Rural Dispatch: May 2024
Farmworkers Face High-Risk Exposures to Bird Flu, but Testing Isn’t Reaching Them
By Tony Leys and Amy Maxmen
Federal officials are offering $75 to dairy workers who agree to be tested for bird flu. Advocates say the payments aren’t enough to protect workers from lost wages and health care costs if they test positive.
Clean Needles Save Lives. In Some States, They Might Not Be Legal.
By Ed Mahon, Spotlight PA and Sarah Boden, WESA
As billions of dollars from settlements with opioid manufacturers and distributors go to state and local governments, efforts to reduce the epidemic’s harm can be hamstrung by drug paraphernalia laws. Health authorities say distributing clean syringes to users can save lives, but in states like Pennsylvania, it may be illegal.
Clues From Bird Flu’s Ground Zero on Dairy Farms in the Texas Panhandle
By Amy Maxmen
Dairy farmers and veterinarians in northern Texas furiously investigated a mysterious illness among cattle before the government got involved. Their observations are telling.
California Pays Meth Users To Get Sober
By Angela Hart
California’s Medicaid program is testing a novel approach for people addicted to methamphetamine, cocaine, and other stimulants. For every clean urine test, they can earn money — up to $599 a year.
Medicaid Unwinding Deals Blow to Tenuous System of Care for Native Americans
By Jazmin Orozco Rodriguez
Although Native American and Alaska Native adults are enrolled in Medicaid at higher rates than their white counterparts, many tribal leaders feel they’ve been left in the dark as states roll through the tumultuous Medicaid unwinding that started last year.
The Lure of Specialty Medicine Pulls Nurse Practitioners From Primary Care
By Michelle Andrews
Nurse practitioners have been viewed as a key to addressing the shortage of primary care physicians. But data suggests that, just like doctors, they are increasingly drawn to better-paying specialties.
Addiction Treatment Homes Say Montana’s Funding Fixes Don’t Go Far Enough
By Katheryn Houghton
Montana has created a voucher program to help cover room and board costs at low-intensity residential programs for people with addiction. Those running the homes say bridging that care is urgent but that the program’s funding falls far below the need.
California’s $12 Billion Medicaid Makeover Banks on Nonprofits’ Buy-In
By Angela Hart
California’s Medicaid program is relying heavily on community groups to deliver new social services to vulnerable patients, such as security deposits for homeless people and air purifiers for asthma patients. But many of these nonprofits face staffing and billing challenges and haven’t been able to deliver services effectively.
Tribal Nations Invest Opioid Settlement Funds in Traditional Healing To Treat Addiction
By Aneri Pattani and Jazmin Orozco Rodriguez
Hundreds of Native American tribes are getting money from settlements with companies that made or sold prescription painkillers. Some are investing it in sweat lodges, statistical models, and insurance-billing staffers.
Their First Baby Came With Medical Debt. These Illinois Parents Won’t Have Another.
By Noam N. Levey
Millions of new parents in the U.S. are swamped by medical debt during and after pregnancy, forcing many to cut back on food, clothing, and other essentials.
Bird Flu Is Bad for Poultry and Dairy Cows. It’s Not a Dire Threat for Most of Us — Yet.
By Amy Maxmen
Cattle across the country are infected by the H5N1 bird flu. The virus isn’t spreading among people — but if it evolves to do that, fears of another pandemic could be realized.
California Floats Extending Health Insurance Subsidies to All Adult Immigrants
By Jasmine Aguilera, El Tímpano
The legislature is considering taking the first steps to make Covered California plans available to immigrants without permanent legal status. The state has already extended Medi-Cal coverage to low-income immigrants.
