Ohio has seen an increase of nearly 12,000 uninsured children the past two years

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Catching Our Eye:

Nearly 12,000 more uninsured children. The Columbus Dispatch’s Cathy Candisky is reporting that, “Thousands more of Ohio’s youngest children had no health insurance coverage in 2018, reversing a multi-year decline in the rate of uninsured children younger than 6.

“The Buckeye State’s uninsured rate for infants, toddlers and preschoolers climbed to 5% in 2018 from 3.6% in 2016, a 40% jump that ranked as third-highest in the nation.

“Ohio had 41,642 children without health coverage, an increase of nearly 12,000 in two years, according to a recent study by the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families.”

All this carping. The Chicago Tribune is reporting that the Great Lakes could be on the ‘edge of an invasion’ by a little-discussed species of Asian carp.

Here’s a thought I have regularly these days: Over the next hundred years, across the globe, we are likely to see mass human migrations. In North America, that migration will predictably include many people heading toward the Great Lakes region, the largest source of fresh water in the world. Protecting, cherishing, promoting our greatest natural resource seems… important.

The Chicago Tribune is reporting that the Great Lakes could be on the ‘edge of an invasion’ by a little-discussed species of Asian carp.

Here’s a thought I have regularly these days: Over the next hundred years, across the globe, we are likely to see mass human migrations. In North America, that migration will predictably include many people heading toward the Great Lakes region, the largest source of fresh water in the world. Protecting, cherishing, promoting our greatest natural resource seems… important.

The Plastics. Belt Magazine‘s Sharon Kelly is reporting on what the “petrochemical buildout along the Ohio River means for regional communities and beyond.”

From Kelly: “The vast majority of petrochemical production in the United States has always taken place along the Gulf Coast. But, drawn by low-priced shale gas from fracking in Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia, the petrochemical industry is increasingly eyeing the Ohio River Valley as a manufacturing corridor…

“Oil giants are banking on plastics and petrochemicals to keep the fossil fuel industry expanding amid rising concern over climate change…

“Green-lighting petrochemical projects along the Ohio River could bring new industrial vitality to a region that’s been hard hit by the slow decline of American coal and steel. It could also bring a host of issues.”

Making one list. The Dayton Daily News’ Kaitlin Schroeder is reporting, “Ohio Department of Medicaid will soon launch a new change to bring more transparency and simplicity to its $3 billion prescription drug program, in the wake of months of criticism of the pharmacy benefit managers that administer these dollars.

“Ohio Medicaid’s unified preferred drug list requires the insurance companies that manage Ohio Medicaid plans to use its single, transparent list of preferred medications, reducing confusion for Medicaid members, their health care providers, and pharmacists…

“Prescribers and pharmacies will have only one preferred medication list to learn and manage, versus the previous six.”