Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Estimates Say 300,000 In Massachusetts Will Fall Off MassHealth Rolls
The Boston Globe: ‘It Is Going To Be Disruptive.’ MassHealth Rolls Set To Shrink By 300,000, Healey Estimates
Approximately a third of the state’s population is about to have to re-enroll in MassHealth, a massive undertaking that state officials project will ultimately remove approximately 300,000 people from state-sponsored health insurance. (Bartlett, 3/1)
On transgender health care —
The Washington Post: New State Bills Restrict Transgender Health Care — For Adults
Republican state Sen. Jack Johnson stood on the Tennessee Senate floor last month to open the discussion on a bill he is co-sponsoring. The measure would limit gender-affirming care such as puberty blockers, hormone therapy and surgeries for minors. “Let’s put children first and look out for them first and let them make those decisions as adults,” he said. “I support your right to do so, when you’re an adult, not when you’re a child and you do not have the mental capacity to do so.” But Johnson is also backing another bill, HB1215, that would effectively cut off access to gender-affirming care for low-income people, including adults. (Javaid, 3/1)
AP: Indiana Senate Joins States Trying To Limit Transgender Care
Indiana Republican state Senators voted Tuesday to advance a ban on all gender-affirming care for those under 18, the latest in this year’s movement by conservative states aiming to limit the rights of transgender youth. The bill passed the Senate 36-12, sending it to the House despite last week’s contentious committee hearing that primarily featured testimony from vocal opponents. Witnesses said the types of care the bill would ban, such as hormone therapy and puberty blockers, is vital and often life-saving for trans kids. (Rodgers, 3/1)
Detroit Free Press: Michigan Senate Passes Bill To Protect LGBTQ From Discrimination
The Michigan Senate took the first major step in expanding the state's Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act on Wednesday, passing a provision to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. The bill will have to pass through the Michigan House of Representatives before it can be signed into law. (Lobo, 3/1)
AP: Georgia Bill Dies That Sought To Curb Gender Talk In Schools
A Georgia bill aimed at stopping teachers from talking to students about gender identity died an unexpected death Wednesday after conservative groups joined LGBTQ advocates in opposing the measure. Senate Bill 222, after multiple rewrites, called for public and private schools and camps to get parental involvement before talking about issues of gender identity. Sen. Carden Summers, a Cordele Republican sponsoring the measure, had said it was needed to keep teachers from indoctrinating their students about changing gender identity and to keep teachers from hiding a student’s gender identity change from parents. (Amy, 3/1)
Minnesota Public Radio: What Is Gender-Affirming Health Care? 'Trans Refuge' Bill Would Help Kids Get It
Minnesota’s Legislature is considering a bill that would make the state a safe haven for transgender youth seeking health care. That means trans youth traveling from other states would be protected in seeking gender-affirming health care in Minnesota. Parents Hao and Gretchen Nguyen, who have a 6-year-old trans daughter and spoke in support of the bill at a hearing last month, say it’s a big deal for trans youth in Minnesota and across the country. (Ki and Stroozas, 3/2)
In other health news from across the U.S. —
Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Atlanta School System Offers Telehealth Services To Students
The nurse’s office isn’t typically a place at school that students rush to visit, but Bolton Academy school nurse Donna Coleman has noticed more kids coming to her door in recent months to seek help for stomach aches and other ailments. She thinks it has something to do with the iPad on her office, where students can also talk to a nurse practitioner on the screen. “They like that it’s interactive,” Coleman said, adding students sometimes enjoy discussing their ailments with someone else. (Stirgus, 3/2)
North Carolina Health News: Nonprofits Tackle Period Poverty In NC
As high school sophomores last school year, Sarah Pazokian and Farah Rosaleen started a nonprofit to take on period poverty by helping fellow students with a basic need. Every day at Cary’s Green Hope High School, they saw what various research has shown about what’s being called “period poverty” — that people who menstruate but don’t have access to period products are more likely to miss work or school. (Fernandez, 3/2)
Politico: DeSantis Is Championing Medical Freedom. GOP State Lawmakers Like What They See
The “medical freedom” movement, mostly known for its opposition to vaccine requirements, was long consigned to the fringes of libertarian and left-wing politics. Then came Ron DeSantis. The Florida governor and likely presidential candidate has secured a place for the movement in the conservative mainstream. And as a sitting governor, he has the opportunity to distinguish himself from other declared and potential candidates by putting his vision into practice. (Messerly, Mahr and Sarkissian, 3/1)
