Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Abortion Foes And Supporters Warn Tenn. Lawmakers Against Bill That Would Ban The Procedure
The Associated Press: Opponents Warn A Tennessee Abortion Ban Will Cost Taxpayers
Tennessee lawmakers were warned Tuesday that, should the GOP-controlled Legislature choose to pass one of the strictest abortion bans in the nation, taxpayers will likely be forced to pick up cost of the losing battle. Abortion rights groups threatened to sue the state during the two-day hearing revolving around proposed legislation seeking to ban abortion once a pregnancy is detected. However, Republican lawmakers bristled at similar sentiments from the GOP-friendly Tennessee Right to Life. (Kruesi, 8/13)
The Star Tribune: State Senators Demand Answers After Weeks Of Problems At DHS
Minnesota state senators leveled a blistering critique of the state Department of Human Services during a wide-ranging hearing Tuesday. The sprawling $17.5 billion social service agency has been beset in recent months with a leadership shuffle, a whistleblower action over contract compliance and an acknowledgment that the agency overpaid two Indian bands approximately $25 million for substance-abuse treatment in recent years. (Coolican, 8/13)
Pioneer Press: DHS Retaliation, Overpayment Issues Aired At MN Senate Hearing
A compliance officer from the Minnesota Department of Human Services told a panel of state senators Tuesday that she could be fired for speaking to them about issues within the sprawling agency. The acting commissioner of DHS did not rule out the possibility that taxpayers could foot the bill for some $25.3 million the agency overpaid to two Native American tribes. And the ousted medical director of the state Medicaid program said DHS leaders displayed “unconscionable arrogance” when making decisions that could impact scores of Minnesotans. (Faircloth, 8/13)
Columbus Dispatch: Legislator Says He Introduced Bill To Keep Kratom Legal In Ohio To Spur Discussion
An Ohio legislator submitted a bill Tuesday to legalize kratom, a controversial supplement held up by proponents and users as a treatment for opioid withdrawal. The Ohio Board of Pharmacy is considering listing kratom as a Schedule I Controlled Substance in Ohio, putting it in the same category as drugs such as heroin, which would in effect ban it. If approved, Rep. Gary Scherer’s proposed Kratom Consumer Protection Act would keep the supplement legal under state law. (Cooley, 8/13)
