Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
IVF For Injured Single Vets, Same-Sex Couples To Be Covered By VA
The Washington Post: VA To Expand IVF To Injured Single Veterans And Same-Sex Couples
The Department of Veterans Affairs announced Monday that it will cover in vitro fertilization treatment for qualifying veterans who are single or in same-sex marriages, after it faced legal challenges last year that said its policies were discriminatory. VA had for years covered IVF costs for veterans with injuries and health conditions from their military service that affected their fertility, but only for those who were legally married and able to produce their own eggs and sperm from that relationship. Those benefits will now be extended to veterans regardless of marital status if they have service-connected fertility problems, VA said. (Somasundaram, 3/12)
Minnesota Public Radio: Minnesota Democrats Weigh In On National IVF Debate, Push Infertility Treatment Coverage
Minnesota Democrats are pushing to require health plans to cover the cost of infertility treatments and to cement access to the services in state law. (Ferguson, 3/11)
AP: Asked To Clear Up Abortion Bans, GOP Leaders Blame Doctors And Misinformation For The Confusion
GOP leaders accuse abortion rights advocates of deliberately spreading misinformation and doctors of intentionally denying services in an effort to undercut the bans and make a political point. At the same time, however, some states are taking steps that they say will provide more clarity about when abortions can be legally performed. The Republican-controlled South Dakota Legislature wants to create a video in which medical experts — and the state’s attorneys — would explain to doctors and patients when abortions can be legally performed. The measure was passed last month and is now awaiting the signature of Republican Gov. Kristi Noem, who has indicated she will sign it. (Kruesi, 3/11)
On postpartum care —
KFF Health News: A New $16,000 Postpartum Depression Drug Is Here. How Will Insurers Handle It?
A much-awaited treatment for postpartum depression, zuranolone, hit the market in December, promising an accessible and fast-acting medication for a debilitating illness. But most private health insurers have yet to publish criteria for when they will cover it, according to a new analysis of insurance policies. The lack of guidance could limit use of the drug, which is both novel — it targets hormone function to relieve symptoms instead of the brain’s serotonin system, as typical antidepressants do — and expensive, at $15,900 for the 14-day pill regimen. (Dembosky, 3/12)
CIDRAP: Pandemic-Era Medicaid Extensions Increased Postpartum Insurance Coverage, Data Reveal
During the first month of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) prevented Medicaid programs from disenrolling people during the public health emergency. For the first time in history, Medicaid-enrolled postpartum mothers were allowed insurance for more than 60 days past birth. This policy change, and other extensions to Medicaid made in 2021, led to a 40% decline in postpartum lack of insurance, according to a new study in JAMA Health Forum. (Soucheray, 3/11)
Bloomberg: Postpartum Care Centers Offer Doulas And Support In New York, San Francisco
After Ayra Redondiez’s son was born five weeks early last December, she went straight from the hospital to the Village Postnatal Retreat Center in San Francisco. During her six-night stay, Redondiez, who works in human resources at a software startup, got lactation coaching, baby CPR training and a massage. Her husband joined her, and they were able to sleep through the night while their newborn dozed in a staffed nursery down the hall. (Butler, 3/11)
