September 14, 2020
The Out-of-Pocket Health News Digest
Below you will find briefs about recent health policy news stories. Our hope is for students to have an information outlet at their fingertips to keep up-to-date with the most pressing news stories in health policy.
This compilation is produced by the HPSA Education Committee
Welcome to the Out-of-Pocket!
Welcome to the first edition of the Out-of-Pocket for the 2020-2021 school year, brought to you by the Health Policy Student Association (HPSA) at the University of Michigan. Our organization provides and supports educational and professional development opportunities for all students interested in health policy. HPSA is a place for students to participate in health policy-related events including guest speakers, local and national level meetings, panel discussions, policy outreach efforts, and a variety of social activities. 

If you would like to join our email list to hear about HPSA news, meetings, and socials, please fill out this Google Form: https://forms.gle/RJKak6UanybugynP6.

This compilation is produced by the HPSA Education Committee. If you are interested in joining the Education Committee for this school year, fill out this application!

We are also looking for applications to our Advocacy, Finance, and Professional Development committees! 
Wildfires Continue to Spread Across the West, Resulting in Death, Evacuations, and Environmental Health Hazards
Wildfires have shattered records on the West Coast, with several dozen fatalities, many missing, and thousands evacuated from their homes. The wildfires started in mid-August in California, but have since spread to Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Montana. There have been nearly 100 fires that have burned 4.7 million acres, and 40 of those fires have resulted in evacuation orders. 

Oregon’s fires in particular have caused destruction across the state. The state Department of Forestry Fire Chief has predicted that several of their fires will last until the winter. They are also issuing a ‘mass fatality incident’ as the fires approach Portland.

The wildfires have caused environmental health hazards for the residents. In some parts of Oregon on Saturday, the smoke decreased visibility to 10 feet. A fire tracking and air quality map shows that the vast majority of the fires in Oregon have produced hazardous health conditions. In Washington, Governor Inslee has advised residents to keep their doors closed and windows shut because the smoke has begun to clog the air. Additionally, Governor Inslee is known for his advocacy around climate change, which was a hallmark of his presidential campaign. 

Trump is visiting California to give a briefing on the crisis, along with fire chiefs and emergency officials. His first acknowledgement of the wildfires was this past Friday on Twitter, where he thanked firefighters and emergency medical workers. His silence on the crisis and blaming of California for their wildfires has angered many individuals across the West Coast. Despite this, the federal government has issued several grants for West Coast states to help them combat the fires. The briefing will likely provide more information and next steps. 

Missouri expands Medicaid - joining 37 other states

Over the summer, Missouri became the 38th state to approve Medicaid expansion. On August 4, 2020, voters approved a ballot initiative to expand Medicaid to all adults age 19 to 65 whose income is below 133% of the federal poverty level, without any other eligibility requirements. The expansion is planned to go in effect starting on July 1, 2021. 

This measure passed in spite of a number of political obstacles. Republican leaders in Missouri opposed the expansion, arguing the state’s 10% share of costs would be an excessive burden on the state’s budget. In addition, although the expansion referendum was initially planned to be part of the November general election, Governor Mike Parson moved the proposal to the August primary election. Given that primary elections typically have lower participation rates, advocates of Medicaid expansion argued this was intended to make the initiative more likely to fail. Nevertheless, Medicaid expansion was approved by voters by a margin of 53.25% to 46.75%.

Notably, Missouri’s Medicaid expansion was approved by amending the state constitution. This prevents the state legislature from overturning the voters’ decision in the future. 

The impacts of Medicaid expansion in other states have been overwhelmingly positive, including increased access to care, better health outcomes, and economic improvements. According to estimates from Washington University in Saint Louis, Medicaid expansion will provide health insurance to 230,000 additional Missouri residents, increase economic output by $2.5 billion, and reduce racial inequities in health care. 

One-Liners

  • COVID-19: National Academy lays out detailed plan on how to prioritize a COVID-19 vaccine (Stat News)
  • Criminal Justice: Missouri Attorney General draws criticism for upholding wrongful convictions (The Appeal)
  • Drug Pricing: California Legislature directs state health agency to partner with drug companies to develop generic line of drugs (KHN)
  • Global Health: Far-right extremists attempt to storm the German Parliament in protest of mask requirements and other legal mandates to slow the spread of COVID-19 (AP)
  • LGBTQ Health: A federal judge blocks new HHS rule that intended to eliminate protections for LGBTQ people under the ACA (Health Affairs)