State Highlights: Calif. Will Hire More L.A. Nursing Home Inspectors; Mo. To Spell-Out Eating Disorder Coverage

Kaiser Health News: State, L.A. Near Deal To Boost Nursing Home Inspections
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health could receive nearly $15 million in additional state funds and about 70 more staff members under a proposed new contract with the state to expand and increase oversight of nursing homes. But a yearlong training and certification process for new staff members means that the longstanding backlog of nursing home investigations could get worse before it gets better. (Gorman, 6/29)

The Associated Press: Missouri Changes Insurance Requirements For Eating Disorders
Missouri is set to be the first state in the nation to spell out the type of eating disorder treatments that insurance companies must cover, a move advocates say will ensure families have access to care for not just the physical aspect but also the underlying mental issues. (6/28)

The Associated Press: California Vaccine Bill Goes To Lawmakers For Final Vote
California lawmakers are considering a measure that will require vaccinations for most children in public schools. The state Senate was expected to take the final vote required before sending the contentious bill to Gov. Jerry Brown on Monday. (6/29)

Los Angeles Times: 35 California Counties Grant Healthcare To Immigrants In U.S. Illegally
In the latest wave of such decisions, a group of 35 mostly rural counties in California agreed this week to grant healthcare to immigrants in the country illegally. For several years, just 11 of the state's 58 counties provided some form of low-cost medical care to these uninsured immigrants. But as of this month, 47 of the state's counties have promised to do so. (Karlamangla, 6/26)

Kaiser Health News: Disability Advocates Fight Assisted Suicide Measures
As California legislators consider a bill that would allow terminally ill patients to get prescriptions to end their lives, disability rights advocates are speaking up in opposition. They worry that if it becomes law, depression and incorrect prognoses may lead people with serious disabilities to end their lives prematurely. (Gorman, 6/29)

The Charlotte Observer: Charlotte Health Insurance Broker’s Tactics Raise Questions
Today [Kim] Huggins is among dozens in Charlotte who are learning that their “free” coverage requires them to cover a $5,000 deductible and costs them eligibility for some of the free medical services they’ve relied on. (Doss Helms, 6/27)

The Associated Press: Johns Hopkins Startup Helps Seniors Hear At A Low Cost
As many as two-thirds of older adults will experience hearing loss, but many won’t do anything about it, says Dr. Carrie Nieman, a resident at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. (Leaderman, 6/28)

The Baltimore Sun: Medical Marijuana Moves Closer To Reality In Maryland
With the state publishing draft regulations for medical marijuana and an infrastructure for growing and distributing it coming into view, Marylanders who suffer from chronic pain or debilitating disease could gain access to the drug by the middle of next year. The rules developed by the Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission, which cover doctor registration, licensing, fees and other concerns, were published last week. The state is accepting public comment on the rules through July 27. (Cohn, 6/28)

Des Moines Register: Grieving Father: Stop Jailing People For Mental Illness
No one believes Jeff Cornick was thinking straight when he drunkenly carried up to a dozen gas cans into his Des Moines house, stalked around rooms with a lit candle and ranted to police that he was going to blow himself up. "Shoot me!" he yelled to an officer, a police report shows. The question is: Did this bizarre behavior make him a serious criminal? Or just a person who needed serious psychiatric treatment? (Tony Leys, 6/27)

Montgomery (Ala.) Advertiser: Pediatricians: Medicaid Cuts Could Hurt All Patients
Kiara Spencer's 6-month-old daughter, Londyn, looked eagerly around the examination room. ... Londyn is one of roughly 548,000 Alabama children, including 40,000 babies, eligible for Medicaid. ... Linda Lee, executive director of the Alabama chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, said that pediatric practices in the state get between 30 to 50 percent of their funding from Medicaid. ... The General Fund passed by the Alabama Legislature earlier this month — and vetoed by Gov. Robert Bentley — would have cut Medicaid by about 5 percent. Percentage-wise, it was one of the lowest cuts in the budget. But due to the byzantine structure of Alabama's Medicaid funding, some programs and services faced greater danger. Medicaid's $6 billion budget — the federal government provides a two-to-one match of state dollars — has many untouchable areas, such as hospitals, nursing homes, and behavioral health. (Lyman, 6/27)

Montgomery (Ala.) Advertiser: In Nursing Home, Medicaid And A Family's Struggle
According to the Alabama Medicaid Agency, three of every four individuals in the state's nursing homes receive coverage. Medicaid's nursing home funding is not an area that can be cut should legislators decide to reduce Medicaid funding in a special session, said Dr. Don Williamson, overseeing a transition of the Medicaid delivery system. But Medicaid's importance to nursing homes underlines its major role in Alabama's health system, where 20 percent of state residents are covered by the program. (Lyman, 6/28)

NPR: Texas Defends A Woman's Right To Take Her Placenta Home
After giving birth, some women save the placenta in order to consume it in the following weeks. In fact, Texas just passed a law giving women the right to take the placenta home from the hospital, the third state to do so. (Feibel, 6/28)