Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Texas Lawmakers Want To Criminalize Gender Care For Minors
At least three bills filed Monday in the Texas House would designate gender-affirming care for minors as child abuse under state law, and another would revoke liability insurance for providers that prescribe medications used to treat gender dysphoria in minors. (Migdon, 11/16)
Several bills address how school leaders can respond to students who have a history of violent behavior or mental health issues, including HB 34 filed by Rep. Steve Toth, R-The Woodlands. The bill would codify the requirement for every primary and secondary school to establish an annual “classroom safety review committee” that could oversee school safety initiatives and even refer students with a history of violence to law enforcement or alternative schools. (Mangrum, 11/16)
In other health news from across the U.S. —
The “open enrollment” window to buy subsidized health care from the federal government opened Nov. 1 and runs through Jan. 15. Here’s the bigger news: A fix of the so-called “family glitch” means thousands more people may now qualify for cheaper insurance – but not know it. (Timmins, 11/16)
Disability Rights Montana filed a lawsuit against the state health department Wednesday after the agency denied a public records request regarding the hiring of Mike Randol, head of Montana’s Medicaid and Health Services program. (Schabacker, 11/16)
New Jersey has paid $75 million for a controversial health-cost savings program that’s been under fire from unions and was the subject of a contract dispute last year between the state Treasury and its health insurer, a letter from the state’s auditor shows. (Tozzi, 11/16)
All her life, Bethanne Debellis knew she didn’t want to go into a group home. She wanted the independence to make decisions — like what time to go to bed and how to decorate her kitchen. But she still needed some support, so her only option was to live at her parents’ house in West Hartford until a new supportive housing facility opened in Bloomfield earlier this year. (Monk, 11/17)
Thousands of Ohio children are sexually abused every year, with dozens of reports coming daily to child protective and police officials across the state's 88 counties. In recent years, child protective workers annually investigated nearly 10,000 reports of child sexual abuse, a USA TODAY Network Ohio analysis shows. That number is close to the child populations of the cities of Mansfield or Delaware. (Laird, DeMio and Bruner, 11/15)
