Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Missouri Bill To Cut School Water Lead Levels Advances
KCUR: Bill Requiring Missouri Schools To Cut Lead In Drinking Water Heading To Governor
Legislation on its way to Gov. Mike Parson’s desk could drastically cut down on the amount of lead allowed in school drinking water in an effort to protect children from the toxic metal. Across the U.S., millions of homes and schools are still served by decades-old lead water lines, which can leach the dangerous neurotoxin into drinking water under the right conditions. The state currently doesn’t require schools to test their water, and only a few have taken advantage of grants to do so voluntarily. But on Thursday, the Missouri House approved legislation that would require administrators to test and take action under standards more protective than federal regulations. (Kite, 5/12)
In other news about toxic chemicals —
Public Health Watch: States Move To Regulate Toxic Chemicals; Federal Government Still Far Behind
Janine Walsh, owner of Walker’s Gymnastics and Dance of Lowell, Massachusetts, was unaware that foam cubes in her gymnastics pits contained harmful chemicals. So, in 2018, Walsh was both surprised and grateful when a staff member at the state-sponsored Toxics Use Reduction Institute (TURI) at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, a 10-minute drive away, asked if she would consider replacing them. The cubes, used to cushion gymnasts’ falls, often contain flame retardants that can cause thyroid problems, fertility issues and cancers, but many aren’t aware of the threat. Walsh applied for a small-business grant through the institute to help her buy new ones. She was mindful of the hundreds of children, ages 1 to 18, who’ve been coming to the gym and dance studio every week for 44 years. (Berryman, 5/10)
The Washington Post: Bald And Golden Eagles Suffer From Lead Poisoning, Study Finds
Nearly half of bald and golden eagles in the United States, and in the D.C. region, have chronic lead poisoning. ... Lead, a highly toxic metal, is considered extremely dangerous to animals and people. Eagles and other scavengers ingest it when they feed on the remains of animals that have been killed with lead ammunition. They can also be exposed through mining, power plant emissions, aviation fuel, industrial paints and improperly discarded lead acid batteries. (Hedgpeth, 5/12)
More health news from across the U.S. —
AP: California Lawmakers Raise Awards For Malpractice Lawsuits
The California Legislature on Thursday agreed to increase how much money people can win in medical malpractice lawsuits, resolving one of the thorniest disputes in state politics by raising a cap on damages for the first time in 47 years. Since 1975, the most money that Californians could win for pain and suffering in medical malpractice lawsuits was $250,000. Starting Jan. 1, that cap will increase to $350,000 for people who were injured and $500,000 for the relatives of people who died. (Beam, 5/13)
AP: WA Childhood Immunization Rates Decline During Pandemic
A new report shows routine childhood immunization rates have decreased during the pandemic, dropping by 13% in 2021 when compared to pre-pandemic levels, according to Washington state health officials. The Washington State Department of Health said Thursday that in response, the Department of Health, health care providers and other agencies are working with people to catch up and remain current on routine immunizations. (5/12)
AP: Maine Children Getting Access To Virtual Dental Services
Maine is now home to a network of virtual dental services that supporters said would make dental care more readily available to children. The practices are “virtual dental homes” in which children become patients with a dental practice but receive care in school and primary care settings, said Democratic Rep. Chellie Pingree, a supporter of the method, on Wednesday. Services are delivered using telehealth technology, she said. (5/13)
Billings Gazette: State Urges Medicaid Recipients To Update Contact Information
The state health department is urging people and families covered by Montana Medicaid, which includes Medicaid expansion, and Healthy Montana Kids to make sure their contact information with the state is up to date. That's because when the federal public health emergency is expected to end later this summer, the eligibility process for those programs will change and the Department of Public Health and Human Services will need to get in touch with people to verify their qualification status. If their contact information is not correct, some could lose coverage they're qualified to receive. (Michels, 5/12)
Health News Florida: Same-Sex Spouse Blocked From Receiving Settlement In Tobacco Death
A state appeals court Wednesday said a man could not collect millions of dollars from tobacco companies in the death of his husband because they were not married when a smoking-related illness began in the 1990s — a time when Florida law prevented them from being married. A panel of the 4th District Court of Appeal rejected a Broward County jury’s decision to award $9 million to Bryan Rintoul for loss of consortium and pain and suffering in the death of Edward Caprio. That was part of a broader ruling by the panel to reject a $157 million judgment against Philip Morris USA and R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. and order a new trial. (Saunders, 5/12)
San Francisco Chronicle: Ambitious S.F. Plan To Shelter All Unhoused Homeless People Hits Resistance
A plan to require San Francisco to offer enough shelter for all of its homeless residents who currently sleep outside is being reworked after advocates for unhoused people pushed back against the effort. Opponents felt the plan would encourage encampment sweeps that clear the streets of tents without advancing longer-term solutions to homelessness. Following debate in a Board of Supervisors committee meeting Thursday, officials amended the proposed legislation to also direct the city to figure out how much permanent supportive housing is necessary to meet the needs of its entire unsheltered population. (Morris, 5/12)
