Can a $10 Billion Climate Bond Address California’s Water Contamination Problem?
By Vanessa G. Sánchez
California voters will decide in November whether to approve a $10 billion climate bond that supporters say is needed to jump-start water system repairs for residents without safe drinking water. Opponents say those repairs should be prioritized in the state budget, not put on a credit card.
Daily Edition for Wednesday, October 30, 2024
Snakebite bills, emergency abortion care, Kaiser strike, Covered California plans, homeless funding, election news, bird flu, and more
For People With Opioid Addiction, Medicaid ‘Unwinding’ Raises the Stakes
By Kim Krisberg, Public Health Watch and Stephanie Colombini, WUSF
Medications such as methadone can cut the risk of a fatal opioid overdose in half. Medicaid covers the medication. But as state Medicaid programs reevaluated coverage of each enrollee following a pause in disenrollments during the covid-19 pandemic, some patients lost a crucial pillar of their sobriety.
Toddler’s Backyard Snakebite Bills Totaled More Than a Quarter Million Dollars
By Jackie Fortiér
For snakebite victims, antivenom is critical — and costly. It took more than $200,000 worth of antivenom to save one toddler’s life after he was bitten by a rattlesnake.
Florida Medical Device Maker Exactech Declares Bankruptcy
By Fred Schulte
The company faces more than 2,000 lawsuits alleging it sold defective knee and hip implants.
Daily Edition for Tuesday, October 29, 2024
No End In Sight For KP Worker Strike: The union representing some 2,400 striking Kaiser Permanente mental health workers said negotiations with the health care provider have broken down heading into a second week of picketing. Read more from LAist.
‘Dreamers’ Can Enroll in ACA Plans This Year — But a Court Challenge Could Get in the Way
By Julie Appleby
Nineteen states are seeking to stall a Biden administration rule that would allow recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program to enroll in ACA coverage and qualify for subsidies. DACA provides work authorization and temporary deportation protection to people brought to the U.S. as children without immigration paperwork.
Ahora los “Dreamers” pueden inscribirse en planes de salud de ACA. Pero una demanda podría acabar con el sueño
By Julie Appleby
Del medio millón de beneficiarios de DACA, el gobierno estima que alrededor de 100.000 que anteriormente no tenían seguro podrían inscribirse a partir del 1 de noviembre.
Vance Wrongly Blames Rural Hospital Closures on Immigrants in the Country Illegally
By Sam Whitehead
Experts disputed the claim by Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance, noting that a range of other issues — from low reimbursement rates to declining patient use — combine to cause these facilities to shutter.
An Arm and a Leg: Can Racism Make You Sick?
By Dan Weissmann
In this episode of “An Arm and a Leg,” host Dan Weissmann sits down with KFF Health News’ Cara Anthony to talk about the documentary and podcast series she produced about the impact of a 1942 lynching and a 2020 police killing on a rural Missouri community. The project is called “Silence in Sikeston.”