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Some incarcerated youths will get health care after release under new law
Renuka Rayasam, KFF Health News, Feb. 7
When Valentino Valdez was released from prison at age 21, he had no health insurance, mental health medications, or access to a doctor. Three years later, he was admitted to an inpatient hospital after expressing suicidal thoughts. People like Valdez have often been left to fend for themselves when seeking health care services after being released from incarceration, despite being part of a community with a high rate of mental health problems and substance use disorders. A new federal law aims to change that by connecting incarcerated children and young adults who are eligible for Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program to services before their release.
What Lamont’s CT budget proposal would mean for health care
Katy Golvala, Jenna Carlesso and Keith Phaneuf, The Connecticut Mirror, Feb. 6
Governor Ned Lamont’s budget proposal for the fiscal year that begins in July includes several health care priorities. Among them, increasing Medicaid reimbursement rates by $35.4 million over the next two years. Connecticut’s Medicaid reimbursement rates for most physician services have not been adjusted since 2007. The governor’s budget also calls for hospitals to pay an extra $140 million in the second year of the new budget but would increase payments back to the industry by a matching amount. To try to curb the high cost of prescription drugs, the proposed budget includes allowing the purchase of out-of-pocket and out-of-network prescriptions to count towards consumers’ health plan deductibles. The proposed budget is likely to face pushback from different sectors of the health care industry.
Fearful amid ICE crackdowns, some immigrants are skipping health care
Kristen Schorsch, NPR, Feb. 10
Patients at a free medical clinic in Chicago usually show up for their appointments and take their prescribed medications, according to nurse practitioner Margaret Bavis. However raids by U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement in several cities, including Chicago, have frightened immigrant communities. The clinic’s patients, who are mostly immigrants and uninsured, are staying away. Providers worry that delaying care, even for a short period of time, can have serious medical implications. “I think we’re just only at the very beginning of what’s going to be a really horrible time for our patients,” Bavis said.
In Mississippi, systemic failures mean Black women with cervical cancer are more likely to die
Simeon Gates, The 19th, Feb. 7
Black women in the Mississippi Delta have disproportionately high death rates from cervical cancer due to systemic failures, according to a new report. Experts said cervical cancer is preventable and highly treatable if people have access to medical care, screenings, and the HPV vaccination. Black women are 75 percent more likely to die from cervical cancer than white women. In Mississippi, the lack of Medicaid expansion led to people not having health care coverage, a situation exacerbated by a shortage of OB-GYNs and more rural hospital closures. Without health insurance or Medicaid, many women can’t afford regular check-ups or cancer screenings.
Massachusetts sees drop in new Black medical students
Steph Solis, Axios Boston, Feb. 11
Last year, Massachusetts saw the number of first-year Black medical students decline to its lowest level since 2018. The state is home to world-renowned hospitals and medical programs. Multiple studies suggest having doctors who resemble the patients they are serving can improve health outcomes and help patients feel more comfortable voicing health concerns. The dip in Black medical student enrollment in Massachusetts is reflective of a national trend following the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down affirmative action in higher education.