Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Examining The Trump Administration's Opioid Emergency Declaration; What's Behind The Increasing Cost Of Treating Overdoses?
Stat: 4 Questions About Trump's Emergency Declaration On Opioids
President Trump threw the public for a loop again on Thursday when he announced his administration was moving to declare the opioid crisis a national emergency, just two days after administration officials said they weren’t going to take such a step. Emergency declarations can carry both symbolic weight and serious policy consequences. Here are four things STAT will be keeping an eye on. (Joseph, 8/11)
WBUR: From Alaska To Florida, States Respond To Opioid Crisis With Emergency Declarations
Public health officials and others concerned about the nation's opioid crisis are hailing President Trump's decision to declare it a national emergency. ... But while the Trump administration prepares the presidential order, governors in six states have already declared emergencies to deal with opioids. (Allen, 8/11)
Stat: The Cost Of Treating Opioid Overdose Victims Is Skyrocketing
The cost of treating opioid overdose victims in hospital intensive care units jumped 58 percent in a seven-year span, according to a new study that concludes increasingly sick patients are placing a greater strain on an overmatched health care system. Between 2009 and 2015, the average cost of care per opioid admission increased from $58,500 to $92,400 in the 162 academic hospitals included in the study, which was led by Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. That rapid escalation far outpaced the overall medical inflation rate in the U.S., which was about 19 percent during the period covered by the study. (Ross, 8/11)
The Washington Post: Pregnant Women Addicted To Opioids Face Tough Choices, Fear Treatment Can Lead To Separation And Harm
As the nation’s opioid crisis has deepened, the number of drug treatment centers for pregnant women has grown. But experts and advocates say there aren’t enough services for pregnant women to meet the demand, and many don’t offer the drugs doctors would normally use to treat addiction because they are concerned about the effects they might have on a fetus. And some laws requiring that babies going through withdrawal be removed from their mother’s care can be a deterrent to seeking help, they said. (Ockerman, 8/13)
Arizona Republic: 200 Deaths In 60 Days: Ducey Extends Opioid Overdose Tracking Order
Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey this week extended an order requiring timely tracking of suspected opioid overdoses, a move that coincides with talk of declaring a state of national emergency. Ducey's initial June 13 order called for state health officials to collect opioid-related overdose information from first responders and health-care providers within 24 hours of a case, providing a nearly real-time picture of the issue. (Pohl, 8/11)
New Hampshire Public Radio: In N.H. Opioid Lawsuit, Echoes Of Past Battles Against Tobacco, Other Industries
New Hampshire's Attorney General made waves earlier this week when it brought its first lawsuit against a pharmaceutical giant, Purdue, over its alleged role in the state’s opioid crisis. ...Logan and other legal experts say it’s a playbook that’s been tried lots of times before — with varying levels of success. (McDermott, 8/11)
The Star Tribune: Red Lake Faces New Addiction Epidemic, But 'Nobody Is Giving Up On Anybody'
Over the decades, the battle against addiction has been a constant on the Red Lake, Leech Lake, White Earth and Fond du Lac reservations in northern Minnesota. But recently, the demons afflicting many who call those communities home have escalated from alcohol to cocaine to deadly mixes of heroin. (Smith, 8/12)
