Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Experimental Medicaid Waiver Program Begins In New York
Cash will finally start to flow this month from a federal program that enables the state to use Medicaid to pay for housing, nutrition and transportation. The $7.5 billion pilot program, called the 1115 waiver, unlocks federal money to revamp the Medicaid program, allowing New York state to use Medicaid in ways it鈥檚 never been used before. The state will offer Medicaid benefits for rent payments, cooking tools and non-medical transportation, for example, to attempt to improve health among enrollees and address disparities.聽(D'Ambrosio, 8/1)
Enrollment in Florida鈥檚 Medicaid program continued to decrease in June, as a federal judge weighs whether the state improperly dropped people from the program after the end of a public health emergency linked to the COVID-19 pandemic. (8/1)
Iowa鈥檚 health department announced the boundaries of seven behavioral health districts Thursday, following a new state law aimed at making it easier for Iowans to access mental health and substance use treatment services. (Sostaric, 8/1)
Juveniles at five state detention facilities in Texas were subject to a pattern of unlawful physical abuse and prolonged isolation and denied essential rehabilitation services, the Justice Department said Thursday in announcing the findings of a three-year investigation. Federal authorities detailed allegations against the Texas Juvenile Justice Department in a 72-page report that found staffers routinely used pepper spray as a response to misbehavior by youths, used physical restraints that obstructed their breathing, and placed them in isolation for days without educational programs or other activities. The facilities house individuals ages 10 to 19 years old. (Nakamura, 8/1)
Mayor London Breed on Thursday ordered city employees to offer homeless people a bus ticket out of town before presenting shelter or housing as an option.聽The mayor鈥檚 new executive order, which marks a shift from current practices, comes amid聽an escalated crackdown on homeless encampments after a recent court Supreme Court ruling gave city officials more power to enforce anti-camping laws.聽(Angst, 8/1)
