Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
State Highlight: Feds Push Georgia To Allow Subsidy Proposal For ACA; Four GOP Members, Dems Stop Amendment On Abortion Ban From Passing In Kansas
Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Feds Push Georgia Plan To Subsidize Health Insurance To Next Step
The federal government says Georgia is on track with its proposal to lower health insurance premiums by paying government subsidies. It is inviting the public to comment on the idea over the next month. The “waiver” proposal would cost the state more than $100 million annually, state officials estimated. (Hart, 2/7)
The Associated Press: Kansas Anti-Abortion Measure Fails; Medicaid Plan Targeted
Republican lawmakers in Kansas failed to get a proposed anti-abortion amendment to the state constitution on the ballot Friday, and abortion opponents responded by moving aggressively to block a Medicaid expansion plan backed by Democrats and GOP moderates. Neither side expected Friday's vote in the Kansas House to be the last word on whether the abortion measure ultimately is put to a vote in a statewide election, when a simple majority would change the state constitution. (2/7)
The Hill: Kansas State House Narrowly Rejects Anti-Abortion Measure
Supporters of the amendment left the roll call open for more than five hours to try to convince skeptics to flip their votes, but to no avail. The amendment would have overturned a Kansas Supreme Court decision from last year that declared access to abortion a “fundamental” right under the state’s Bill of Rights. (Axelrod, 2/8)
San Francciso Chronicle: The Castro’s Shame: Addiction And Mental Illness Devastate Iconic SF Neighborhood
That’s the question so many San Franciscans have as they pass people in obvious distress — high out of their minds or coping with mental illness — who desperately need help. But where does one get that help? Is there any real plan for them other than, possibly, a police order to move along, a quick stay in a jail cell or a brief visit to the overstuffed psychiatric emergency room at San Francisco General Hospital? These questions prompted Mandelman and his staff in August to create an unusual list: the 17 most distressed and distressing people in his district, which includes the Castro. (Knight, 2/7)
The Wall Street Journal: St. Luke’s Hospital Rebrands As Mount Sinai Morningside After $250 Million Overhaul
Mount Sinai St. Luke’s hospital is taking a new name in an effort to shake off a dated image of itself. Mount Sinai Health System, one of the largest hospital networks in the New York metro area, will announce Friday that its St. Luke’s hospital will take the name of its neighborhood and become Mount Sinai Morningside. (West, 2/7)
The Associated Press: 200 Sick After Norovirus Outbreak At Louisiana Casino
An outbreak of norovirus at a southwestern Louisiana casino has left at least 200 people sick and has prompted an investigation by state health officials. The Department of Health confirmed Thursday that the illnesses reported at L’Auberge Casino in Lake Charles last weekend were norovirus-related, news outlets reported. The highly contagious gastrointestinal illness that can cause vomiting, diarrhea and stomach pain. (2/7)
San Francisco Chronicle: In Dignity Health, Cigna Spat, Patients Caught In Crossfire
Disagreements between insurers and health systems that leave patients stranded are a perennial problem in U.S. health care. Glenn Melnick, a professor of health economics at the University of Southern California, said such disputes, which are disruptive to consumers, are often settled. Melnick believes Dignity is using an “all or nothing” strategy in contract negotiations, meaning either all its facilities are in the insurer’s network or none are. (Krans, 2/7)
Wyoming Public Radio: Bill Seeks To Raise Statute Of Limitations For Child Sex Abuse Civil Action
A bill before the Wyoming Legislature this session would extend the amount of time survivors of child sexual abuse could bring a civil suit against their perpetrator. The statute of limitations for civil actions of this kind currently sits at 8 years beyond a survivor's 18th birthday. The proposed bill would significantly raise that statute of limitations to 35 years after a survivor's 18th birthday. (Victor, 2/7)
The New York Times: ‘Get Well Or Die’: A State Senator Reveals His Addiction Battle
The startling disclosure came two minutes into a State Capitol news conference. State Senator Peter Harckham, a first-term Democratic lawmaker, announced his support for legalizing recreational marijuana, but he first acknowledged his own struggles with addiction. “As someone in recovery myself for many years, I look at it from that lens,” Mr. Harckham said last month. (Ferre-Sadurni, 2/10)
St. Louis Public Radio: New Wash U Research Finds ‘Alarming’ Stats About Mental Health Of Paramedics And EMTs
Researchers at Washington University have found that paramedics and emergency medical technicians are seven times as likely as the general public to have thought about suicide in the past year. Five emergency medicine doctors surveyed more than 900 paramedics in Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky and Iowa over three months in 2017. The results were published in an industry journal this month. (Lippmann, 2/10)
Cincinnati Enquirer: Hamilton County Ohio Jail Addiction Treatment Pod Fills Gap In Services
The Hamilton County jail is embarking on another attempt to give inmates with addiction a chance to get help behind bars that extends into the community after they're released. Sheriff Jim Neil on Thursday unveiled a recovery pod for men, modeled after a pod for women that opened in 2016. Since then, 195 women have gone through the pod. (DeMio, 2/7)
WBUR: Neurologist Takes Stand To Defend Care Given To Justina Pelletier At Boston Children's
From the witness stand Thursday, Dr. Jurriaan Peters recounted his version of Justina Pelletier's treatment at Boston Children's Hospital. The patient, who was 14 at the time, was committed to a psychiatric ward and given limited access to her parents. Her family is now suing the hospital alleging their civil rights were violated. (Chen, 2/7)
Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Plan Could Stop Disputes Over Ambulance Response Times
Amid public uproars over long waits for emergency transport, debates over the accuracy of reported response times for ambulances are common across the state. While the measure falls short of defining the quality of emergency care, the time it takes an ambulance to arrive on the scene at times can mean the difference between life and death. Now, a statewide committee of top EMS officials that advises state leaders wants to put an end to the data disputes and establish an objective process that could better ensure the public is getting the best service. (Berard, 2/7)
Cleveland Plain Dealer: Two More Flu-Related Deaths Raise Total To 8 In Cuyahoga County This Season
Cuyahoga County is trending slightly below the five-year median in flu-related deaths, and flu activity has risen to very high, health officials said.Over the past five weeks, more than 675 flu-related hospital admissions have been reported in Cuyahoga County, and more than two-thirds of these cases had Influenza A, health officials said. (Washington, 2/7)
WBUR: To Fight Chronic Homelessness, Worcester Is Building Connections — And Modular Housing
CoCs are regional planning bodies required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to work to get people out of homelessness. They're made up of nonprofits and government agencies. Terpollari will tell the CoC that Kelly and his partner are ready for housing and have the proper documentation. (Joliocoeur, 2/7)
Health News Florida: State Reexamines ‘Vertical Integration System’ In Medical Marijuana Case
In a case that could create a major upheaval in the state’s pot industry, health officials on Thursday asked the Florida Supreme Court to uphold a 2017 law that carried out a constitutional amendment broadly legalizing medical marijuana. Lawyers for the Department of Health argued that, in creating and passing the law, the Florida Legislature carried out its “constitutional prerogative to serve as the state policymaker and to protect the welfare of the citizenry.” (Kam, 2/7)
