Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Ohio Law Requires Insurers To Cover Extra Breast Cancer Screenings
Cincinnati Enquirer: Ohio Expanded Breast Cancer Screening Coverage. Will The Nation Follow?
Dense breast tissue affects about 1 in 10 women, according to the Mayo Clinic. Just over 40% of women aged 40 and over have dense breast tissue show up on mammograms making it harder to detect cancer. And in Ohio, many additional screenings outside of a mammogram, including magnetic resonance imaging, weren't covered by insurance. That changed last week when Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican, signed House Bill 371 into law, requiring insurance companies to cover additional screenings for individuals who are at high risk for breast cancer. (Sutherland, 6/30)
In other health news from across the U.S. —
AP: Navy Report: Multiple Errors Poisoned Pearl Harbor Water
A Navy investigation released Thursday revealed that shoddy management and human error caused fuel to leak into Pearl Harbor’s tap water last year, poisoning thousands of people and forcing military families to evacuate their homes for hotels. (McAvoy, 7/1)
St. Louis Public Radio: Military Medical Staff Give Free Care In Southern Missouri
More than 100 medical members of the Army, Air Force and reserves are in southern Missouri for a week to provide free medical services to anyone who wants them. The project is a collaboration among the Department of Defense, the Delta Regional Authority and local health care agencies. (Ahl, 7/1)
Atlanta Journal-Constitution: State Still Falls Short When Caring For People With Disabilities
Despite 12 years of supervision by a federal court, Georgia’s system for caring for people with mental illness and intellectual disabilities remains a dangerous place, according to a new report. State officials have failed to meet numerous requirements under a 2010 agreement resulting from an investigation by the Department of Justice, according to a report issued in mid-June by court-appointed reviewer Elizabeth Jones. (Judd and Landergan, 7/1)
New Hampshire Public Radio: Survey: N.H. Nursing Homes Closing Beds Amid Staff Shortages
Grafton County Nursing Home has a few dozen beds it can’t fill. It’s not because patients aren’t interested; it's because the beds can’t be staffed. Craig Labore, the home's administrator, said prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, nearly all of their beds were occupied. Now around one-third are unused. Without enough staff, in late May, the facility put a pause on new admissions. (Fam, 7/1)
AP: Appeals Court Won't Block New Health Facilities For Jail
A federal appeals court Thursday upheld an order that the city of New Orleans build new facilities for people jailed with mental health and medical needs. ... The jail, known as the Orleans Justice Center, is under court oversight as it works to implement improvements under an agreement, approved in 2013, to settle a 2012 lawsuit over dangerous conditions. (6/30)
Health News Florida: Overdose Deaths Behind Bars Rise As Drug Crisis Swells
Annissa Holland should be excited her son is coming home from prison after four long years of incarceration. Instead, she’s researching rehab centers to send him to as soon as he walks out the gate. She doesn’t know the person who’s coming home — the person who she said has been doing every drug he can get his hands on inside the Alabama prison system. (LJ Dawson, 6/30)
Houston Chronicle: Houston's Healthiest Counties, Ranked — With One In Top 300 In US
U.S. News & World Report recently released its 2022 list of the healthiest communities, and only one Houston-area county cracked the top 500. With an overall population health score of 78 out of 100, Fort Bend County rated the highest among Houston's eight surrounding counties, ranking No. 291 overall. (Welch, 6/30)
