Health Care
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.
California enters the ring of drug manufacturing. Could others follow?
As insulin prices have skyrocketed, states have intervened to lower them with price caps. Now, California’s decision to manufacture its own is leading other states to consider similar steps in an effort to ensure essential medicines are affordable to the public.
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