Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
State Highlights: Texas Doctors Object To Blue Cross' Change In ER Billing; Still Without Power, Many Puerto Ricans Brace For Hurricane Season
Dallas Morning News: Texas Doctors Send Letter Slamming Blue Cross’ ER Billing Process
Some of the state’s most influential doctors’ groups are pressing the insurance commissioner to investigate a change that Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas is making to its emergency room coverage. Starting June 4, some policyholders with the state’s largest health insurer could face sticker shock after a visit to the emergency room. In a letter made public last month, Blue Cross said it will no longer pay the bill if it’s determined later that the patient wasn’t facing a serious or life-threatening medical event. (Rice, 5/12)
The New York Times: Puerto Rico Nervously Prepares For Hurricane Season: ‘What If Another One Comes?’
Next week, nearly eight months after Hurricane Maria tore across Puerto Rico and ravaged its frail power grid, the Army Corps of Engineers, which was charged with restoring the island’s electricity, will hand off its mission and depart. Thousands of Puerto Ricans will still be in the dark. Two weeks later, a new hurricane season will begin. And Puerto Ricans, who are struggling to recover from Maria, fear they will not be ready. (Mazzei, 5/14)
San Francisco Chronicle: Where California’s Candidates For Governor Stand On Fixing Health Care
The top six gubernatorial candidates not only differ when it comes to single-payer, they disagree on what to do next to fix the state’s $400 billion health care industry. And few offer specifics on how they would implement their ideas. (Garofoli, 5/13)
Seattle Times: Gov. Inslee Pushes To Add Psychiatric Beds Around Washington State
Gov. Jay Inslee announced a new push Friday to improve Washington’s troubled mental-health system by reducing the number of civilly committed patients in the state’s two large psychiatric hospitals. In a sweeping overhaul, the plan would nearly eliminate those types of patients from the two hospitals, sending them to smaller facilities to be built in communities throughout Washington, while refocusing the institutions that are treating patients in the criminal-justice system. (O'Sullivan, 5/11)
Sacramento Bee: Homeless People Cycle Between Hospitals And Streets. Is Whole Person Care The Answer?
It is a cycle that repeats itself regularly among Sacramento's homeless men and women, and one that the community's pilot Whole Person Care program intends to address. The $64 million program, which officially launched this month, targets homeless people who are frequent users of costly emergency medical services. (Hubert, 5/11)
Minnesota Public Radio: Minnesota Highlights Expanded Services For People Facing A Mental Health Crisis
May is national Mental Health Month, and Minnesota officials are using the opportunity to remind people about expanded services for those experiencing a mental health crisis. ...The efforts come at the same time that Canvas Health, the nonprofit which helps operate the state's suicide prevention phone hotline, is considering closing the hotline due to ongoing funding issues. (Moen, 5/13)
The Wall Street Journal: Los Angeles Mayor’s Political Future Tied To Plan To Solve City’s Homeless Crisis
Since taking office five years ago, Mayor Eric Garcetti has marketed this city as a model of how an American metropolis can dream big: wooing the 2028 Olympics, courting high-tech companies and pushing for a “subway to the sea.” But last month, the mayor tied his political future to a goal that has long vexed policy makers here: housing the city’s homeless, which he publicly declared his “No. 1 issue.” Homelessness has exploded during his tenure, leaving Los Angeles with a fast growing population of people living in cars, parks and on the streets. (Malas and Lazo, 5/13)
Denver Post: Cohen Veterans Network Opening New Mental Health Center In Greenwood Village
About half of U.S. military veterans who served in Iraq or Afghanistan don’t receive the mental health treatment they need, and the vast Veterans Health Administration system often doesn’t offer care for veterans’ families or for many veterans who were not honorably discharged. So, on Monday, a new clinic funded by one of the nation’s wealthiest men and linked with the University of Colorado will officially open in Greenwood Village to help meet the need. (Ingold, 5/11)
Nashville Tennessean: Nashville Mental Health Hospital: Saint Thomas Plans New 76-Bed Facility
Saint Thomas Health is planning a new 76-bed behavioral health treatment center in Nashville's Metro Center area, relieving crowding at Davidson County emergency rooms where patients with mental disorders often wait more than a day for psychiatric treatment. The Nashville hospital chain expects to begin building the $32 million facility on an empty 5-acre lot at 300 Great Circle Road this fall. It could open in early 2020. (Kelman, 5/11)
San Francisco Chronicle: Data Breach Affects Nearly 900 Patients From Two San Francisco Hospitals
The personal information of nearly 900 patients of San Francisco General and Laguna Honda hospitals was breached after a former employee of one of the hospitals’ vendors got unauthorized access to the data, the San Francisco Public Health Department said Friday. (Ho, 5/11)
New Orleans Times-Picayune: Second Measles Cases Confirmed In New Orleans, Health Officials Say
State health officials are investigating a confirmed case of measles in New Orleans. The case is not related to another measles case that was reported in early April, health officials said. In both cases, the individuals were not vaccinated. "It can take anywhere from 10 to 21 days after a person comes in contact with someone with measles for that person to develop symptoms. We are beyond 21 days since the last reported case so we are confident the two cases are not related," said Dr. Parham Jaberi, Assistant State Health Officer in a statement. (Clark, 5/ 11)
Kansas City Star: Kansas City Reaches Milestone In Its Two Measles Outbreaks
Kansas City has reached an encouraging milestone in the two measles outbreaks that have been spreading in the metro area since early March. It's been more than 21 days, or one full incubation period, since the last known public exposure. (Marso, 5/11)
KQED: SF Voters May Ban Menthol Cigarettes, Vape Flavors
San Francisco could become the first city in the nation to ban flavored tobacco products from all store shelves. This includes everything from candy flavored e-cigarettes to conventional menthol smokes. (McClurg, 5/14)
