Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Hundreds Of Disability Advocates Urge NC Legislature To Repeal Medicaid Cuts
North Carolina Health News: Advocates Flood NC Legislature As Medicaid Cuts Squeeze Providers
Jon D’Angelo, chair of the North Carolina Council on Disabilities, knows the consequences of cuts to Medicaid reimbursement rates. He lives with spinal muscular atrophy and relies on Medicaid, which pays for direct support workers who care for him in his home. Without those workers, he and thousands of other medically fragile people across the state would likely be forced to live in institutions. (Baxley, Fredde and Hoban, 10/22)
The New York Times: ‘Medicaid Cut Me Off’: A Rural Health Center Faces New Pressures
When Dr. Marketta Blue bursts into an examination room, she greets her patients as long-lost friends, a whirl of energy in leopard-print Crocs: “Tell me what’s up!” Dr. Blue is a family physician at Delta Health Center, the oldest federally funded rural community health center in the United States. The center sits in the Mississippi Delta, at the entrance to Mound Bayou, which was founded in 1887 as an all-Black town. Today, more than half of the town’s children live below the federal poverty line. Last year, the health center saw just over 14,000 patients, 36 percent of whom had Medicaid. (Goldberg, 10/22)
CBS News: UCare, Other Carriers Dropping Medicare Advantage Plans, Leaving 200K Minnesota Seniors Without Health Insurance
Nearly 200,000 Minnesota senior are scrambling to find affordable options to ensure uninterrupted health care after several carriers are either dropping or cutting back on Medicare Advantage Plans. Minneapolis-based UCare made the most significant change, gutting their program entirely. (Kaplan, 10/21)
In news about environmental health —
CBS News: Camden, New Jersey, Residents Say Recurring Scrap Yard Fires Are Hurting Their Physical And Mental Health
Another fire at a Camden metal recycling yard has reignited frustration and questions about who's responsible for keeping nearby families safe. ... Residents of Camden's Waterfront South neighborhood spoke up, saying they feel their health and mental well-being have been compromised by a string of recent fires at EMR Metal Recycling. (Andersen and Jacobson, 10/21)
EdSource: California Students Plan To Join Walkout In Support Of Climate Legislation
Hundreds of students across more than 50 California high schools are planning to participate in walkouts on Oct. 24 to voice support for legislation that would hold oil companies accountable for damage to infrastructure and costs associated with the climate crisis, The Hechinger Report reported. (Seshadri, 10/20)
Montana Free Press: Why Two Montana Asbestos Victims May Never Receive An $8 Million Judgment
Long before she joined a major legal case for asbestos victims, Joyce Walder had a bold streak, according to her sister, Judith Hemphill. On a recent Monday in October, walking through the forests of northwest Montana, Hemphill recalled how she and Walder would put their ears to the railroad tracks to check for oncoming trains. If all was quiet, they’d dart across to explore the woods that surround the town of Libby, population just shy of 3,000. She remembered the way they’d dangle their legs over the edge of the swinging bridge bouncing perilously above the charging waters of the Kootenai River. (Silvers, 10/21)
Also —
The Hill: Shrimp Recall: Another Frozen Brand Cites Possible Radiation Exposure
Another company has issued a recall of its frozen shrimp due to possible exposure to radiation levels. In a news release issued by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Seattle-based AquaStar said its shrimp may have been exposed to “very low levels” of cesium-137 (Cs-137). (Perkins, 10/21)
