Rural Dispatch: November 2024

California Sets 15% Target for Primary Care Spending Over Next Decade
By Vanessa G. Sánchez
The state Office of Health Care Affordability has set a goal for insurers to direct 15% of their spending to primary care by 2034, part of a push to expand preventive care services. Health plans say it’s unclear how the policy will mesh with the state’s overarching goal to slow spending growth.

After Institutions for People With Disabilities Close, Graves Are at Risk of Being Forgotten
By Tony Leys
Thousands of people with disabilities lived and died in state institutions. Now, decades after the facilities began closing, the cemeteries left behind are at risk of falling into disrepair.

Watch: Why the US Has Made Little Progress Improving Black Americans’ Health
By Fred Clasen-Kelly and Renuka Rayasam
KFF Health News senior correspondents Fred Clasen-Kelly and Renuka Rayasam discuss how government decisions undermine Black health.

After Congress Ended Extra Cash Aid for Families, Communities Tackle Child Poverty Alone
By Kate Wells, Michigan Public
The child tax credit passed by Congress at the height of covid has expired, but states and localities are trying to fill the gap with their own programs and funding. In Michigan, Rx Kids already covers every family with a new baby in Flint. Now, other communities aim to follow.

As California Taps Pandemic Stockpile for Bird Flu, Officials Keep Close Eye on Spending
By Don Thompson
California health officials began providing protective clothing to farmworkers months before the state’s first bird flu transmission to humans was announced in October. It’s a reminder of the state’s struggle to remain prepared for health threats amid multibillion-dollar deficits.

Maryland Is Training More Health Workers To Offer Abortion Care
By Sarah Varney
After the fall of “Roe v. Wade,” thousands of out-of-state patients traveled to Maryland for abortion care. The state is trying to diversify who can offer that care. Providers in the first training class say their new skills are especially needed in rural areas.

California Dengue Cases Prompt Swift Response From Public Health Officials
By Claudia Boyd-Barrett
With the arrival in California of dengue, a dangerous mosquito-borne disease present mainly in more tropical climates, public health authorities are deploying a range of strategies to beat back the Aedes mosquitoes that spread the virus.

California Expanded Medi-Cal to Unauthorized Residents. The Results Are Mixed.
By Vanessa G. Sánchez
California this year completed its Medi-Cal expansion to include income-eligible residents regardless of their immigration status. This final installment of the “Faces of Medi-Cal” series profiles three of those newly eligible patients and how coverage has affected their health.

Tribal Health Leaders Say Feds Haven’t Treated Syphilis Outbreak as a Public Health Emergency
By Jazmin Orozco Rodriguez
The National Indian Health Board has urged the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to declare a public health emergency as an alarming syphilis outbreak, which disproportionately affects Native Americans, continues. This is the latest plea for more resources from tribal leaders after previous requests went unanswered.

In Vermont, Where Almost Everyone Has Insurance, Many Can’t Find or Afford Care
By Phil Galewitz
Vermont has one of the lowest uninsured rates in the U.S., even though its residents pay some of the highest health insurance costs. Still, most of its hospitals are losing money and patients often face long waits for care.

Can a $10 Billion Climate Bond Address California’s Water Contamination Problem?
By Vanessa G. Sánchez
California voters will decide in November whether to approve a $10 billion climate bond that supporters say is needed to jump-start water system repairs for residents without safe drinking water. Opponents say those repairs should be prioritized in the state budget, not put on a credit card.

Community Health Workers Spread Across the US, Even in Rural Areas
By Arielle Zionts
Community health workers are increasingly common in rural areas, where they help patients overcome barriers to accessing care and staying healthy.

California pone gafas, guantes y máscaras a 10.000 trabajadores agrícolas para protegerlos de la gripe aviar
By Don Thompson
Hasta el momento, se ha confirmado la presencia de gripe aviar en más de 270 granjas lecheras en el centro de California. También detectaron rastros del virus en un sitio de muestreo de aguas residuales en el condado de Los Ángeles.

California amplió el Medi-Cal a todos los residentes más allá de su estatus migratorio. Los resultados son desiguales.
By Vanessa G. Sánchez
Estos inmigrantes se han ido sumando al programa poco a poco, a medida que el estado fue eliminando el requisito de residencia legal.

Trabajadores de salud comunitarios ayudan a mejorar la salud de habitantes de zonas rurales
By Arielle Zionts
Se ha comprobado que estas iniciativas mejoran la salud de las personas y el acceso a la atención preventiva, al tiempo que reducen las costosas visitas al hospital