Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
California Counties File New Lawsuits Against Opioid Manufacturers, Distributors
The Wall Street Journal: California Counties Jump Into Opioid Litigation
As lawsuits over the opioid crisis have spread nationwide, the country’s most populous state has largely stayed on the sidelines. Now, 30 counties in California are jumping in, seeking recovery for alleged taxpayer losses from the major makers and distributors of opioid painkillers. The counties, largely centered in the rural northern and central regions of the state, are each filing lawsuits in federal court. The actions will likely be sent to a federal judge in Ohio, who is overseeing hundreds of opioid lawsuits filed across the country. (Randazzo, 5/8)
In other news on the opioid crisis —
New Orleans Times-Picayune: Despite Opioid Crisis, Louisiana May Cut Drug Treatment Options
Louisiana is in the middle of an opioid crisis, but a pervasive state budget shortfall may lead the state to eliminate some drug and alcohol treatment options for people with Medicaid after July 1. The latest state budget proposal, passed by the Louisiana House, scraps $47 million worth of state and federal funding that pays for outpatient drug and alcohol treatment programs for adults enrolled in Medicaid. In January, 4,600 people were using services paid for with this money that would no longer be available, according to the Louisiana Department of Health. (O'Donoghue, 5/8)
CQ: Experts Say Labor Agency Could Learn From States' Opioid Limits
The federal workers' compensation program has fallen behind state programs in taking on the opioid crisis, witnesses told a House subcommittee Tuesday. Opioid prescriptions in worker compensation programs are higher than the national averages and often don’t comply with best prescribing practices, the experts told the House Committee on Education and the Workforce Subcommittee on Workforce Protections. (McIntire, 5/8)
