skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Pulling back the curtains on wage-theft enforcement in MN; Trump's latest attack is on RFK, Jr; NM LGBTQ+ equality group endorses 2024 'Rock Star' candidates; Michigan's youth justice reforms: Expanded diversion, no fees.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says rebuilding Baltimore's Key Bridge will be challenging and expensive. An Alabama Democrat flips a state legislature seat and former Connecticut senator Joe Lieberman dies at 82.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

Texas Seeks to Improve Health-Care Access for Harvey Survivors

play audio
Play

Wednesday, September 6, 2017   

HOUSTON - Texas officials are asking health insurance companies to be flexible in helping people affected by the floodwaters from Hurricane Harvey.

Many of the thousands who fled their homes during the storm may no longer have access to prescription drugs or medical equipment or be able see their family doctor or specialist.

Stacey Pogue, senior policy analyst for the Center for Public Policy Priorities, said the Texas Department of Insurance is asking insurers to cover emergency and non-emergency out-of-network care and simplify requirements for prior authorizations, referrals and medical-necessity reviews, to name a few.

"Agencies are asking insurance companies to provide some more flexibility," she said, "And so, agencies are saying, 'Hey, insurance companies, you need to relax the normal 'rules of the road' to make sure people can get health care they need after an emergency.' "

Pogue said insurers also are being asked to relax time limits on prescription refills and simplify access to medical equipment and supplies. The state is suggesting giving extra time for policyholders to make their premium payments. Most providers already have programs and policies in place to help people affected by the storm, she said, but added that there are steps evacuees and others who have trouble accessing care should take.

"I'd recommend that anybody in that situation where you can't get the health care you need, call the number on the back of your insurance card and explain that," she said, "because insurance companies and Medicaid and Medicare all have the intention of being much more flexible to ensure people can get ongoing, needed health care."

If a health insurer denies services, Pogue said, they must provide the patient with contact information for the appropriate state or federal agency to appeal that decision. She said people with employer-provided coverage should also contact the company's health plan administrator or human resources department.

Information on state bulletins is online at here and here.




get more stories like this via email

more stories
Many factors affect a customer's bill amount, including energy usage, weather, and the number of days in a billing period, according to Arizona Public Service. (Jason Yoder/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Earlier this month, a new Arizona Public Service rate hike went into effect and one senior advocacy group said those on a fixed income may struggle …


Social Issues

play sound

Michigan recently implemented a significant juvenile justice reform package following recommendations from a task force made up of prosecutors…

Social Issues

play sound

A mix of policy updates and staffing boosts has helped to put wage theft enforcement on the radar in Minnesota, and officials leading the efforts are …


More than six in 10 Americans favor keeping the abortion pill mifepristone available in the U.S. as a prescription drug, while over a third are opposed, according to a Gallup poll. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

New research shows more than six in 10 abortions in the U.S. last year were medically induced, and U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto - D-NV - is …

Social Issues

play sound

Colorado is working to boost the state's agricultural communities by getting more fresh, nutritious foods into school cafeterias - and a new online …

Social media platform X temporarily shutdown searches of "Taylor Swift" following the release of explicit deepfake images in early 2024. (Mdv Edwards/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Missouri lawmakers are concerned with protecting people from the potential risks of the increasing accessibility of AI-generated images and videos…

Social Issues

play sound

A 2023 study from the University of Nebraska Medical Center concluded the number of Nebraskans with a mental health or substance abuse disorder has pr…

Environment

play sound

A farm group is helping Iowa agriculture producers find ways to reduce the amount of nitrogen they use on their crops. Excess nitrates can wind up …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021