Medicaid & the Uninsured: June 1, 2022
Taco Bowls and Chicken Curry: Medi-Cal Delivers Ready Meals in Grand Health Care Experiment
Heidi de Marco and Angela Hart
California has embarked on an ambitious five-year initiative to improve the health of its sickest Medicaid patients by introducing nontraditional services. In the Inland Empire, where many residents have diabetes, one health plan is diving into the experiment by delivering healthy, prepared meals to those lucky enough to get them.
New Covered California Leader Urges Renewal of Enhanced Federal Aid for Health Premiums
Bernard J. Wolfson
Jessica Altman took over in March as executive director of California’s health insurance marketplace, which serves 1.8 million people. She warns that if Congress does not renew the tax credit enhancements that have made health plans more affordable, consumers will face significantly higher premiums, which could cause many to forgo coverage.
Montana Hires a Medicaid Director With a Managed-Care Past
Katheryn Houghton and Tony Leys
Montana, one of about a dozen states still managing its own Medicaid programs, has a new Medicaid director who championed handing the management of the program to private companies in Iowa and Kansas.
KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Waking Up to Baby Formula Shortage
The nationwide shortage of baby formula, which has been simmering for months, finally burst into public consciousness as more parents become less able to find food for their babies, prompting a belated federal response. Meanwhile, covid-19 cases rise but prevention activities don’t, and abortion-rights backers ready their legal arsenal for a post-Roe world. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Tami Luhby of CNN, and Rachel Cohrs of Stat join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Plus, for extra credit, the panelists suggest their favorite health policy stories of the week they think you should read, too.
Watch: UVA Doctor Talks About the State of the Pandemic and Health Equity
Hannah Norman
KHN checks back in with Dr. Taison Bell to pinpoint changes in health care equity since the rollout of the covid-19 vaccines.
Police Suspect Arson at Wyoming Site of Clinic That Would Provide Abortions
Arielle Zionts
A building slated to become the site of Wyoming’s sole provider of procedural abortions caught fire early Wednesday. Investigators suspect arson at the site that has been the focus of weekly rallies.
As ‘Trigger Law’ Looms, New Clinic Preps to Provide Abortions in Conservative Bastion
Arielle Zionts
A Wyoming clinic slated to open this summer would be the only one in the state to provide procedural abortions and the closest option for some people in surrounding states. But its fate is uncertain now that the Supreme Court looks poised to strike down Roe v. Wade.
The Blackfeet Nation’s Plight Underscores the Fentanyl Crisis on Reservations
Aaron Bolton, MTPR
The deadly synthetic opioid has spread across the nation during the pandemic, and the problem is disproportionately affecting Native Americans.
Tribal Pharmacy Dispenses Free Meds and Fills Gaps for Native Americans in the City
Katherine Huggins and Julia Mueller
The Mashkiki Waakaa’igan Pharmacy in downtown Minneapolis gives Native Americans an economical option for filling prescriptions while being sensitive to tribal traditions and expectations.
Journalists Explore Affordability of Mental Health Care and Abortion Laws’ Effect on Miscarriages
KHN and California Healthline staff made the rounds on national and local media this week to discuss their stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances.
Census Undercount Threatens Federal Food and Health Programs on Reservations
Carly Graf
The 2020 census undercounted people living on Native American reservations. The money for many needed federal aid programs is tied to those population numbers.