State highlights: N.Y. hospitals scramble to sign uninsured up for care; N.C. lawmakers debate Medicaid; Ore. data questions immigrant 'burden' on Medicaid

Nov 22 2013

A selection of health policy stories from New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Texas, Kansas and Georgia.

The Wall Street Journal: Hospitals Push Coverage
Many of [New York City's] financially strapped hospitals are scrambling to sign up people for health coverage through New York state's exchange or through Medicaid as they brace for federal cuts to providers of so-called charity care for the uninsured. At Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx, the staff is posting insurance information on social-networking websites and giving presentations at churches and mosques. At Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn, officials have met with the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce to ensure small businesses know their insurance options. Some hospitals are recruiting patients for coverage plans in emergency-room lobbies (Dawsey, 11/20). 

North Carolina Health News: Lawmakers Debate Medicaid's Past and Future
In a legislative meeting Tuesday, lawmakers and officials from the state Department of Health and Human Services debated changes to the state's Medicaid program and what the program might look like in the future. At issue is the question of whether the state will change the structure of the program or invite private companies to manage Medicaid, which pays for medical and other forms of care for close to 1.8 million North Carolinians. (Hoban, 11/20).

The Lund Report: CCO Data Debunks Myth Of Immigrant Burden To Medicaid
New data released this month shows that Latinos on the Oregon Health Plan are much less likely to use the emergency room or outpatient health services than other residents, disproving a myth that a recent wave of immigration from Latin America has burdened the state's Medicaid program (Gray, 11/20).

The Texas Tribune: After SCOTUS, Abortion Providers Work To Secure Access
Following the U.S. Supreme Court's decision on Tuesday not to intervene in Texas' ongoing abortion litigation, Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers are working to secure access to the procedure for women across the state (Aaronson, 11/20).

Wichita (Kan.) Eagle: Safety Net Clinics Look To Integrate Mental Health Services
For many area safety net clinics, the next big step in delivering care is to integrate medical and behavioral health services. One way to do that is through the creation of Medicaid-funded health homes. ... The health home initiative is a part of KanCare, the state's privatized Medicaid system, and could affect up to 36,000 people statewide, according to state officials (Ryan, 11/20).

Georgia Health News: GA. Rate of Uninsured Kids Improved, But Still High
The percentage of Georgia children who are uninsured has declined, but the state still has the fourth-highest number of kids without coverage, according to a report released Wednesday. In raw numbers, Georgia has nearly 220,000 children who are uninsured, trailing only Texas, California and Florida, said the report from Georgetown University's Center for Children and Families. All three of those states have much higher populations than Georgia (Miller, 11/20).