State News

Medical debt is a growing crisis across the country, but is affecting Louisiana more than other
states, with residents owing nearly $2 billion, reports the Louisiana Illuminator. Louisiana ranks
in the top 10 states for the highest medical debt, with an average of $2,150 owed by its
residents—an estimated $1.9 billion statewide. Medical debt is more prominent in households
with those who are more vulnerable and or at risk: more households with children under 18
carried medical debt than those without (24.7% to 12.5%); among Black households, 27.9
percent face this issue; individuals living in poor health or with a disability are also more likely to
carry significant medical debt (21% and 14% of adults with medical debt).

New Jersey has passed legislation designed to expand health insurance coverage requirements
for infertility services, reports CBS News Philadelphia. The bill mandates certain insurers
provide coverage for infertility services following American Society for Reproductive Medicine
guidelines and physician determination. Previously, enrollees could be denied coverage for
assorted reasons outside of their control, and this new legislation mandates coverage of
infertility services for a partner of a person who has successfully reversed a voluntary
sterilization, and further provides that nothing in the definition of “infertility” may be used to deny
or delay treatment to any individual, regardless of relationship status or sexual orientation, as
well as prohibits health insurance carriers from imposing restrictions concerning the coverage of
infertility services based on age.

The lack of health care providers in rural Alabama is stark, with most of Alabama’s rural
counties having significantly more people per primary care physician than urban counties,
reports the Alabama Reflector. The average across the state is 1,520 people per one physician,
while the most populous Jefferson County has 875 primary care physicians to every resident.
As rural Alabama continues a decades-long population collapse, residents who remain—many
of whom are older—face increasing barriers to health care, a trend seen around the nation.

Arkansas’ Black children consistently have worse health outcomes from birth onward than
children of other races, reports the Arkansas Advocate. On a scale of 0 to 1,000 for child
wellbeing, Black children scored 299, compared to 397 for Latino children, 597 for white
children, 562 for children of two or more races, 616 for American Indian or Alaska Native
children, and 624 for Asian and Pacific Islander children. Arkansas has the nation’s highest
maternal mortality rate and the third highest infant mortality rate regardless of race. Arkansas’
health burdens and disparities are augmented by a shortage of providers in rural areas.

The FDA will allow the state of Florida to import certain prescription drugs from Canda to lower
drugs prices, reports KFF. The program has been authorized for a period of two years and
during its first year is estimated to save over $183 million. Imported drugs will only be available
to those that receive Medicaid, care through county health departments, or other state and
government funded health programs. Florida may initially import drugs to treat HIV/AIDS, mental
health conditions, and prostate cancer. Biological drugs, such as insulin, are not eligible for
importation.

California will require health care entities to notify the state of mergers closing on or after April 1,
2024, according to Triage Health Law. Entities will have to give the state 90-day notice for
certain mergers, acquisitions, or other health care service transactions that meet certain criteria,
such as having a market value of $25 million or more, increasing the entity’s California-derived
revenue by $10 million or 20 percent, or exchanging 25 percent or more of the California assets
for the submitted.

A case study by Third Way finds that hospital consolidation has driven up the cost of care in
Maine, reports Bangor Daily News. Costs in Maine are the highest in New England and exceed
the national average by 25 percent. The study recommends that state and federal lawmakers
strengthen hospital price transparency, limit facility fees and restrict tactics that reduce
competition when negotiating insurance contracts.

New Mexico is capping cost-sharing for certain services in state-regulated plans, including
diabetes supplies, breast cancer screening exams, and sexually transmitted infection (STI)
treatment, reports Source NM. State-regulated plans will be required to provide basic diabetes
care and supplies alongside a $25 cap on a 30-day supply of insulin. In addition, cost-sharing is
eliminated for diagnostic breast exams and prevention and treatment for STIs. Cancer
biomarker testing must now also be covered by insurance, though cost-sharing is allowed.

A survey of people who lost Medicaid coverage in Utah last year found just over half made no
effort to renew their coverage, in many cases due to difficulties with paperwork requirements,
reports KFF Health News. While many found insurance elsewhere—39 percent through an
employer and 15 percent through the Marketplace—thirty percent became uninsured and many
reported obstacles in reapplying for Medicaid. Nineteen percent said they never received
renewal documents from the Utah Medicaid enrollment agency, the Department of Workforce
Services. Fourteen percent said they didn’t get around to the paperwork, 13 percent said it was
too difficult, and 7 percent said they didn’t have the necessary documents to prove their
eligibility.