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The suspicious letters sent to vote centers and government buildings in six states this month were undeniably scary, some containing traces of fentanyl or white powder, accompanied by not-so-veiled threats and dubious political symbols. Harkening back to the anthrax attacks that killed five people in 2001, the mailings are prompting elections officials already frustrated with ongoing harassment and threats to reach out to local police, fire and health departments for help stocking up on the overdose reversal medication naloxone. (Johnson and Komenda, 11/18)

The number of U.S. seniors who report using cannabis has climbed in recent years, according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. In 2022, 8.4% people age 65 or older said they used marijuana in the past year, a significant increase from about 0.4% of seniors who reported using it in the past year when polled in 2007. (Knutson, 11/17)

With the seismic shift in Ohio’s attitudes toward marijuana -- from a felony-level drug to one that voters made completely legal last week -- might we see a growing acceptance of other long villainized drugs with medical promise? We’re talking about psychedelic drugs like LSD, ketamine, and magic mushrooms. (Kroen, 11/19)

Florida’s first syringe exchange program will mark its seventh anniversary on Dec. 1, and Emilie Ashbes is a testament to its success in helping people avoid contracting infectious diseases, like HIV and hepatitis C, and conquer drug addiction. Ashbes, 34, overcame her drug addiction and is now helping others in Miami do the same through the program founded at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. (Zaragovia, 11/17)

Oregon’s first-in-the-nation law that decriminalized the possession of small amounts of heroin, cocaine and other illicit drugs in favor of an emphasis on addiction treatment is facing strong headwinds in the progressive state after an explosion of public drug use fueled by the proliferation of fentanyl and a surge in deaths from opioids, including those of children. “The inability for people to live their day-to-day life without encountering open-air drug use is so pressing on urban folks’ minds,” said John Horvick, vice president of polling firm DHM Research. “That has very much changed people’s perspective about what they think Measure 110 is.” (Rush, 11/19)

If not for Medicaid, the majority of residents of Robeson County wouldn’t have health insurance. Fifty-four percent of people in this rural community — home to 116,530 at the 2020 Census — are beneficiaries of the government-funded program. The county had 63,549 Medicaid enrollees in October, the eighth highest number recorded of the state’s 100 counties. (Baxley, 11/20)

The largest-ever purge of the nation's Medicaid rolls has exposed major cracks in the system for covering the poorest Americans — and is prompting some states to rethink how they connect vulnerable residents to benefits they're entitled to receive. Millions have been booted from the safety-net program seven months after the expiration of pandemic-era protections, most often due to bureaucratic reasons and not necessarily because they no longer qualify. (Goldman, 11/20)

Some big changes are coming to Medi-Cal, California’s Medicaid health care program for low-income people, next year. Starting Jan. 1, two groups of people that had not been eligible for full-scale Medi-Cal will gain access: low-income adults ages 26-49 and some people who are disabled or older than 64. On the other hand, some current Medi-Cal enrollees will lose coverage as the state finishes unwinding the federal “continuous coverage” program that kept people on Medicaid in the pandemic, even if they no longer qualified. (Pender, 11/19)

For most of his life, Joe Hutchison has been known as “Dr. Joe” around these parts. Hutchison was a dentist in Perry County, about 90 minutes south of St. Louis, for 50 years. Last year, he retired from his practice. This year, he decided to try his hand at public service. (Messenger, 11/19)

Prospect Medical Holdings, the Los Angeles-based private equity firm that operates two Rhode Island hospitals, was sued this month by Attorney General Peter Neronha for a series of violations that Neronha said raise “significant concerns” about the financial viability of the hospitals. Prospect owes tens of millions of dollars to vendors, according to court documents that state Superior Court Judge Brian Stern unsealed on Friday. (Gagosz, 11/17)

The top health official in one of Michigan's largest counties is asking a judge to uphold a $4 million settlement in exchange for her resignation, coming after months of conflict with local conservative leaders who were elected in response to COVID-19 restrictions. Ottawa County leaders had attempted to fire Adeline Hambley in January after they took majority control of the county's board of commissioners. Finding themselves unable to, the board opted to offer her $4 million — equivalent to a quarter of the health department's 2024 budget — in return for her resignation. She also would have had to drop her lawsuit against the county. (11/17)

Public health vending machines equipped with first aid essentials are now available in five locations across the city. The Chicago Department of Public Health officially kicked off the program Friday morning as part of a new initiative to keep residents safe. ...The machines are free to anyone in Chicago. They'll be stocked with Narcan, fentanyl test strips, general hygiene kits, socks, and underwear. (11/17)

�鶹Ů�� Health News: Journalists Delve Into Open Enrollment, School Nurse Shortages, And More

�鶹Ů�� Health News and California Healthline staff made the rounds on national and local media this week to discuss their stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances. (11/18)