The health of Mountain State residents came into focus several different ways this week:
- West Virginia ranked 2nd in the nation for obesity (and 1st for diabetes) in the latest report from Trust for America's Health. The Associated Press has a story;
- The state is also bracing for another knock on its Medicaid redesign, AP reports. The Charleston Gazette also details the latest criticisms, this time from Families USA. The "liberal-leaning American non-profit consumer health-care advocacy organization" is calling the state's changes "inherently flawed," The Gazette reports;
- Clinics that provide free medicines to un- and underinsured West Virginians tell AP health care writer Tom Breen that they object to proposed rules that target their pharmacies;
- The Gazette and MetroNews are among those covering the fallout (or lack thereof) to a backlash by bars and clubs against Kanawha County's indoor smoking ban. MetroNews also reports that Harrison County is the latest to adopt such a measure, to take effect Jan. 1.
1 comment:
Thank you for bringing up the 3rd bullet point. Wheeling Health Right just had a meeting today on the issue and I believe the United Way has a press conference slated for Charleston today.
As legislation is currently written, this could be a huge burden on the free clinics who support the working poor - folks who otherwise could not afford medications. So much of a burden that it may force the closure of the majority of these clinics around the state.
We are hopeful that some language tweaking in the bill and agreement with the Board of Pharmacy will come to pass that will suit everyone's needs.
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