Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Judge Blocks California Youth Online Safety Law On Constitutional Grounds
The Washington Post: Judge Blocks California Law Meant To Increase Online Safety For Kids
A federal judge on Monday temporarily blocked an online child protection law in California and said it probably violates the Constitution. Under the law, known as the California Age-Appropriate Design Code, digital platforms would have to vet their products before public release to see whether those offerings could harm kids and teens. The law also requires platforms to enable stronger data privacy protections by default for younger users. (Lima, 9/18)
Axios San Francisco: California Announces New $16.3M Youth Suicide Prevention Campaign
The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) announced $16.3 million in new grants last week to community-led youth suicide prevention projects amid a nationwide surge in reported teen mental health issues. The funding is part of a new media and outreach campaign launched by CDPH that aims to support youth disproportionately impacted by suicide, such as Black, Indigenous and LGBTQ populations. (Chen, 9/18)
On the 'unwinding' of Medicaid —
Kansas City Star: Kansans Lose Healthcare As Pandemic Policy Dismantles
More than 81,000 Kansans have lost their Medicaid coverage as Kansas ends COVID-19 era extensions, according to data through the end of August released by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment Monday. Nearly three-quarters of those Kansans lost their coverage because they failed to submit paperwork, not because they were deemed ineligible for the program that provides coverage to disabled and low-income Americans. (Bernard, 9/18)
North Carolina Health News: Five Takeaways From The Medicaid ‘Unwinding’
The expiration of a pandemic-era federal provision that prevented states from kicking Medicaid participants off the rolls has left North Carolina with the unprecedented challenge of reviewing the eligibility of more than 2.5 million residents. (Baxley, 9/19)
In other health news from across the U.S. —
Stat: Transgender Sports Debate: Physicians Say Bans Are Health Issue
Almost half of U.S. states have banned or restricted trans youths’ access to gender-affirming puberty blockers, hormones, and surgery — and many of the same states are also targeting trans youths’ participation in sports. Twenty-three states ban trans youths from participating in school sports consistent with their gender identity, with some laws focusing on students from kindergarten through 12th grade and others including, or exclusively applying to, students at the collegiate level. The bans may have consequences for the health of trans youth, according to a new perspective by a group of pediatric sports medicine physicians and health services researchers published in JAMA Pediatrics. (Gaffney, 9/19)
Harvest Public Media: More Midwest States Are Offering Universal Free Lunch To Students — While Others Consider It
Students are back in the classroom — and school breakfast and lunch are now free in several states. Michigan, Minnesota and Colorado are among six states implementing universal free lunch this year, while several other Midwestern states are taking more gradual steps to expand food access to students. It’s a shift that’s occurring across the country, after students, parents and school districts became accustomed to free school meals during the COVID pandemic. (Medlin, 9/18)
The Baltimore Sun: Maryland Advocacy Group Plans To Pursue Expansion Of Drug Affordability Next Legislative Session
A Maryland health care advocacy group announced on Monday that it plans to push state lawmakers to expand the authority of the fledgling Prescription Drug Affordability Board next legislative session. The Maryland Health Care for All! Coalition will prioritize passing legislation to authorize the five-member board to use upper payment limits to make high-cost medications more affordable for all Marylanders – not just those who work for state and local governments, according to a news release from the coalition. (Roberts, 9/18)
Axios Georgia: Emergency Room Visits Are Getting Longer In Georgia
The median time Georgians spent in emergency rooms was 2 hours, 37 minutes last year — the latest in a steady increase from pre-pandemic times, according to the latest Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services data. (Dixon and Fitzpatrick, 9/18)
