Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
North Carolina Initiative Eliminates $6.5B In Medical Debt For Residents
AP: North Carolina Residents See $6.5B In Medical Debt Erased
More than 2.5 million North Carolina residents are getting over $6.5 billion in medical debt eliminated through a state government effort that offered hospitals extra Medicaid funds from Washington if they gave low- and middle-income patients the financial relief and implemented policies to discourage future liabilities. Democratic Gov. Josh Stein, the state health department secretary and other officials announced Monday results so far from what then-Gov. Roy Cooper unveiled 15 months ago as a first-of-its-kind initiative. (Robertson, 10/13)
North Carolina Health News and The Charlotte Ledger: Charlotte's New Medical District Is Open. Where’s The Affordable Housing?
Jacqueline Stowe has seen big promises come and go. The 76-year-old grew up in Brooklyn, a thriving Black community just outside uptown Charlotte that in the 1960s was bulldozed for urban renewal. City leaders told residents they would rebuild and that families like hers could come back. That never happened. Now, decades later, Stowe fears that another promise tied to the same land — a vow to create affordable housing — could be broken too. (Crouch, 10/13)
Updates from New Jersey, Florida, Michigan, and California —
The New York Times: Opioid Deaths Suddenly Dominate A Governor’s Race. Here’s What We Know.
The race for New Jersey governor has taken a sharp, unexpected turn less than a month before Election Day with the opioid crisis taking center stage amid explosive charges by the Democratic nominee, Representative Mikie Sherrill. The latest twist in the race came on Monday when Ms. Sherrill, joined by a substance abuse counselor and a man whose brother overdosed on prescription painkillers, again blamed her Republican opponent, Jack Ciattarelli, for spreading misinformation about opioids. (Tully and Goldstein, 10/13)
Florida Phoenix: More Than 43,000 Children Dropped From KidCare Program For Nonpayment, Report Shows
More than 43,000 children were disenrolled from the Florida KidCare program for nonpayment of premiums — more than double the number the state previously provided to the Florida Phoenix, a state report shows. (Sexton, 10/10)
ProPublica: Fluoridation Debate Turns Raucous In A Michigan Community
On the far east side of Michigan, the future of fluoride in drinking water — long an ordinary practice for preventing tooth decay — has suddenly provoked passionate debate. Public meetings in St. Clair County, about an hour northeast of Detroit, have filled with people weighing in. One man waved his Fixodent denture cream before the county commissioners, suggesting that his own experience showed what would happen if local communities stopped treatment. (Clark, 10/13)
Los Angeles Times: Three More L.A. County Deaths Tied To Synthetic Kratom, Health Department Warns
Three more deaths in Los Angeles County have been linked to kratom, a compound that is being synthetically reproduced and sold over the counter as a cure-all for a host of ailments, the county Department of Public Health announced on Friday. The compound, also known as 7-Hydroxymitragynine, or 7-OH, was found to be a contributing cause of death in three residents who were between the ages of 18 and 40, according to the county health department. (Garcia, 10/13)
On the gun violence epidemic —
Axios: U.S. Approaching 340 Mass Shootings This Year After Deadly Weekend
Twelve people were killed, and at least 40 people were injured after shootings marred three different high school events in two states over the weekend. The shootings mark another devastating weekend in America, and underscore the pervasiveness of gun violence across the country. (Walker, 10/13)
On measles and polio —
CBS News: 153 Unvaccinated Students Quarantining After Measles Exposure At South Carolina Schools
At least 153 unvaccinated students exposed to measles in South Carolina schools are quarantining, according to local health officials. In a media briefing on Thursday, officials confirmed these students were exposed contacts without immunity, leaving them to be excluded from school until the period of potential disease transmission has ended. ... On Thursday, officials confirmed the state's 11th case of measles overall in South Carolina this year and the eighth case since Sept. 25. (Moniuszko, 10/13)
NPR: U.S. Measles Cases Continue To Climb, With Outbreaks Across The Country
Nearly two months after a deadly, massive measles outbreak in Texas was declared over, the highly contagious disease continues to spread across the country. The U.S. has now confirmed 1,563 cases this year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — the highest annual number in more than three decades. But the true total could be even higher, says Dr. Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. (Godoy, 10/12)
WUSF: Polio May Become Harder To Diagnose With No Vaccine Mandates
Florida is taking steps to remove vaccine mandates. But health experts are concerned the move could lead to lower vaccination rates and a rise in preventable diseases, like polio. And it's one disease most doctors in the U.S. don’t know how to recognize or treat. (Bowman, 10/14)
