Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Medicaid, CHIP Enrollment Up Nearly 6% During Pandemic; Poverty Grows
Modern Healthcare: Medicaid And CHIP Enrollment Grew 5.6% Since Last Year
Enrollment in Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program increased by 5.6% from July 2019 to July 2020, according to the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission on Wednesday. The expert panel said the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic drove most of the increase. All states saw their Medicaid rolls grow except Montana and the District of Columbia, ranging from 0.2% in South Carolina to 30.2% in Idaho, which expanded its Medicaid program in 2020. (Brady, 12/16)
The Washington Post: Nearly 8 Million Americans Have Fallen Into Poverty Since The Summer
The U.S. poverty rate has surged over the past five months, with 7.8 million Americans falling into poverty, the latest indication of how deeply many are struggling after government aid dwindled. The poverty rate jumped to 11.7 percent in November, up 2.4 percentage points since June, according to new data released Wednesday by researchers at the University of Chicago and the University of Notre Dame. (Long, 12/16)
In other news —
Albuquerque Journal: Nurse: Deaths At Veterans’ Home Underreported
As one of the state’s worst COVID-19 nursing home hot spots in recent weeks, the New Mexico State Veterans Home in Truth or Consequences is facing allegations that its administration has underreported the number of residents who have died from the virus. The death count is actually more than double the number that has been publicly disclosed in daily COVID-19 updates from state officials, Diana Lyn Gennaro, a nurse who works in administration at the veterans home, said in an email to Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham last week. (Heild, 12/16)
Philadelphia Inquirer: New Nursing Home Rules Coming In Pa. Are Being Kept Secret As COVID-19 Roils The Industry
Pennsylvania is in the midst of revising its nursing home regulations for the first time since the late 1990s in a process that started long before the coronavirus pandemic swept through the state’s nearly 700 facilities. That worries advocates for the elderly who say they have been in the dark about what the state is planning and want to ensure that the new rules help prevent future pandemics from being so devastating to the long-term care facilities. (Brubaker, 12/16)
Modern Healthcare: Two-Thirds Of Nursing Homes Risk Closure In 2021, Survey Shows
As many as 66% of nursing homes say they could close in 2021 due to COVID-19 costs, according to a new survey of nursing home providers. The American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living, which represents more than 14,000 nursing homes and assisted living facilities across the U.S., found 90% of the 953 nursing homes that responded said their profit margins are 3% or less, and 65% said they are currently operating at a loss. The biggest increase in cost was staffing. (Christ, 12/16)
