Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Nevada's Governor Signs Two Bills Protecting Trans Health Rights
AP: Nevada GOP Governor Signs Transgender Health Bills While Vetoing Another, Bucking Party Trends
Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo has signed two bills related to transgender rights and vetoed another, bucking trends from other Republican governors across the country who have pushed anti-transgender policies. Lombardo’s signing of a bill Monday requiring health insurance companies including Medicaid cover all gender-affirming surgeries was the third major bill related to transgender health and rights to reach his desk. (Stern, 6/14)
News Service of Florida: Florida Pediatrician Group Loses First Round In Subpoena Fight Over Trans Care Standards
A federal judge has rejected an initial request to block a Florida House effort to obtain internal communications about how the Florida Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics developed standards of care for children diagnosed with gender dysphoria. The pediatricians group sought a preliminary injunction after House Health & Human Services Chairman Randy Fine, R-Brevard County, issued a subpoena seeking information from the chapter. (Kam, 6/13)
In other health news from across the U.S. —
San Francisco Chronicle: San Francisco Pays $2 Million For Second Laguna Honda Patient Lawsuit
San Francisco agreed to settle the second of three lawsuits stemming from a shocking patient abuse scandal at Laguna Honda Hospital and Rehabilitation Center in 2019. The Board of Supervisors approved a $2.2 million settlement on Tuesday for 11 patients who were then at the city-run facility, which serves San Francisco’s most vulnerable residents. (Moench, 6/13)
AP: Young Athlete In Montana Climate Change Trial Testifies He Uses Inhaler Due To Forest Fire Smoke
A high school athlete who along with 15 other young people took Montana to court over climate change testified Tuesday that increased smoke from forest fires makes it difficult for him to compete and that a doctor prescribed an inhaler to help his breathing problems. Mica Kantor, now 15, said he has been worried about climate change since as a 4-year-old he dictated a letter to Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., because he was too young to write it himself. He said it’s increasingly difficult to run or go on hikes with his family, and that the warmer conditions have shortened snowboarding seasons. (Hanson and Brown, 6/14)
Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Georgia Hospital Rules Up For More Scrutiny By Senators
Georgia lawmakers are once again looking into the laws that govern the opening and expansion of hospitals and other medical facilities in state, as access to health care continues to be a cause for concern among Georgians. At a Senate study committee hearing on state laws governing hospital expansion Tuesday, lawmakers and advocates discussed the effectiveness of the existing laws. (Thomas, 6/13)
Bay Area News Group: Founder Of San Francisco ‘Sexual Wellness’ Retreat Surrenders To Feds
When Nicole Daedone founded her San Francisco-based “sexual wellness” commune in 2004, its focus on “orgasmic meditation” and the intricacies of female pleasure promised to revolutionize ideas about intimacy and personal freedom for both women and men. Instead, it became a cult-like organization with branches in cities across the country, where members lived in warehouse-like accommodations, gave up their independence and were coerced into engaging in sex acts with current and prospective clients, investors and employees, according to federal prosecutors. (Ross, 6/13)
Axios: Columbus Summer Feeding Programs Tackle Youth Hunger
Local parks and community centers are offering more to families than summer fun right now — they're also keeping thousands of local kids fed while school is not in session. One in five children in Ohio live in "food insecure" households, which means they don't know where their next meal will come from, according to the Children's Hunger Alliance. (Neese and Buchanan, 6/13)
KFF Health News: Foster Kids In Casino Hotels? It Happened In Rural Nevada Amid Widespread Foster Home Shortages
Brandy Holbrook spent April driving hundreds of miles across four counties in northeastern Nevada to deliver a plea to local leaders about a smoldering crisis in the regional foster care system. A shortage of homes for children and teens in need of care in this sprawling rural corner of the state pushed officials to temporarily house kids in casino hotel rooms, where state workers watched over them while seeking foster homes. Holbrook, a state social services manager based in Elko, said it’s normal to see fluctuations in need but that early 2023 was the worst she has witnessed during her 20 years working for Nevada’s Division of Child and Family Services. (Rodriguez, 6/14)
