Texas Medicaid Eases Access To Free Mosquito Repellent
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AUSTIN (CBSDFW.COM/AP) — Texas is no longer requiring pregnant women on Medicaid to get a prescription before receiving free mosquito repellent amid worries over Zika.
State health officials announced Monday they're dropping the need for expecting mothers and women between the ages of 10 and 45 to first call or visit a doctor before receiving up to two cans of repellent a month through October.
More than 90 people in Texas are reported to have been infected with Zika. Earlier this month Texas had its first Zika-related death. A newborn female in Harris County, who passed away shortly after birth, had microcephaly -- a condition that causes babies to be born with unusually small heads and has been linked to pregnant women infected with Zika.
Health and Human Services Commissioner Charles Smith says Texas is the first state to issue a standing order for mosquito repellent prescriptions. Eligible women on Medicaid can pick up the repellent at their pharmacist.
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