Workforce shortages plague rural hospitals, legislation to address it stalls
Experts worry that without legislation incentivizing entry into various medical professions, rural healthcare systems will increasingly suffer from personnel shortages.
How governments are tackling medical debt
Medical debt can stymie communities’ economic mobility as unpaid hospital bills chip away at public dollars. That’s why local governments are looking to forgive residents’ medical debt, which experts say can be especially helpful for rural areas.
Most people dropped in Medicaid ‘unwinding’ never tried to renew coverage, Utah finds
Medicaid officials in Utah conducted a survey to answer a burning question in health policy: What happened to people dropped from the program in the post-pandemic "unwinding"?
Medication aides could help states remedy health care worker shortages
Nursing homes are squeezed between a workforce shortage and a swelling older adult population. States are trying to address both issues with one solution: medication aides.
States hope doulas can deliver better maternal health outcomes
Lawmakers are pouring resources into health care services like doula programs to improve comprehensive reproductive and maternal health care.
How $37 billion in federal funding is being used to improve at-home caregiving
Shared first by Vice President Kamala Harris, new data on American Rescue Plan funding for home and community-based service highlights successes and underscores the need for more.
GSA partners with state, local governments on text alert service
The pilot program helps state and local governments notify residents of critical deadlines. Norfolk, Virginia, has already been using the service to remind people about Medicaid reenrollment.
Biden wants states to ensure Obamacare plans cover enough doctors and hospitals
A proposal from the federal government would standardize open enrollment periods across all states, require states to assess the accessibility of their insurer networks and expand adult dental coverage under the Affordable Care Act.
Housing and care costs leave aging Americans with limited options
With adults over 65 already 17% of the U.S. population, communities need to prepare for the growing number of older adults who need both affordable housing and care, experts say.
1 in 3 people dropped by Utah Medicaid left uninsured, a ‘concerning’ sign for nation
Without Medicaid coverage, more individuals nationwide are left without uninsured. Observers warn people may delay seeking needed care or be left with unaffordable bills when they get it without access to health insurance coverage.
Health insurers have been breaking state laws for years
States have passed hundreds of laws to protect people from wrongful insurance denials. Yet from emergency services to fertility preservation, insurers still say no.
States expect ‘big jump’ in Medicaid spending
As pandemic-era federal funding support winds down, state Medicaid directors said in a survey that they anticipate their share of the costs to increase even as enrollment declines.
Expanded health insurance for immigrants gains traction in states
By increasing access to health insurance, including for immigrants lacking permanent legal status, states can reduce the burden of health care costs for communities.
New California law offers fresh protection from steep ambulance bills
The law prohibits ambulance companies from balance billing patients, or charging them for any unpaid costs after insurance. Patients can expect to save an average of nearly $1,100 per emergency ambulance ride, experts say.
‘Worse than people can imagine’: Medicaid ‘unwinding’ breeds chaos in states
States have terminated Medicaid coverage for more than 10 million Americans since March, leaving families and individuals scrambling to seek alternative health insurance plans or apply for coverage renewals.
GOP states embrace Uber, Lyft to take low-income patients to medical appointments
The companies have lobbied states to use Medicaid funding to pay for the trips.
Report: Abortions up nationwide post-Dobbs, soared in some states
Despite some states' attempts to restrict abortion access, the number of abortions have increased nationwide since Roe v. Wade was overturned. Some observers say the rise in patients seeking abortions could put a strain on clinics with limited resources and staff.
10 Medicaid holdout states scramble to improve health coverage
But such efforts are more expensive and help fewer people, critics say.
Graying prisons face accelerating health care needs
Rapidly growing numbers of older inmates with diabetes, dementia and liver disease are forcing states to reevaluate early release policies and the social safety nets that might prevent incarceration.
7 million Americans lose Medicaid coverage
Thirty states have wrongly disenrolled people during the “unwinding” of the health insurance program from pandemic-era policies. But nearly half a million individuals—many of them kids—have since been reinstated. Plus, more news to use from around the country in this week's State and Local Roundup.
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