State Highlights: Mass. Town Considers Total Tobacco Ban; Ohio Autism Program Changes
A selection of health policy stories from Massachusetts, Ohio, New York, Illinois and Wisconsin.
PBS NewsHour:
Massachusetts Town Mulls Nation’s First Total Tobacco Ban
The town of Westminster, Mass., could become the first in the nation to ban the sale of tobacco products if a proposal from the city's board of health passes in December. The unprecedented pitch would ban the sale cigarettes, chewing tobacco and e-cigarettes within the city. Proponents cite the benefit of the reduced health risks from tobacco, whereas some residents and local businesses say jobs and consumer freedom is at stake. (Brangham, 11/16)
The Toledo Blade:
Federal Changes Could Impact Ohio Autism Program
Vicki Obee keeps a bright yellow folder on her desk. Scrawled on front in black marker: "Don't give up the farm." It's a mantra Obee, executive director of Bittersweet Farms, has adopted as she waits to learn how a federal rule issued earlier this year will affect the services Bittersweet provides for people with autism. In January, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services issued changes to its Home and Community-Based Services program, which provides waivers to Medicaid-eligible people with disabilities to live at home or in the community rather than in facilities the government deems institutional. The goal is to keep people out of settings with isolating qualities that keep them away from the broader community. (Lindstrom, 11/15)
The New York Times:
In Death, Girl, 2, Is Caught In Fight Over Organs
Thaiya Spruill-Smith, who loved broccoli, Minnie Mouse and the movie “Space Jam,” was declared dead Friday evening at Brookdale University Hospital and Medical Center. When her death certificate is issued, it will say she died on Friday, two days after officials say her stepfather shook her violently. But Thaiya’s actual death has been postponed, held up by a tug of war between her mother and her father. Her father, Terrell Smith, said cutting up his daughter would be desecration. Her mother, Teoka Spruill, wants her daughter’s organs to help others. (Barker and Schweber, 11/16)
Reuters:
Discrimination May Affect Health Of Older Chinese-Americans
One in five older Chinese Americans in Chicago has experienced discrimination, and this source of added stress could have negative health effects, according to a new study. Combined with a cultural preference for tolerance, instead of fighting back, “Discrimination may operate as a stressor that decreases older adults’ self-esteem and increases the risk of psychological distress, social isolation, thus leading to poorer health status,” said Dr. Xinqui Dong, who led the study. (Kennedy, 11/14)
The Associated Press:
Wisconsin Woman Charged With Medicaid Fraud
Prosecutors have charged a Kenosha woman with bilking Medicaid out of more than $1.5 million. Online court records show the state Justice Department charged 42-year-old Carleen Larson with multiple counts of felony fraud as well as forgery and racketeering on Thursday. The agency said in a statement that Larson was the owner of The Caring Heart, a home health care agency that was a certified Medicaid provider. Investigators learned that between July 2005 and July 2014 The Caring Heart billed Medicaid for 94,987 hours of services that weren't provided, collecting $1,522,307 in fraudulent payments. (11/15)
