Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
North Carolina Looks Set To Finally Launch Special Medicaid Plans In July
North Carolina Health News: Confidence High For July Launch Of Delayed Medicaid Plans
North Carolina’s regional managed care organizations that will administer specialized Medicaid plans for people with complex needs say they’re ready for the plans — which have had multiple delays — to finally go live on July 1. CEOs for the four organizations, known as LME-MCOs, appeared Tuesday before the state legislature’s Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Medicaid. They assured lawmakers that the so-called “tailored plans,” which are expected to cover about 150,000 Medicaid participants, will launch on that schedule. (Baxley, 4/4)
The New York Times: For Red State Holdouts Like Kansas, Is Expanding Medicaid Within Reach?
As lawmakers in a nearby hearing room debated last month whether to support her legislation to expand Medicaid, Gov. Laura Kelly of Kansas dared the state’s Republican House speaker to hold a vote. “If he thinks he can kill it, bring it,” Ms. Kelly, a soft-spoken moderate Democrat, said in an interview in her sprawling office suite at the State Capitol in Topeka. The next morning, in his own office off the House floor, Speaker Dan Hawkins showed no sign of yielding. (Weiland, 4/3)
The Washington Post: Philadelphia Nonprofit Loses Latest Try To Open Supervised Drug-Use Center
A Philadelphia health organization does not have the right to operate a facility where people can consume illicit drugs under the supervision of staffers trained to prevent overdoses, a federal judge ruled Wednesday. The decision marks a victory for the Justice Department, which argued that such facilities violate federal law, and for critics who say the centers enable users, increase crime and attract drug dealers. (Ovalle, 4/3)
Reuters: Group Loses Latest Bid To Open Philadelphia Safe-Injection Site
U.S. District Judge Gerald McHugh in Philadelphia said ... "The noble intentions of Safehouse and its founders are self-evident, and the public health crisis they seek to address continues unabated, but their religious inspiration does not provide a shield against prosecution for violation of a federal criminal statute barring its operation." The judge dismissed its claims that its religious rights were being violated under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act and the U.S. Constitution's 1st Amendment, which protects the right to free exercise of religion. (Raymond, 4/3)
Tampa Bay Times: At A Florida Psychiatric Home Of Last Resort, One Woman Works Her “Dream Job”
After a while, she says, you get used to the screams. You learn which patient shrieks when it’s time for his insulin shot, which woman wails every time a worker wheels her to the shower. “Some people,” Barbara Lee says, “just like to yell.” It’s a cool, dreary morning. In the parking lot off 66th Street North, Lee grabs a banana from her car and pauses to pray for peace for her residents. (DeGregory, 4/3)
Richmond Times-Dispatch: 24-Hour Mental Health Crisis Center Coming To Henrico
Henrico County plans to open a 24-hour treatment center for people in a mental health crisis or who need detoxification treatment for substance abuse. The center will be at the county’s Eastern Government Center. It will include 16 crisis stabilization unit beds, for short-term, mainly overnight crisis care, as well as 16 detoxification beds. Both are intended for people who need medical care, whether to adjust psychiatric medication or to deal with the physical symptoms of withdrawal. (Ress, 4/3)
AP: Bringing Dental Care To Kids In Schools Is Helping Take Care Of Teeth Neglected In The Pandemic
Tucked away inside the teachers lounge at a New Hampshire elementary school, Amber Warner was having her teeth checked out for the first time. ... The portable clinic is part of a cavity prevention program developed by NYU College of Dentistry and being rolled out in Concord and two other New Hampshire districts. CariedAway New Hampshire hopes to expand to Maine and Vermont — and eventually nationwide — as part of a growing effort to improve pediatric oral health, especially in children from lower-income families. (Casey, 4/3)
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AP: Idaho Lawmakers Pass Bills Targeting LGBTQ+ Citizens. Protesters Toss Paper Hearts In Protest
Idaho lawmakers have passed a series of bills targeting LGBTQ+ residents this year, including two this week that prevent public employees from being required to use someone’s preferred pronouns and redefine gender as being synonymous with sex. On Wednesday, the Senate approved a bill allowing people to sue schools and libraries over books deemed harmful to minors, sending it to Republican Gov. Brad Little. (4/4)
