Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
New York Bill Would Block Medical Debt From Credit Reports
AP: New York Lawmakers OK Bill Removing Medical Debt From Credit Reports
Hospitals and other health care providers in New York would be banned from reporting medical debt to credit agencies under a bill passed this week by the state’s legislature — a measure intended to limit the damage that illness and injury can do to someone’s financial health. If signed by Gov. Kathy Hochul, the law would make New York the second state, after Colorado, to prohibit medical debt from being collected by credit reporting agencies or included in a credit report. (Khan, 6/21)
In other health news from across the U.S. —
Chicago Tribune: Gov. Pritzker Hit On Closing Health Care Enrollment For Immigrants
Backlash continued to rain down on Gov. J.B. Pritzker Wednesday following his decision last week to close enrollment for a state-funded health insurance program for immigrants under 65 as other Illinois officials highlighted that a bill is sitting on the governor’s desk that would allow the state to issue regular driver’s licenses for noncitizens. Though not connected, the two issues took center stage as Pritzker continues to push back against criticism from Latino lawmakers and immigrant advocates that his administration’s decision on the health insurance program was “immoral and fiscally shortsighted.” Pritzker has defended the move because program costs are skyrocketing. (Gorner, 6/21)
Bangor Daily News: Maine's Childhood Vaccination Rates Increased Dramatically In The Past 2 Years
Even more Maine students received required vaccines during the 2022-23 school year, two years after the state enacted an immunization law for school-age children. Not long ago Maine had one of the lowest rates of childhood vaccination in the nation, with vaccine opt-out rates reaching the sixth-highest mark in the nation during the 2018-19 school year, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Stockley, 6/21)
AP: Navajo Nation Declares Widespread Medicaid Scam In Arizona A Public Health State Of Emergency
A widespread Arizona Medicaid scam that has left an unknown number of Native Americans homeless on the streets of metro Phoenix is being declared a public health state of emergency by the Navajo Nation as fraudulent sober living homes lose their funding and turn former residents out onto the streets. The emergency declaration was issued late last week by the Navajo Nation Commission on Emergency Management and signed this week by Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren, according to documents posted on the Facebook page of the tribe’s Operation Rainbow Bridge, which was created to deal with the scam’s effects on its enrolled members. (Snow, 6/22)
Oklahoman: Oklahoma Producing 64 Times More Marijuana Than Licensed Users Consume, Report Shows
Oklahoma may be producing 64 times more marijuana than needed by licensed cannabis consumers, according to a study commissioned by the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority. The significant oversupply is likely funneling large amounts of marijuana out of state and adding to the illegal market, according to authority officials. (Felder, 6/21)
