Medicaid: 20 Million People Lost Coverage in the Past Year. Here's Their Story.
Justin Gibbs had finally gotten his high blood pressure under control with a combination of three medications. But after he had his Medicaid coverage terminated in December amid a nationwide eligibility review, he had to go without one medication for a week and a second for several days, sparking fears that the delicate balance would unravel. (Luhby, 4/12)
Survey Finds Nearly 1 in 4 Adults Removed from Medicaid are Now Uninsured, Reports KFF Health News
Nearly a quarter of adults disenrolled from Medicaid in the past year say they are now uninsured, according to a survey released Friday that details how tens of millions of Americans struggled to retain coverage in the government insurance program for low-income people after pandemic-era protections began expiring last spring. The first national survey of adults whose Medicaid eligibility was reviewed during the unwinding found nearly half of people who lost their government coverage signed back up weeks or months later — suggesting they should never have been dropped in the first place. (Galewitz, 4/12)
700,000 Undocumented Californians Now Qualify for Medi-Cal, but Fear May Hinder Enrollment, Reports Capital & Main
Perla Lopez, 35, works at St. John’s Community Health, a non-profit community health clinic in South Los Angeles. There, she helps patients, many of whom are undocumented immigrants, fill out applications for Medi-Cal, California’s Medicaid program. Since 2016, California has opened the program to undocumented residents, starting with children, then 19- to 25-year-olds, followed by adults 50 and older. In January, undocumented adults between 26 and 49 became eligible. But state officials and health advocates worry that many of the more than 700,000 newly eligible residents may not enroll, either because they are not sure they would be eligible or even that drawing attention to themselves could lead to deportation. (Sanchez-Tello, 4/9)
CDC Warns Spike in Measles Cases Threatens US Elimination Status, Reports CIDRAP
A rapid rise in measles cases in the first months of 2024 threatens the United States' elimination status, a situation the nation hasn't faced since 2019, when prolonged outbreaks posed a similar problem, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said today. CDC scientists from the group spelled out the warning today in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR). In their analysis of measles activity from January 1, 2020, to March 28, 2024, they said cases in the first quarter of 2024 have risen 17-fold compared to the mean first-quarter average from 2020 to 2023. (Schnirring, 4/11)
2024 Sees Rise in US Measles Cases: What's Behind the Increase? - AP
Nationwide, measles cases already are nearly double the total for all of last year. The U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention documented 113 cases as of April 5. There have been seven outbreaks and most of U.S. cases — 73% — are linked to those flare-ups. Still, the count is lower than some recent years: 2014 saw 667 cases and 2019 had 1,274. The 2019 measles epidemic was the worst in almost three decades, and threatened the United States’ status as a country that has eliminated measles by stopping the continual spread of the measles virus. (Shastri and Stobbe, 4/11)
NBC News: No Link Found Between Acetaminophen Use During Pregnancy and ADHD or Autism Risk
Taking acetaminophen during pregnancy has been associated with an increased risk of autism, and ADHD in children in some research. A new study suggests that it is not acetaminophen that is linked to neurodevelopmental disorders, but likely other issues such as genetics. The new report, published in JAMA on Tuesday, focused on data from more than 2 million Swedish children who were followed for up to 26 years. (Carroll, 4/9)
The Washington Post: Changes to Disney's Disability Access Rules Following Abuse by Some Fans
Disney will soon change its policies for theme park visitors with disabilities, restricting eligibility for services that help some people avoid waiting in line for rides. The updates, which the company posted on park websites this week, have created a wave of uncertainty among fans, who are left wondering whether they’ll be able to continue using the disability access service known as DAS. The shift comes as Disney acknowledges that some customers have misused the program; the company has already taken some steps to crack down on abuse. (Sampson, 4/11)
Fluoride Bans Divide Communities Across the US, Reports KFF Health News
Regina Barrett, a 69-year-old retiree who lives in this small North Carolina city southeast of Charlotte, has not been happy with her tap water for a while. “Our water has been cloudy and bubbly and looks milky,” said Barrett, who blames fluoride, a mineral that communities across the nation have for decades added to the water supply to help prevent cavities and improve dental health. (Newsome, 4/12)
KFF Health News: Physicians Assume Dental Responsibilities to Reach Low-Income and Uninsured Patients
Pediatrician Patricia Braun and her team saw roughly 100 children at a community health clinic on a recent Monday. They gave flu shots and treatments for illnesses like ear infections. But Braun also did something most primary care doctors don’t. She peered inside mouths searching for cavities or she brushed fluoride varnish on their teeth. (Ruder, 4/10)
CNN: Hospitals Alter Response to Newborns Exposed to Drugs
Kirsten Puccio gave birth to her daughter in August 2020. It was a moment she had both eagerly awaited and dreaded for months. Upon delivery, Puccio’s doctors were legally mandated to report her to the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families for child abuse and neglect because she was taking methadone, a medication prescribed by her doctor to aid in her recovery from an opioid use disorder. (Cheng, 4/11)
Stateline: States Target Implicit Bias to Narrow Racial Disparity in Maternal Health
Countless times, Kenda Sutton-El, a Virginia doula, has witnessed her Black pregnant clients being dismissed or ignored by clinicians. One woman was told by doctors that swelling, pain and warmth in her leg was normal, despite warning the clinicians that she had a history of blood clots. Sutton-El urged her to visit the emergency room. Tests found the pregnant patient did indeed have a blood clot, a situation that can be deadly. (Hassanein, 4/11)
KQED: Exploring the Mechanism of the First Over-the-Counter Birth Control Pill
Opill — the over-the-counter birth control pill that was approved by the Food and Drug Administration last year — is now available. This means people now have access to a birth control pill without needing a prescription from a doctor or requiring health insurance — making it accessible “over-the-counter,” like a painkiller like Tylenol. (Khan, 4/10)
Los Angeles Times: Kaiser Confronted with Union Allegations of Reduced Mental Health Care for Patients
Months after Kaiser Permanente reached a sweeping agreement with state regulators to improve its mental health services, the healthcare giant is facing union allegations that patients could be improperly losing such care. The National Union of Healthcare Workers, which represents thousands of Kaiser mental health professionals, complained earlier this year to state regulators that Kaiser appeared to be inappropriately handing off decisions about whether therapy is still medically necessary. (Reyes, 4/9)
LAist: LA County Approves $25 Million Settlement with Family of Man with Autism Paralyzed by Sheriff’s Deputy's Shooting
Los Angeles County supervisors signed off on a $25-million settlement Tuesday in the case of a 28-year-old man who was paralyzed after he was shot by a sheriff’s deputy during a scuffle at the man’s home three years ago. Isaias Cervantes was 25 and experiencing a mental health crisis in March 2021 when the shooting occurred at his home in the southeast L.A. County city of Cudahy, according to one of the family’s attorneys. (Garrova, 4/9)
AP: Expanded WIC Rules Increase Funding for Fruits and Vegetables, Broaden Food Selections
The federal program that helps pay for groceries for millions of low-income mothers, babies and young kids will soon emphasize more fruits, vegetables and whole grains, as well as provide a wider choice of foods from different cultures. The final rule changes for the program known as WIC were announced Tuesday by the Food and Nutrition Service, and will take effect within two years with some exceptions. (Aleccia, 4/9).