Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Minnesota Lawmakers Expand State Health Insurance Program
Axios: Minnesota Lawmakers Pass Public Option Health Plan
Minnesota is poised to expand its state-funded health insurance program, becoming the latest to add a public option for residents with incomes above 200% of the federal poverty level. States like Colorado and Washington state have turned to public option plans to control health costs but are encountering lackluster interest and resistance from providers. (Dreher, 5/24)
The Texas Tribune: Texas House Votes To Repeal “Tampon Tax”
Diapers, maternity clothes and menstrual products are one step closer to becoming sales tax-free in Texas after the House passed a bill repealing the “tampon tax” Tuesday. If the bill becomes law, Texas will join the slim majority of states that have nixed the sales tax on menstrual products, as well as diapers for adults and children, baby wipes, breast milk pumping products, baby bottles and maternity clothes. (Klibanoff, 5/23)
WUSF Public Media: Arguments End In Lawsuit Over Florida's Ban On Medicaid Coverage For Trans Care
Floridians suing the state over its ban on Medicaid coverage for gender-affirming medical care now await a federal judge’s ruling. Arguments in the trial, which began this month, wrapped up on Monday, just days after Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a law further restricting access to transgender health care in the state. (Colombini, 5/23)
AP: Governor's New Stance Revives New Hampshire Marijuana Effort
Gov. Chris Sununu’s recent shift to support marijuana legalization has inspired a last-minute push for new legislation. Though several bipartisan bills in support of legalizing recreational marijuana have cleared the House in recent years, Sununu opposed them and they ultimately failed in the Senate. But after the latest defeat earlier this month, Sununu announced that he would back legalization if lawmakers took a different approach. (Ramer, 5/23)
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin Continues To Have Wide Racial Gap In Infant Mortality Rates
Wisconsin has made no significant progress in improving mortality rates among Black and Native American infants, according to new data released by the state Department of Health Services that examines the root causes of the disparities. Nothing will improve, Wisconsin's leading public maternal health official said, until fundamental changes happen in how race and health intersect. (Shastri, 5/23)
The New York Times: Phoenix Blackout In Heat Wave Would Overwhelm Hospitals, Study Warns
If a multiday blackout in Phoenix coincided with a heat wave, nearly half the population would require emergency department care for heat stroke or other heat-related illnesses, a new study suggests. (Levenson, 5/23)
