Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
State Highlights: Texas Bill To Curb 'Surprise Medical Bills' Now In Effect; Blue Cross Will Continue To Run N.C.'s State Health Plan
Texas Tribune: New Law Seeks To Prevent Surprise Medical Bills From Freestanding ERs
A new state law that took effect Sept. 1 requires the facilities — which resemble urgent care clinics but often charge hospital emergency room prices — to post notice of what, if any, insurance networks they're in. (Najmabadi, 9/21)
North Carolina Health News: Blue Cross Will Continue As The Face Of State Employee Insurance
North Carolina state Treasurer Dale Folwell announced his decision Tuesday to continue contracting with Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina to administer the health plan for more than 700,000 teachers, state employees, retirees and their families. (Hoban, 9/20)
The Associated Press: Lawsuit Challenges Law That Only Doctors Perform Abortions
The American Civil Liberties Union and Planned Parenthood filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday that challenges a Maine restriction common across most of the U.S. that abortions be performed solely by physicians. The two groups were joined by four nurses and abortion provider Maine Family Planning in challenging the law that prevents advanced practice registered nurses, such as nurse practitioners and nurse midwives, from performing the procedure. (9/20)
Orlando Sentinel: HCA To Built Free-Standing ERs, Urgent Care Centers In Orange, Seminole
By the end of next year, Central Florida will be home to three new free-standing emergency rooms and four additional urgent care centers, all projects of HCA, one of the largest for-profit health care companies in the nation. (Miller, 9/20)
Los Angeles Times: Invasive Mosquito Population Up 330% In Orange County; Officials Urge Residents To Take Precautions
The Orange County Mosquito and Vector Control District alerted residents this week to a large spike in the number of invasive Aedes mosquitoes. Officials reported a 330% increase in the mosquito population across Orange County this year, with the largest numbers found in Santa Ana neighborhoods. (Tchekmedyian, 9/20)
Las Vegas Review-Journal: Southern Nevada Medicare Dilemma: Pay More Or Switch Doctors
The recent decision by Southwest Medical Associates to stop covering traditional Medicare patients in Southern Nevada makes 66-year-old Anne Zarate sick to her stomach. That queasy feeling is not just because, as the Las Vegas woman puts it, she’s being “thrown out with 7,000 others in a city where access to medical care is weak at best.” She also sees Southwest’s action as an example of the inability of government to deliver quality health care in the United States. (Harasim, 9/18)
Denver Post: Colorado Sex Ed Program Closes After Trump Administration Cuts Federal Grant
Colorado Youth Matter received 75 percent of its funding from the federal grant, about $750,000 per year. The grant had been scheduled to run through 2020, but the Trump administration ended the federal Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program grants as of next summer for all of the 84 organizations around the country that received them. (Ingold, 9/20)
Detroit Free Press: Study: Fewer Pregnancies, More Fetal Deaths In Flint After Lead Levels Rose In Water
The city of Flint saw fewer pregnancies, and a higher number of fetal deaths, during the period women and their unborn children were exposed to high levels of lead in their drinking water, according to a new research study that reviewed health records from Flint and the state. (Matheny, 9/20)
St. Louis Public Radio: Missouri Scores Poorly On Preventing Falls Among Older Adults. What Can We Do?
Missouri leads the country when it comes to the prevalence of injuries due to falls among older adults. The injuries can cause lost independence and mobility, and result in considerable medical bills. (Heuer, 9/20)
New Hampshire Union-Leader: Salem Nursing Home Employee Accused Of Possessing Resident's Fentanyl
The state alleges McMahon removed the patches from a patient’s medication storage box. She was not authorized to administer or handle the drug, MacDonald said, and was charged with two counts of acts prohibited. (Staff, 9/20)
Detroit Free Press: Doctors In Genital Cutting Case Want Most Serious Charge Tossed
Two doctors charged in the historic genital cutting case want a judge to dismiss the most serious charge that could send them to prison for life: transporting minors with the intent to engage in sexual activity. (Baldas, 9/21)
The Times-Picayune: Homeless Shelter At Old VA Hospital A 'Distractor' For Developers: Study
The former Veterans Affairs hospital site in New Orleans would probably generate the most income for the city as a an extended stay hotel. That's the conclusion of an analysis performed for the city by the real estate firm JLL, which also estimates the building's parking garage will generate as much as $937,000 annually. (Litten, 9/21)
Minnesota Public Radio: Summit Aims To Boost Black Infants' Chance Of Survival
A stark and persistent disparity puts a stain on Minnesota's measure of health: Babies born to African-American women are more than twice as likely to die during infancy as babies born to white women. (Yuen, 9/21)
Health News Florida: Their Only Option: Free Clinics Provide Care For Uninsured
Many Floridians have jobs but can't afford health insurance. For those patients, the more than 100 free and charitable clinics in Florida are their only option for health care. (Ochoa, 9/21)
