Rural Dispatch: June 27, 2023

The DEA Relaxed Online Prescribing Rules During Covid. Now It Wants to Rein Them In.
By Arielle Zionts Supporters say the proposed rules would balance the goals of increasing access to health care and helping prevent medication misuse. Opponents say the rules would make it difficult for some patients — especially those in rural areas — to get care.

Black, Rural Southern Women at Gravest Risk From Pregnancy Miss Out on Maternal Health Aid
By Sarah Jane Tribble A federal program meant to reduce maternal and infant mortality in rural areas isn’t reaching Black women who are most likely to die from pregnancy-related causes.

Medical Exiles: Families Flee States Amid Crackdown on Transgender Care
By Bram Sable-Smith and Daniel Chang and Jazmin Orozco Rodriguez and Sandy West As more states restrict gender-affirming care for transgender people, some are relocating to more welcoming destinations, such as California, Illinois, Maryland, and Nevada, where they don't have to worry about being locked out of medical care.

Doctor Lands in the Doghouse After Giving Covid Vaccine Waivers Too Freely
By Brett Kelman Richard Coble issued vaccine waivers to patients in at least three states without examining them. He was exposed by a Nashville TV station that bought a waiver for a Labrador retriever named Charlie.

Opioid Settlement Payouts to Localities Made Public for First Time
By Aneri Pattani KFF Health News obtained documents showing the exact dollar amounts — down to the cent — that local governments have been allocated in 2022 and 2023 to battle the ongoing opioid crisis.

Montana Clinics Chip Away at Refugees’ Obstacles to Dental Care
By Erica Zurek As the number of refugees entering the U.S. grows, those arriving in Montana and other rural areas find limited dental care options.

Foster Kids in Casino Hotels? It Happened in Rural Nevada Amid Widespread Foster Home Shortages
By Jazmin Orozco Rodriguez A nationwide decline in foster home spots has led to dire situations in some rural areas, including northeastern Nevada, where a state social worker has been pleading with community leaders to help address a shortage that left officials housing children in casino hotels.

Biden Admin Implores States to Slow Medicaid Cuts After More Than 1M Enrollees Dropped
By Hannah Recht Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra is asking states to make more of an effort to keep eligible Medicaid recipients enrolled. He particularly fears children losing health insurance coverage.

Dental Therapists Help Patients in Need of Care Avoid the Brush-Off
By Christina Saint Louis Dental therapists are licensed providers who offer basic care traditionally provided by dentists, including fillings and simple tooth extractions. But opposition from interest groups and the profession’s relative newness mean more than two-thirds of states don’t yet have them.

As Fewer MDs Practice Rural Primary Care, a Different Type of Doctor Helps Take Up the Slack
By Tony Leys The number of DOs is surging, and more than half of them practice in primary care, including in rural areas hit hard by doctor shortages.

As Medicaid Purge Begins, ‘Staggering Numbers’ of Americans Lose Coverage
By Hannah Recht In what’s known as the Medicaid “unwinding,” states are combing through rolls to decide who stays and who goes. But the overwhelming majority of people who have lost coverage so far were dropped because of technicalities, not because officials determined they are no longer eligible.