Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
State Highlights: NYC Mayor Taps City's Workers To Help Enroll Uninsured; Measles Outbreak In Oregon Anti-Vaccination 'Hot Spot' Escalates
The Wall Street Journal: Mayor De Blasio Drafts City Workers To Push Health Care Programs
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has given the city’s more than 344,000 workers a second job: Signing up residents for low-cost and affordable health insurance. Mr. de Blasio, a Democrat, signed an executive order on Tuesday to formalize a push by his administration to enroll uninsured New Yorkers in health plans. Under the order, on-duty employees at all city agencies will be required to educate residents they meet about city-run health plans and other resources. (Honan, 1/22)
The Washington Post: Portland-Area County Declares Emergency Over Measles Outbreak In Anti-Vaccination 'Hotspot'
A quickly escalating measles outbreak around Portland, Ore., has led health officials in nearby Clark County, Wash., to declare a public health emergency as they warn that people infected with the highly contagious virus since the beginning of the year have visited schools and churches, a dentist’s office, an Amazon locker pickup station, a Costco, and an Ikea. Someone with measles was at Concourse D of the Portland International Airport on Jan. 7, the county’s public health department advised. An infected person attended a Portland Trail Blazers home game on Jan. 11. (Stanley-Becker, 1/23)
The Oregonian: 23rd Measles Patient Is Another Unvaccinated Child In Vancouver Area
Another unvaccinated child under 11 years old is the 23rd person to have measles in a Clark County outbreak. The county public health department said Tuesday that two more people are suspected of having measles and identified four more locations where people might have been exposed to the disease. (Harbarger, 1/22)
Minnesota Public Radio: Rural Hospitals Retreat From Delivering Babies; Small Towns Pay The Price
Living deep in the Minnesota woods near the Canadian border, Tamer and Yvette Ibrahim took pride in being ready for whatever the wilderness could throw at them. Then came baby Zein, a blizzard and a white-knuckle ride to the hospital. Yvette Ibrahim's complicated pregnancy created unexpected challenges, including five-hour drives to Duluth and back each month for checkups. It was mostly manageable until the December 2016 night when her water broke. Heavy snow blew across the Arrowhead darkness, but Zein wouldn't wait. (Richert, 1/22)
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin Legislature: Pre-Existing Conditions Bill Passes Assembly
Assembly Republicans passed a bill Tuesday that would require health insurers to cover pre-existing health conditions and would ban insurers from dropping coverage for those who exceed caps on lifetime or annual coverage amounts. The bill would take effect if the Affordable Care Act is overturned through a federal lawsuit, which Republicans support. It does not address how premiums would be kept from soaring without the federal law's subsidies, drawing opposition from some Democrats. (Beck, 1/22)
Boston Globe: Mass. General Hospital Plans Large Addition
Massachusetts General Hospital, the busiest medical center in the state, plans to spend more than $1 billion to build a large addition to its crowded campus to keep up with the demand for high-end medical care and compete for patients from around the globe. The project is likely the largest ever proposed by a hospital in the state, and promises to reshape a busy stretch of downtown Boston between Government Center and the Longfellow Bridge. (Dayal McCluskey, 1/22)
Los Angeles Times: LAUSD Teachers' Strike Ends. Teachers To Return To Classrooms Wednesday
The Los Angeles teachers union ended its strike Tuesday night, based on overwhelming support for a contract agreement with the school district, union leaders said. Teachers, nurses, counselors and librarians will be back in their classrooms Wednesday, said Alex Caputo-Pearl, president of United Teachers Los Angeles. “A vast supermajority are voting yes for the agreement that we made,” said Caputo-Pearl, who also acknowledged that many votes still were being tallied. (Blume and Kohli, 1/22)
The Associated Press: Psychotherapist Challenges Maryland’s Conversion Therapy Ban
A Virginia-based psychotherapist is suing to overturn Maryland’s ban on conversion therapy for minors, saying it prevents him from taking clients with an “unwanted same-sex attraction.” The Baltimore Sun reports Christopher Doyle filed a federal lawsuit Friday, arguing the ban adopted last year violates his rights, as well as clients’ rights “to prioritize their religious and moral values.” The American Psychological Association opposes therapy seeking to change sexual orientation, saying it doesn’t work and can cause harm. (1/22)
Cleveland Plain Dealer: Cleveland Coalition Says City Will Be ‘Lead Safe’ Within The Next Decade
Cleveland officials and members of local philanthropic, healthcare, environmental and educational organizations said Tuesday they will work together to create a “lead safe” Cleveland by drastically reducing the number of children exposed to the toxin. The newly-announced coalition did not commit to a specific timeline for its work, what its measure of success might be, how much it will cost or who will pay for it. (Dissel and Zeltner, 1/22)
The Baltimore Sun: So, You Want To Be A Doctor? Northern Baltimore County Program Teaches Children About Medicine, Health
Introduced to the Baltimore area this year by Hereford native Marion Beck, a seasoned nurse and business executive, the Little Medical School of Baltimore — already in six locations within just months of its launch here — is proving to be a popular addition to more traditional school enrichment programs. ...Now, in addition to traditional after-school and summer camp programs like sports and STEM-related robotics and coding activities, area students can explore the field of medicine and its close cousin, veterinary medicine, via the Little Medical School. Already, an estimated 125 area students have experienced the six-week program, which costs between $150 and $180, depending on the venue and the supplies required. (Heubeck, 1/23)
Cleveland Plain Dealer: Cuyahoga County Jail Nurses Speak Out About Proposed MetroHealth Contract At County Council Meeting
Several Cuyahoga County Jail nurses voiced concerns to Cuyahoga County Council Tuesday about the administration of health care at the jail and whether they will lose their jobs when the MetroHealth System takes over inmate health operations. One nurse told council members that he and his fellow nurses have not been told whether they will keep their jobs once MetroHealth takes over nursing at the jail, which is currently administrated by the county. (Astolfi, 1/22)
Georgia Health News: Kemp Budget Adds Funds To Help Ailing Georgians Remain In Their Homes
Potential good news for those on the waiting list came last week. Gov. Brian Kemp unveiled a budget proposal for fiscal 2020 that includes an extra $1.8 million for these home and community-based services, which help people remain in their homes instead of moving to nursing homes or other institutions. (Miller, 1/22)
Nashville Tennessean: PainMD Clinics Accused Of Injecting Patients For Profit
[Lenny] Quintavalla was one of about 4,500 patients of PainMD, a pain management company with clinics in Tennessee, North Carolina and Virginia that federal and state officials have accused of pressuring patients into unnecessary injections so it could defraud the government out of more than $10 million. According to lawsuits filed by the federal government and the state of Tennessee, PainMD would require patients to receive multiple pain-relieving injections into their back at every visit, then intentionally mislabel the injections during billing so it could maximize profits from Medicare, Medicaid and Tricare. (Kelman, 1/22)
New Hampshire Public Radio: N.H. Lawmakers Hear Bills On Boosting Mental Health, Child Protection Services
Bills to boost mental health services at local hospitals and hire staff at the state's child protection agency went before state senate committees Tuesday. Democrats are prioritizing the bills, which spend about $13 million in state money. (Rogers, 1/22)
San Francisco Chronicle: UCSF Scientists Decry Beverage Industry’s Preemption Of Soda Taxes
Doctors at UCSF have taken aim at the sugar-sweetened beverage industry, warning that a political tactic it has employed in California and three other states could have a devastating impact on public health. The country’s first voter-approved soda tax was passed in Berkeley in 2014. Yet California is also one of four states that has since banned cities and localities from imposing new taxes on sugary beverages, because of pressure from the soda industry. (Duggan, 1/22)
NH Times Union: Hospitals Applaud $6M Plan To Expand Psychiatric Treatment
Hoping to heal what he called “a festering wound in our state,” Sen. Tom Sherman, D-Rye, introduced sweeping legislation to address the crisis of mental health patients held in hospital emergency rooms across New Hampshire. Twelve Senate Democrats signed on with Sherman to co-sponsor legislation that would divert $6 million from the state budget surplus to encourage the construction and staffing of mental health units at various hospitals. (Solomon, 1/22)
Cleveland Plain Dealer: MetroHealth Invention Will Help Neurological Patients Breathe Easier
A new device, invented at MetroHealth System, combines breathing and cough assist devices into one apparatus. It could improve the quality of life for patients with neurological disorders like Jack Wolf. The combination device, currently in the pre-prototype stage, will be small, portable and battery-powered. (Washington, 1/22)
