Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Drug Shortage Prompts Idaho To Allow Executions By Firing Squad
AP: Idaho Governor Signs Firing Squad Execution Bill Into Law
Republican Gov. Brad Little signed a bill allowing execution by firing squad, making Idaho the latest state to turn to older methods of capital punishment amid a nationwide shortage of lethal-injection drugs. The Legislature passed the measure March 20 with a veto-proof majority. Under it, firing squads will be used only if the state cannot obtain the drugs needed for lethal injections. (3/25)
In updates from California —
Los Angeles Times: Hospitals Say Problems Persist After L.A. Care Hit With Fines
A health insurance plan that serves poor and vulnerable patients in Los Angeles County was slapped with record fines — $55 million in total — last March for what a California state agency described as “widespread, systemic, and unrelenting” failures, including sluggish authorizations for medical care that left patients suffering. A year later, Southern California hospitals complain that problems have persisted and are reaching a crisis point. The Hospital Assn. of Southern California and other healthcare groups have urged the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to call for changes from L.A. Care, a publicly operated health plan that serves more than 2.8 million people, most of them on Medi-Cal. (Reyes, 3/26)
The New York Times: California’s Plan For Cheaper Insulin Collides With Big Pharma’s Price Cuts
California is moving ahead with its plan to produce state-sponsored insulin, but its goal of offering cheaper medicine than brand-name companies may be much harder to achieve now that those major drug makers have decided to significantly drop sticker prices on some products. So while some experts welcomed the news last weekend that the state had awarded a $50 million contract to Civica, a nonprofit organization, to manufacture low-cost insulin, others wondered if the initiative remained viable given the changing marketplace. Civica’s planned products would still need federal approval, which means it could take at least two years before they become available for sale. (Ryan, 3/24)
AP: California Looks To Spend Some Medicaid Money On Housing
At the start of 2022, Thomas Marshall weighed 311 pounds. He had been hospitalized 10 times in five years, including six surgeries. He had an open wound on his left leg that refused to heal — made worse by living in a dirty, moldy house with five other people, two ball pythons, four Chihuahuas and a cage full of rats. More than a year later, Marshall has lost nearly 100 pounds. His wound has healed. His blood pressure has returned to normal levels. His foot, which had nerve damage, has improved to the point he goes on regular walks to the park. (Beam, 3/26)
San Francisco Chronicle: Genentech Closing South San Francisco Production Facility
Biotech giant Genentech said it plans to close its South San Francisco production facility and lay off 265 workers there, the company confirmed. The drugmaker said the move is part of a long-term plan and is unrelated to the current economic downturn. (DiFeliciantonio, 3/25)
From Alaska and Florida —
Anchorage Daily News: State Proposes Repealing A Longstanding Law Meant To Hold Down Alaska Health Care Costs. What Happens If It Disappears?
State officials want to repeal a policy established nearly 20 years ago to protect Alaskans from surprise medical bills that’s now being blamed for soaring health care costs in the state. Some, like the Alaska State Medical Association and numerous physicians, say repealing the rule would remove an important consumer protection and could lead to higher health care costs for patients and fewer specialists, particularly in rural Alaska. (Berman, 3/26)
WUSF Public Media: Tampa General And Moffitt Cancer Center Are Bringing Proton Therapy To The Region
Two of the Tampa Bay region’s leading cancer centers are bringing an innovative treatment known as proton therapy to patients in the coming years. Tampa General Hospital and Moffitt Cancer Center are each planning to build proton therapy centers, filling a gap in access in the region to a treatment that could cause less side effects than traditional radiation. (Colombini, 3/24)
