I want to give a big shout out to Nicole Pasia, who leads State of Reform’s reporting in Maryland, for her help in preparing this newsletter each month! This edition of “5 Things We’re Watching” features several stories that are a direct result of the in-depth reporting and conversations she’s had with health care leaders … Read more

As state COVID-19 cases surge to the highest reported level since February 2022, the latest community COVID-19 levels update from the CDC has classified 10 of Arizona’s 15 counties, including Maricopa, with high COVID-19 community levels. The community level framework considers weekly new reported cases per 100,000, weekly COVID-19 hospital admissions per 100,000, and the … Read more

Dallas County Health and Human Services (DCHHS) raised its COVID-19 threat level to orange, or “extreme caution,” on Monday after hospitalizations and infections continued to rise over the weekend.      DCHHS reported an average of 1,002 cases per day, a 33% increase from the average 2 weeks ago.  Since the beginning of the pandemic, … Read more

This edition of “5 Things We’re Watching” features a conversation with four state leaders on what the pandemic has taught us about health care in Maryland. We also have a Q&A on integrating behavioral health into primary care, coverage of the Maryland Oral Health Task Force’s recent meeting, and a video interview with Angelo Edge, … Read more

STATEWIDE (June 17, 2022) — Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment is hosting vaccine clinics at a variety of Pride and Juneteenth community celebrations as it continues its statewide COVID-19 vaccination efforts this week. These events are part of CDPHE’s continuing commitment to health equity, meeting people where they are and eliminating barriers to … Read more

Colorado nursing homes continue to experience staffing shortages as the state moves forward on its road to recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.     The pandemic took a huge toll on the nursing home community. According to data released by the COVID Tracking Project, 8%, or nearly 1 in 12, of residents in US long-term care … Read more

A new task force discussed federal funding options for supporting a health insurance plan for low-income Oregonians Tuesday.     Oregon’s Bridge Health Care Program Task Force was formed after the passage of House Bill 4035 during the last legislative session. Members are working to create a bridge program to offer coverage to people leaving … Read more

Tomorrow is the last scheduled day of the 2022 Legislative Session. With that in mind, I wanted to extend a big thank you to Nicole Pasia who leads our Hawaii health care reporting at State of Reform. She’s been steeped in policy and budget conversations for the past few months and has had her finger … Read more

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Michigan emergency department (ED) and primary care utilization significantly dropped, according to representatives of these facilities. This led to a decrease in care centers’ operating margins and worse health outcomes for patients all around the state.  At our 2022 Michigan State of Reform Health Policy Conference, a panel of three experts … Read more

Washington health officials are placing less emphasis on COVID-19 case counts, and focusing more on hospitalizations.     Washington State Department of Health (WSDH) staff gave an update on the pandemic Wednesday. Secretary of Health Dr. Umair Shah said BA.2 is still Washington’s dominant variant, and its representation in the state’s total number of cases … Read more