Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
GOP May Tweak Work Requirements For Those On Medicaid, Food Stamps
The Washington Post: GOP Eyes New Work Requirements For Millions On Medicaid, Food Stamps
House Republicans are eyeing new work requirements for millions of low-income Americans who receive health insurance, money to buy food and other financial aid from the federal government, reprising the party’s historic crusade against welfare as some lawmakers seek new ways to slash spending. In recent weeks, the GOP has focused its attention on two anti-poverty programs: Medicaid, which enrolls the poorest families in health insurance, and food stamps, which provide grocery benefits to those in need. Top lawmakers including House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) have publicly endorsed rules that could force some enrollees to find a job and work longer hours — or risk losing the government’s help entirely. (Romm and Roubein, 4/11)
In other Medicaid news —
AP: Georgia Medicaid Insurer Denied Psychotherapy For Thousands
A newspaper finds that the insurance company that manages medical care for many Georgia children has denied or partially denied more than 6,500 requests for psychotherapy between 2019 and mid-2022. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that many of the requests denied by Amerigroup, a unit of insurance insurance giant Elevance Health, were for children in state-run foster care. (4/10
In other health news from across the U.S. —
The Texas Tribune: House Budgets Money For Air Conditioning Texas Prisons, Senate May Balk
The Texas House last week committed to spend $545 million to install air conditioning in many of the state’s dangerously hot prisons. It’s a historic win for prison rights’ advocates, who have long fought to cool prisons in a state where the relentless Texas heat has baked prisoners to death, likely contributed to severe staff shortages and cost taxpayers millions of dollars in wrongful death and civil rights lawsuits. More than two-thirds of Texas’ 100 prisons don’t have air conditioning in most living areas, forcing thousands of prison officers and tens of thousands of prisoners to work and live in stifling temperatures. (McCullough, 4/11)
The CT Mirror: In CT, A ‘Battle Royale’ Over Lowering Health Care Costs
Last year, dozens of Connecticut residents and state officials confronted the insurance industry at a public hearing over its proposed annual rate hikes, which averaged more than 20% for individual health plans and roughly 15% for small group plans. The insurance companies said they had to raise rates or they’d lose money, pointing to the ballooning cost of health care services. This year, for the first time, those health care providers had to respond to a similar grilling. (Phillips and Golvala, 4/10)
The Colorado Sun: Avian Flu In Colorado: 4 Mountain Lions Dead, But Crossover Slowed
Four mountain lions are among the Colorado mammals felled by a crossover of the avian flu epidemic to larger animals, but state wildlife officials say the trend has slowed even as they warily eye the spring bird migration. The bird-borne flu has also killed two bobcats, multiple skunks, two red foxes and a bear in Colorado since Jan. 1, according to records kept by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. (Booth, 4/11)
In updates on LGBTQ+ health care —
The Hill: 14 Trans And Nonbinary Legislators Tell Biden They’re Concerned About Title IX Change
A coalition of transgender and nonbinary legislators sent a letter to President Joe Biden on Monday to voice their concern about the administration’s proposed changes to Title IX. “We are fourteen of the transgender and nonbinary legislators holding office across the United States of America, and we are writing to express our concern regarding the Administration’s proposed rulemaking changes to the eligibility of transgender athletes in sports,” the legislators’ letter reads. (Oshin, 4/10)
Politico: Florida Republican Apologizes After Calling Transgender People ‘Mutants'
A Florida Republican apologized Monday after he called transgender people “demons” and “mutants” during a hearing on a bill that would make it a misdemeanor offense for someone to use a bathroom that doesn’t align with the sex they were assigned at birth. (Atterbury, 4/10)
