CMS Approves Texas’ Plan For A Year Of Medicaid Coverage For New Mothers
Texas mothers will now be able to stay on Medicaid for a year after childbirth, in a move aimed at helping those on low-incomes. Meanwhile, also in Texas parents in Uvalde are said to be bracing themselves for a long-awaited report into police response failures in the mass shooting in the town.
The Texas Tribune:
Feds Approve 12 Months Of Medicaid For Texas Moms
Texas moms will be able to stay on Medicaid for a year after childbirth, after the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid approved the state’s application on Wednesday, according to emails obtained by the Texas Tribune. The move caps a yearslong effort to extend coverage for low-income moms. Medicaid covers half of all births in Texas, but coverage currently expires after two months. (Harper, 1/17)
On the gun violence epidemic —
The Washington Post:
Uvalde Parents Brace For Federal Review Of Failures In Police Response
Justice Department leaders held an emotional private meeting Wednesday night with the families of victims of the Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde, Tex., preparing them for a mammoth, long-awaited report to be released Thursday that is expected to recount major failures in the police response to the crisis. Attorney General Merrick Garland and other Justice Department officials traveled to Texas to meet with the parents of those killed and survivors of the May, 24, 2022, massacre that left 19 students and two teachers dead in one of the worst school shootings in U.S. history. (Hernandez and Barrett, 1/17)
The Washington Post:
Md. Democrats Propose Taxing Guns, Ammo To Offset Cost Of Trauma Care
Democratic state lawmakers want gun manufacturers to help foot the bill for trauma injuries, including gunshot wounds, following an example set by California last year. A bill from Sen. Sarah K. Elfreth (D-Anne Arundel) and Del. Bernice D. Mireku-North (D-Montgomery) would levy an 11 percent excise tax on gun and ammunition manufacturers to feed the Maryland Trauma Physician Services Fund. That fund helps cover emergency medical care for severely injured patients — often people harmed in falls, car accidents or gun violence — and is supported by a $5 motor vehicle registration fee. (Shepherd, 1/17)
On transgender health care —
AP:
South Carolina House OKs Ban On Gender-Affirming Care For Minors, Missouri Panel Sees Similar Bills
The Republican-led South Carolina House overwhelmingly approved a ban on gender-affirming care for transgender minors on Wednesday, while a Missouri legislative committee discussed a slew of like-minded proposals. The measures’ consideration in the two GOP strongholds highlights the continued interest among conservative lawmakers in targeting issues that impact LGBTQ+ people after a wave of high-profile bills last year. The South Carolina proposal will soon head to the state Senate, where the chair of the Medical Affairs Committee has said it would have his attention. (Pollard and Ballentine, 1/17)
CIDRAP:
Study Finds High Rate Of Sexually Transmitted Infections In Transgender Women
A study of six US cities (Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Miami, New York, and Washington, DC) found a high prevalence of bacterial sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in transgender women (TGW), particularly those with HIV, researchers reported today in the Journal of Infectious Diseases. The median age of participants was 29 years, 29% were Black, 27% were Hispanic, and 27% had HIV. (Dall, 1/17)
More health news from across the U.S. —
CBS News:
New Pennsylvania Law Expands Access And Coverage For Babies Needing Donor Breast Milk
A new law takes effect across Pennsylvania on Jan. 20 that will help medically fragile babies. Act 32, known as Owen’s Law, will provide medical coverage for breast milk that’s been donated and pasteurized for infants whose mother’s milk is not available. Leaders celebrated at the Mid-Atlantic Mother’s Milk Bank in Pittsburgh. Acting Secretary of Health Dr. Debra Bogen explained that donated human milk is the standard of care in NICUs. (Sorensen, 1/17)
Houston Chronicle:
Bloomberg Seeds $31 Million For Houston Healthcare High School
An unprecedented, $31 million investment from Bloomberg Philanthropies to the Memorial Hermann Foundation has led to the creation of a career-technical education high school to prepare students from the Greater Houston area for well-paying careers in health care. Memorial Hermann and Aldine ISD announced on Wednesday that the Health Education and Learning High School, or HEAL, will share a campus with Nimitz High School. The program begins with the 2024 academic year this fall, and grow in phases over the next four years. (Elliott, 1/17)
Reuters:
Malpractice Plaintiffs Seek To End Prison Health Co. Bankruptcy
Lawyers for prisoners suing Corizon Health over allegedly substandard medical care in U.S. prisons have asked a bankruptcy judge to toss the Chapter 11 case of a Corizon subsidiary, saying the prison healthcare provider’s bankruptcy was a fraud from the start. The Corizon subsidiary, Tehum Care, was created solely to get rid of medical malpractice and wrongful death lawsuits for “pennies on the dollar” through the Chapter 11 process, while allowing Corizon to rebrand itself as YesCare, according to a Tuesday filing in Houston bankruptcy court by the official tort committee that represents about 200 prisoners, former prisoners, and family members suing Corizon. (Knauth, 1/17)
Los Angeles Times:
Raw Oyster Warnings After Southern California Diners Sickened
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health reported more than 150 suspected local cases of gastrointestinal illness linked to the consumption of raw oysters, up from 27 cases reported last week. The Orange County Health Care Agency became the latest in the region Tuesday to warn its residents about consuming raw oysters after San Diego and Los Angeles counties reported norovirus illnesses that may be linked to imported shellfish harvested and packaged in Sonora, Mexico. (Garcia, 1/17)
