State Highlights: W.Va. Long-Term Care Workers To Have Background Checks; In Wash., 126 People Used Death-With-Dignity Law In 2014
Health care stories are reported from West Virginia, Washington, Delaware, Texas, Oregon, Illinois, Nevada and Maryland.
The Associated Press:
W.Va. Officials Announce Long-Term Care Background Checks
State health officials have announced a new background check program for long-term care workers in West Virginia. On Wednesday, the Department of Health and Human Resources announced its West Virginia Clearance for Access: Registry and Employment Screening program. (8/6)
The Associated Press:
126 Died In 2014 Using Death With Dignity
State health officials say 126 people died in Washington state last year after requesting and using a lethal prescription through Washington's Death with Dignity law. The Washington Health Department reported Thursday 176 people requested and received lethal doses of medication in 2014, a slight increase from the year before. Of those people, 170 died, but some died without ingesting the medication and the state does not know whether some of them took the medicine or not. (8/6)
The Associated Press:
Federal Lawsuit Targets Confinement Of Mentally Ill Patients
Legal advocacy groups filed a federal lawsuit against Delaware's prison commissioner Thursday, alleging that the Department of Correction is unconstitutionally subjecting mentally ill prisoners to solitary confinement without proper evaluation, monitoring and treatment. In the complaint, the American Civil Liberties Union and Community Legal Aid Society argue that solitary confinement can exacerbate symptoms of mentally ill inmates' disorders and violates their constitutional rights, amounting to cruel and unusual punishment. (Chase, 8/6)
The Texas Tribune:
New Law Helps Tackle Health Agency Woes
In January, Stuart Bowen took charge of a state office rocked by accusations of corruption, incompetence and inefficiency. Responsible for ferreting out fraud amid the programs and procedures of the sprawling Health and Human Services Commission, the office of Inspector General itself remains under a cloud. He hopes a new law kicking in Sept. 1 will help revive the office's performance and perception. (Bollag, 8/6)
The Register-Guard:
Health Care Company Sues Eugene Paper Over Records Release
Several shareholders in the Eugene company that manages services to about 95,000 Lane County Oregon Health Plan patients have sued the state and Guard Publishing Co., publisher of The Register-Guard, to try to stop the state from releasing public records. Shareholders of Agate Resources Inc., the parent company of Trillium Community Health Plan — the coordinated care organization in Lane County — allege that disclosing the names and ownership interest of Agate shareholders would invade their personal privacy and threaten their professional reputations without serving any public interest. (McDonald, 8/6)
The Chicago Tribune:
Cook County Health System To Replace Claims Administrator
Cook County's public health system is looking for a new company to process insurance claims after it canceled a contract with the firm it hired just a year ago. A spokeswoman at Cook County Health and Hospitals System confirmed Thursday that it plans to replace IlliniCare Health, a subsidiary of St. Louis-based Centene, as its third-party administrator. The county posted a request for bids on Tuesday.The role also is critical for Cook County because the health system has taken on the risk of insuring more of its patients. The health system started its own managed care plan in 2012 to enroll patients who gained insurance through the expansion of Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. (Sachdev, 8/6)
The Associated Press:
Chicago To Allow Health Coverage For Gender Reassignment Surgery
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced plans on Wednesday to allow reassignment surgery for the city’s employees as part of their health benefits package. “Chicago is known for being a city that is welcoming to all and inclusive of every resident, and this new policy is in line with our efforts to support the rights and well-being of transgender individuals,” Emanuel said in a statement. “With this change, Chicago will ensure that transgender city employees are able to receive the medical care that they need.” (8/6)
The Chicago Tribune:
Illinois To Implement New 'ABLE' Accounts For People With Disabilities
State treasurers from across the country are meeting in Chicago Thursday and Friday to discuss how to implement a tax-exempt plan to help families cover the expenses of people with disabilities. The new ABLE accounts, which stands for Achieving a Better Life Experience, will operate much like 529 college savings plans in that the growth is federal tax-free and families are allowed to withdraw money for qualified expenses tax-free. (Rodriguez, 8/6)
The Elgin Courier-News:
Agency For Developmentally Disabled Feels Impact Of Budget Gridlock
Jill Nomellini does not understand the concept of money. Her mom, Barb, has tried to teach her. But the 37-year-old has the mind of a young child and does not comprehend, her mother said. Nor does Jill understand exactly what is happening at the Association of Individual Development (AID), where she heads every day to do the job that she takes so much pride in doing. Jill is afraid AID will close, Barb Nomellini said. AID, with headquarters in Aurora and an office in Elgin along with smaller offices in Batavia and Yorkville, is in the crosshairs of Illinois legislators' battle over the fiscal year 2016 budget that has caused an impasse in Springfield. (Casas, 8/6)
The Associated Press:
New Veterans Clinic In Pahrump Gets $12.1M Federal OK
Veterans in Pahrump, Nevada are getting a long-sought larger outpatient clinic now that a federal construction contract has been awarded. The news quickly turned political Wednesday when Nevada's freshman Republican Congressman Cresent Hardy took credit saying in a statement that longtime Democratic Sen. Harry Reid and the Democratic representative unseated by Hardy couldn't cut through "red tape" to make it happen. (Pierceall, 8/6)
The Chicago Tribune:
CEO Of Health Care Company Charged In Undercover Fraud Probe
Doctors and nurses made visit after visit to the elderly man's home, even after watching him walk the dog, take a stroll down the street and repeatedly talk about visiting his grandkids. Yet the home visits were classified as treatment for the homebound, enabling a Chicago-based health care company to bill Medicare for thousands of dollars. The 71-year-old man, it turns out, was an undercover confidential source for federal agents who for months worked to gather evidence of alleged phony billing practices at Home Physician Services. (O'Connell, 8/6)
The Washington Post:
Rural Maryland Sees Jobs, Not Vice, In Medical Marijuana
Washington County is a proudly conservative place. Voters here haven’t backed a Democrat for president since 1964, and same-sex marriage lost by a landslide in a referendum three years ago. But when Chicago-based Green Thumb Industries pitched a proposal to put a medical-marijuana production plant here, the county’s five county commissioners — Republicans all — passed a resolution unanimously supporting the plan. (Dresser, 8/6)
NPR:
Can A 32-Year-Old Doctor Cure Baltimore's Ills?
Neighborhoods in Baltimore are still struggling to recover from the riots that broke out following the funeral of Freddie Gray, who suffered a fatal injury to his spine while in police custody. In the aftermath of the unrest, we here at NPR spent many hours trying to understand the raw anger on display. We looked at police brutality, economic disparities and housing segregation in Baltimore. Our conversations eventually led us to Leana Wen. (Cornish, 8/6)