Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Missouri Supreme Court Permits Ban On Gender-Affirming Care For Minors
St. Louis Public Radio: Missouri Supreme Court Upholds Ban On Minor Transgender Care
The Missouri Supreme Court on Tuesday unanimously upheld a ban on gender transition surgeries, cross-sex hormones and other gender-affirming care for minors. (Fentem, 1/13)
Fox News: New York Sues HHS Over Tying Federal Funds To Transgender Policy
New York Attorney General Letitia James and a coalition of state attorneys general sued the federal government Tuesday, claiming a new Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) policy illegally pressures states to discriminate against transgender people or risk losing critical funding. (Sorace, 1/13)
The Washington Post: Supreme Court Appears Skeptical Of Arguments Against Bans Of Trans Athletes
The justices heard arguments on whether bans in two states on trans athletes competing in women’s sports violate the Constitution’s equal protection clause. (Mark, 1/13)
More health news from across the U.S. —
Minnesota Public Radio: ICE Agents At Twin Cities Hospitals Alarm Medical Staff
Health care workers in the Twin Cities report that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents are entering hospitals with detained individuals, sometimes with warrants and sometimes without, and they are frequently present during patient care. (Zurek, 1/14)
AP: Louisiana Seeks To Extradite A California Abortion Doctor
Louisiana pushed Tuesday to extradite a California doctor accused of mailing abortion pills, setting up a likely test of laws designed to protect telehealth providers who ship abortion pills nationwide. This is the second time Louisiana has pursued an out-of-state doctor under its abortion restrictions, with Republican Gov. Jeff Landry saying on social media that he wants to bring the abortion provider “to justice.” The two criminal cases pit Louisiana, which has some of the strictest abortion laws in the country, against jurisdictions that have enacted what are known as shield laws for providers who facilitate abortions from afar in states with bans. (Cline, 1/13)
The New York Times: New York Punishes 12-Year-Olds With Solitary Confinement, Lawsuit Claims
The lawsuit, filed last week in federal court in Manhattan, claims that state officials use solitary confinement for minor misbehavior and as a way to mitigate low staffing. (Meko, 1/13)
The CT Mirror: Errors Led To Deaths Of Two Men Prescribed Methadone In Prison
An investigation by the Connecticut Office of the Inspector General released Monday found that “significant medical errors” were made when prescribing methadone to Ronald Johnson and Tyler Cole, two young men who died from the combined effects of methadone and other prescribed medications while incarcerated at Garner Correctional Institution. (Otte, 1/13)
KFF Health News: States Race To Launch Rural Health Transformation Plans
Imagine starting the new year with the promise of at least a $147 million payout from the federal government. But there are strings attached. In late December, President Donald Trump’s administration announced how much all 50 states would get under its new Rural Health Transformation Program, assigning them to use the money to fix systemic problems that leave rural Americans without access to good health care. Now, the clock is ticking. (Tribble, Zionts and Rosenfeld, 1/14)
