Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Appeals Court Rules North Carolina's Abortion Ban Unconstitutional
The Washington Post: North Carolina's 20-Week Abortion Ban Is Unconstitutional
North Carolina’s decades-old ban on abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy is unconstitutional and poses a credible threat of prosecution to abortion providers, a federal appeals court unanimously affirmed Wednesday. The ruling comes one month after the U.S. Supreme Court announced that it will review a case challenging Mississippi’s restrictive ban and consider whether “all pre-viability prohibitions on elective abortions” are unconstitutional. (Marimow, 6/16)
Dallas Morning News: Abbott Signs Into Law Bill Prohibiting Abortions If Supreme Court Overturns Roe V. Wade
Gov. Greg Abbott on Wednesday signed into law a bill that would outlaw abortions in Texas if the U.S. Supreme Court overturns the 1973 landmark Roe v. Wade ruling. The measure, House Bill 1280, would make it a second-degree felony to perform or try to perform an abortion, and would take effect 30 days after an applicable court ruling. Under the bill, if the fetus dies, the penalty would be upgraded to a first-degree felony with the potential for a life sentence. Abortion providers who violate the ban also could lose their license and face fines of at least $100,000. (Smith, 6/16)
St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Fight Over Birth Control Looms As Missouri Lawmakers Prepare For Special Session
State lawmakers on Wednesday were preparing for an extraordinary legislative session next week that could determine whether low-income Missouri women continue to have access to certain birth control methods through Medicaid. At issue is the renewal of the Federal Reimbursement Allowance, a tax on hospitals and other medical providers seen as critical to the state’s Medicaid program. Conservatives blocked renewal of the tax during the Legislature’s regular session, holding out for restrictions on contraceptives and bans on money flowing to abortion providers such as Planned Parenthood. (Suntrup, 6/16)
In news from California —
Los Angeles Times: Court Orders California To Treat Mentally Ill Defendants
A state appeals court has ordered California to move disabled inmates found mentally incompetent to stand trial out of jails and into treatment. A three-judge panel of the 2nd District Court of Appeal in San Francisco set a deadline of 28 days for the state to move mentally ill and intellectually disabled defendants into hospitals or treatment programs after a court has found them too impaired to stand trial. Those defendants now often spend months in jail, where lawyers say they have died of suicide or suffered abuse while awaiting medical attention. (Dolan, 6/16)
Los Angeles Times: L.A. Moves To Ban Selling Flavored Tobacco, But Exempts Some Hookah Sales
Tobacco products that come in sweet, fruity and minty flavors could soon be banned from store shelves in Los Angeles, under a proposal backed Wednesday by the City Council. Council members voted to ask city attorneys to start drafting the ban on selling flavored tobacco products, which has been sought by a coalition of youth and public health advocates. Backers of the ban argue that such products — including liquid pods for electronic cigarettes, menthols and flavored cigars — have been a gateway to hooking teens on nicotine. (Alpert Reyes, 6/16)
In other news —
Modern Healthcare: Colorado Healthcare, Prescription Drug Bills Are Now Laws
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis on Wednesday signed into law legislation requiring insurers to offer a standard state-supervised health plan to people and small business. The law also provides for sanctions for hospitals and other healthcare providers that don't participate in lowering costs. What was once envisioned as a so-called "public option" to be offered by the state became a plan passed during the just-concluded legislative session that requires premium reductions by 2025 of 15% from plans now offered. (6/16)
Axios: Montana Governor Gives First-Quarter Salary To Drug Treatment Facility
Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte (R) announced Wednesday that he'll donate the first quarter of his salary to One Health Bighorn, a facility that treats people for substance abuse. The multimillionaire has pledged to give his entire salary, about $120,000, to nonprofits. "We face a drug epidemic in our state, and while there's no silver bullet to end it, we can combat it by promoting treatment and recovery for Montanans struggling with addiction," Gianforte said in a statement, per AP. (Falconer, 6/16)
Fox News: Connecticut Confirms 2 Powassan Virus Infections: What To Know About Tick-Borne Illness
Health officials in Connecticut announced the state’s first two cases of Powassan virus detected in 2021. The cases, which stem from an infected tick bite, involved patients between 50-79 years of age who fell ill during the third week of April and required hospitalization. The patients, one from Fairfield County and one from New Haven County, were treated for central nervous system disease and have since been discharged and are recovering. The state reported just two cases last year, and 10 cases total spanning 2016-2020, two of which were fatal. (Hein, 6/16)
The Boston Globe: The State’s Second-Biggest Health Insurer Has A Buzzy New Name
The company formed by the merger of two big Massachusetts health insurers has a buzzy new name: Point32Health. Tufts Health Plan and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care merged in January but did not name the new company they created, until Wednesday. The new moniker refers to the 32 points on a compass and was chosen to highlight the company’s stated goal of helping people navigate health care. “We wanted something unique and distinct that would stand out in the marketplace,” said Richard O’Connor, chief marketing officer of Point32Health. “We wanted to do something different.” (Dayal McCluskey, 6/16)
