Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Snap Closure Of Largest Nursing Home In St. Louis Forces Out Residents
AP: Largest Nursing Home In St. Louis Closes Suddenly, Forcing Out 170 Residents
The largest skilled nursing facility in St. Louis has closed suddenly, forcing about 170 residents to be bused to other care centers. Many left with nothing but the clothes they were wearing. The abrupt shutdown of Northview Village Nursing Home on Friday came after workers learned they might not be paid and walked out, confusing residents and their relatives. Many family members gathered through the day Saturday outside the facility on the city’s north side. Some didn’t immediately know where their loved ones were taken. (Salter and Hollingsworth, 12/18)
In news from California —
Orange County Register: California Sober Living Homes Were 'Little More Than Drug Dens,’ Lawsuit Says
Last month, Aetna filed a lawsuit against a slew of rehabs and their operators in Orange, Los Angeles and Riverside counties, claiming fraud. ... “The various schemes perpetrated by Defendants here are particularly disturbing,” the Aetna suit says. “Since at least 2021, Defendants have targeted vulnerable Aetna members who suffer from alcohol and/or substance dependency issues as part of a concerted effort to profit at their expense. Defendants used the patients for health benefit payments under the lie of helping them, while doing the exact opposite." (Sforza, 12/18)
CBS News: New Campaign Meant To Help Black Californians Take Charge Of Their Health
Navigating the health care system is not easy, and it's adding to a health gap for Black Americans. A new campaign is meant to empower Black Californians and help take charge of their health. When it comes to health care, Rhonda Smith is on a mission. "About 94% of Black Californians have health insurance, but getting access to the producers and services they need can often be a challenge," said Smith, the executive director of the California Black Health Network. (Garcia, 12/18)
KFF Health News: New Doula Benefit ‘Life-Changing’ For California Mom
When Mia Bloomer found out she was pregnant with her fourth child, she wanted a different birth experience. She wanted to feel empowered, informed, and heard — elements she found lacking during her earlier births. Somewhat by accident, Bloomer, 26, found Priya Kalyan-Masih six months into her pregnancy. Kalyan-Masih is a doula, a professional childbirth companion who provides emotional support, physical comfort, and education to women before, during, and after pregnancy. Bloomer hadn’t realized Medi-Cal would cover the service until she visited an informational fair near her home in the High Desert region of Southern California. (Castle Work, 12/19)
In other health news from across the U.S. —
Reuters: Monsanto Hit With $857 Mln Verdict Over PCBs In Washington State School
A Washington state jury on Monday ordered Bayer's Monsanto to pay $857 million to seven former students and parent volunteers of a school northeast of Seattle who claimed that chemicals known as PCBs made by the company leaked from light fixtures and made them sick, according to court documents. The jury in Seattle found the company liable for selling polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) used in the Sky Valley Education Center in Monroe, Washington that were not safe and did not contain adequate warnings. The verdict included $73 million in compensatory damages, and $784 million in punitive damages. (Mindock, 12/18)
Bloomberg: New Jersey Doctors Test Using AI For Hospice-Care Decisions
“When someone is actively declining, you can see it, but being able to predict before that happens is hard.” Can artificial intelligence software do a better job than humans of picking that moment? That’s the idea behind Serious Illness Care Connect, a software tool that about 150 doctors are testing in a pilot program in New Jersey’s largest health-care network, Hackensack Meridian Health. ... The tool calculates the likelihood that a patient will die within six months, a common medical benchmark for these kinds of decisions. (LaPara, 12/18)
CBS News: State's New Law Requires Paid Sick Time For All Minnesota Workers Starting In January
Every worker, regardless of status, will be eligible for sick and safe time, and employers are required to pay for it. ... If you work 30 hours that makes you eligible for one hour of paid sick and safe time for a maximum of 48 hours a year. The new law says you can get sick or safe time if you are sick or if you are caring for a sick family member. The definition of sick includes mental illness, and the definition of a family member is broad. It includes step-relatives, grandparents, nieces and nephews, and domestic partners and foster relatives. (Murphy, 12/18)
CBS News: Emails Show Pittsburgh Has Failed To Comply With Regulations For Needle Exchanges
Discarded used syringes are a public health hazard, but a KDKA investigation has found that for the past two years, the city failed to comply with health department regulations. ... In nearly two dozen emails obtained through a right-to-know request, KDKA Investigates found that despite repeated pleas from the Allegheny County Health Department, the city failed to develop a policy or comply with regulations requiring the accounting and disposal of the needles, nor has it made available required sharps disposal containers to ensure the public's health and safety. (Sheehan, 12/18)
The Boston Globe: New $1 Million Tuition Reimbursement Program For First Responders
A new program will provide tuition reimbursement for New Hampshire first responders, according to officials who announced the program’s launch Monday. The New Hampshire Department of Safety is working with the Community College System of New Hampshire to offer the program, as well as the Police Standards and Training Council. Law enforcement officers, firefighters, and emergency medical technicians are eligible to receive reimbursement for one course per semester through the program. (Gokee, 12/18)
News Service of Florida: FDA Could Make A Decision On Florida's Plan For Canada Drug Imports By Jan. 5
Federal officials are expected to decide by Jan. 5 whether to approve a Florida plan to import cheaper prescription drugs from Canada, state Agency for Health Care Administration Secretary Jason Weida told a state House panel Thursday. Weida said he is “cautiously optimistic” that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration will approve the plan, which the state has been pursuing since 2019. (12/15)
