Oregon Receives $1 Billion To Expand Medicaid Coverage

The Oregonian: Under Federal $1 Billion Agreement, Oregon Will Expand Medicaid Coverage 
Under a new agreement, the federal government will give Oregon $1.1 billion to guarantee continued free health care coverage to tens of thousands of young children in households with low incomes and offer wider coverage to low-income young adults, especially those with special needs. The agreement, announced Wednesday in a conference call with Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services officials and Oregon Gov. Kate Brown, also includes expanding Medicaid coverage to include housing and food support. (9/29)

AP: Oregon To Cover Health-Related Climate Expenses
Oregon is set to become the first state in the nation to cover climate change expenses for certain low-income patients under its Medicaid program as the normally temperate Pacific Northwest region sees longer heat waves and more intense wildfires. The new initiative, slated to take effect in 2024, will cover payment for devices such as air conditioners and air filters for Medicaid members with health conditions who live in an area where an emergency due to extreme weather has been declared by the federal government or the governor’s office, according to the Oregon Health Authority. (Rush, 9/29)

In other news from across the U.S. —

Los Angeles Times: Newsom Signs Bill Protecting Transgender Youths Fleeing Red-State Laws
Senate Bill 107 by state Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) provides for a range of safeguards meant to block out-of-state attempts to penalize families that come to California seeking medical treatment for transgender children and teens or move to the state to avoid consequences for already seeking that treatment elsewhere. (Mays, 9/29)

San Francisco Chronicle: S.F. Expects To Eventually Open Supervised Drug Consumption Sites Inside Some New ‘Wellness Hubs’
San Francisco officials said Thursday that they expect to eventually open supervised drug consumption sites inside new “wellness hubs” they’re planning that will serve people struggling with addiction. (Moench, 9/29)

North Carolina Health News: Launch Delayed For Medicaid Tailored Plans
Back in August, Lucy Plyler was mailed a 19-page letter from the state health department. The letter said that the way Victoria, her 24-year-old daughter with multiple disabilities, received Medicaid was about to change. Instead of being in NC Medicaid Direct, Victoria would be put on a “tailored plan.” (Donnelly-DeRoven, 9/30)

The Boston Globe: Retired Clarinetist Donates $100 Million To Rename Boston University’s Medical School After His Friend
Half of the donation money will be used to provide need-based financial aid and scholarships to future medical students, said Robert Brown, president of Boston University. A quarter will be used to support endowed professorships, which honor accomplished faculty and fund research. The final quarter will be used to “keep the school at the forefront of teaching and research,” according to a statement from the university. (Mogg, 9/29)

KHN: Sports Programs In States In Northern Climes Face A New Opponent: Scorching Septembers 
On a recent afternoon, it was a crisp 70 degrees on the football field at the high school in this northwestern Montana community less than 200 miles south of the U.S.-Canada border. Vikings head coach Jim Benn was running his team through drills in the pristine fall weather, without much interruption. Just a couple of weeks earlier, though, players needed frequent water breaks as they sweated through temperatures in the low to mid-90s, about 15 degrees higher than average for the time of year. Although temperatures have started to drop now that autumn is underway, Montana and many other states in the northern U.S. are getting hotter — and staying hot for longer. (Bolton, 9/30)