while a follow-up sample was drawn and the water was not delivered to any resident’s homes, Kamei said. (Greschler, 7/18)
AP: Western North Carolina Tribe To Vote On Broader Legalization Of Adult Use Of Marijuana
Members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians will vote in September on whether they want to legalize marijuana possession and sales on tribal lands for anyone 21 and older — not just for those seeking it for medical use that the North Carolina tribe had already authorized. The Tribal Council agreed last week to place the question on the ballot during the tribe’s Sept. 7 general election. (7/18)
