Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Planned Parenthood Wins Appeal In Medicaid Fraud Case
Politico: 5th Circuit Rebuffs Ruling Against Planned Parenthood
A three-judge panel at the conservative-leaning 5th Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday reversed a lower court ruling that Planned Parenthood could be liable for nearly $2 billion for defrauding Medicaid. The unanimous ruling overturns a decision by Texas U.S. District Court Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, a Donald Trump appointee. (Ollstein, 2/26)
The CT Mirror: CT Approves Funds For Planned Parenthood To Stockpile Abortion Pill
Connecticut will stockpile mifepristone, known as the abortion pill, to facilitate access to the drug in the wake of threats to curb its availability. One of two emergency-certified bills passed by the state legislature this week includes $800,000 in funding to Planned Parenthood of Southern New England. Use of the funding is up to the discretion of the organization, but vice president Gretchen Raffa confirmed that part of it will go towards stockpiling mifepristone, a drug used to end pregnancies. (Golvala, 2/26)
More health news from across the U.S. —
Health News Florida: BayCare's New Behavioral Health Center Is The First-Of-Its-Kind Urgent Care In Florida
If you're dealing with a mental health or addiction issue, you have a new place to get help in Pasco County. BayCare Behavioral Health opened a new urgent care center in New Port Richey. The grand opening of the center comes a little over a year after the Pasco County Commission gave BayCare almost $3.6 million for the project. (Marsee, 2/27)
North Carolina Health News: NC Defendants With Mental Illness Wait Months In Jail For Court-Ordered Treatment
For nearly a year, Jake Davis languished in jail, waiting for a bed in a state-run psychiatric hospital to get court-ordered mental health treatment. Davis, 37 and diagnosed with bipolar and delusional disorder, was arrested and booked into the Watauga County Detention Center in Boone on Mother’s Day Weekend 2023 for nonviolent crimes. His mother, Jama Hinson, said he committed those crimes while in a state of psychosis. His mental status continued to be “off the chain” in the weeks that followed, she said. (Crumpler, 2/27)
San Francisco Chronicle: Could A Co-Op Network Help Customers In S.F.'s 'Pharmacy Deserts'?
In response to Walgreens closing a dozen pharmacies across San Francisco this month, a supervisor wants the city to investigate creating a network of pharmacy co-ops citywide to fill the gap. Supervisor Jackie Fielder requested this week that the Budget and Legislative Analyst explore city support for a co-op network to “ensure that low-income families, seniors and people with chronic health conditions continue to have access to pharmacy services” amid the mass pharmacy closures. (Toledo, 2/26)
CBS News: North Texas Medical Students Working To Address Rising Infant Mortality Rates
Hospitals in both Tarrant and Dallas counties are taking at a growing problem: children who are dying before their first birthday. The infant mortality rate in both Texas and the U.S. has worsened in recent years. Along with seasoned doctors and health care professionals working toward solutions, some medical students just getting started in their careers are also hoping to make a difference. (Lucia, Salazar and Standing, 2/26)
AP: Texas Says This Doctor Illegally Treated Trans Youth. He Says He Followed The Law
On the Texas border, Dr. Hector Granados treats children with diabetes at his El Paso clinics and makes hospital rounds under the shadow of accusations that have thrown his career into jeopardy: providing care to transgender youth. In what’s believed to be a U.S. first, Texas is suing Granados and two other physicians over claims that they violated the state’s ban on gender-affirming care for minors, calling the doctors “scofflaws” in lawsuits filed last fall that threaten to impose steep fines and revoke their medical licenses. He denies the accusations, and all three doctors have asked courts to dismiss the cases. (Stengle, 2/27)
KFF Health News: Human, Bird, Or Dog Waste? Scientists Parsing Poop To Aid DC’s Forgotten River
On a bright October day, high schoolers from Francis L. Cardozo Education Campus piled into a boat on the Anacostia River in Washington, D.C. Most had never been on the water before. Their guide, Trey Sherard of the Anacostia Riverkeeper, started the tour with a well-rehearsed safety talk. The nonprofit advocates for the protection of the river. (Fortiér, 2/27)
