St. Paul, Minnesota, Will Erase $40M In Medical Debt For 32,000 Residents
Meanwhile, Illinois will receive a large opioid settlement; North Carolina makes progress in overdose rates; health advocates seek to extend insurance subsidies for young adults in Maryland; and more.
Minnesota Public Radio:
St. Paul To Wipe Out Medical Debt For 32,000 Residents
St. Paul officials are sending letters to 32,000 people this week alerting them that their medical debt will be erased. Residents didn’t have to apply to be eligible. Instead, the city analyzed resident incomes and debt levels and prioritized those with the highest need. (Ferguson, 11/12)
In other health news from across the U.S. —
Capitol News Illinois:
Illinois To Receive $40M Opioid Settlement From Kroger
Illinois will receive a $40 million share of a $1.4 billion bipartisan national settlement with Kroger over the grocery chain’s role in the opioid crisis, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced. The settlement is the latest contribution to the 2021 Illinois Opioid Allocation Agreement steered by Raoul and state’s attorneys. (Johnson, 11/12)
North Carolina Health News:
NC Overdose Deaths Seem To Be Dropping. Why?
Just as substance use experts celebrated a somewhat mysterious drop in drug overdose deaths across North Carolina, Hurricane Helene blew through the western part of the state, causing death and widespread property damage. In the storm’s aftermath, many residents found themselves without homes and businesses and facing an uncertain future. (Knopf, 11/13)
The Baltimore Sun:
Health Insurance Subsidy Extension Sought For Young Adults
Health advocates and elected officials are urging the Maryland General Assembly to extend health insurance subsidies to young adults during the upcoming legislative session. The Young Adult Health Insurance Subsidy Pilot Program has subsidized premiums for 67,000 young adults enrolled in the state’s health exchange, making it easier for them to get coverage and afford plans. Adults aged 18 to 37, a group that is least likely to have health coverage, make up nearly a third of all private-plan enrollments on the Maryland Health Benefit Exchange, an all-time high. (Mirabella, 11/12)
KFF Health News:
'An Arm And A Leg' Podcast: Fight Health Insurance — With Help From AI
Meet Holden Karau: a San Francisco Bay Area software engineer who created an AI tool to help appeal insurance denials. Her project, Fight Health Insurance, is a labor of love. It draws on her tech expertise and years of experience fighting health insurance: for gender-affirming care, for rehab after getting hit by a car, and even for her dog, Professor Timbit. (11/13)
KFF Health News:
Listen To The Latest 'KFF Health News Minute'
This week on the KFF Health News Minute: DACA recipients can sign up for health plans under the Affordable Care Act for the first time, and some insurers and health care facilities are paying for ride-hailing services to get patients to appointments. (11/12)
