Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
North Carolina Law Prevents Billing For Sexual Assault Forensic Tests
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper signed 11 bills on his desk into law Thursday, including legislation that addresses sexual assault, domestic violence and alcohol sales. ... One signed measure makes clear that hospitals or medical offices can鈥檛 attempt to bill victims of sexual assault or their insurance companies for forensic medical examinations, leaving it to a special state fund that鈥檚 already been in place to cover the payment. (Robertson, 7/7)
Health care advocates in Ohio want Congress to extend temporary federal health insurance premium subsidies that expire at the end of the current plan year. They warn that failing to extend the subsidies would jeopardize health insurance coverage for thousands of Ohioans who would otherwise have difficulty paying their premiums. (Eaton, 7/7)
An Oregon Health Authority analysis released Thursday has found that drug overdose deaths in Oregon more than doubled between 2019 and 2021, driven largely by misuse of the powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl. (7/8)
In mental health news from Colorado and Georgia 鈥
Colorado policymakers had big ambitions to help children in the juvenile justice, foster care and mental health systems this year.聽Some of those big-idea reforms for children were pushed to the side or relegated to task force conversations, though Colorado approved 鈥渙nce-in-a-generation鈥 funding for children鈥檚 psychiatric care. (Brown, 7/7)
As a fashion statement they鈥檙e not much. But these rubber bracelets could make a big difference with police officers interacting with individuals suffering from mental illness and alter the results of an encounter from a trip to jail to referral to treatment. ... The bracelets, which say CIT (Critical Intervention Training) on one side and Mental Health Alert on the other, can let police know how to better handle a situation when they encounter someone who is wearing one. (Mauldin, 7/6)
Rural communities struggle with the infant formula shortage 鈥
KHN: The Search For Scarce Formula Is Worse For Rural Families On WIC聽
Two months after giving birth, Jennifer Magee noticed a change in her baby鈥檚 feeding routine that scared her: She was starting to drink more formula, almost every hour. Increased appetite is normal for growing infants, including Magee鈥檚 daughter, Aubrey. But amid the national formula shortage, Magee, 25, had only one container left, barely enough to last three days. (Saint Louis, 7/8)
