Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Extra Pregnancy Protections End For Government Workers In Texas
The 19th: If Your Boss Is The State Of Texas, Some Pregnancy Protections Just Ended For You
Last June, a new federal law granted pregnant people across the country additional protections in their workplaces. But as of Wednesday, those protections have now ended for government workers in the state of Texas. (Carrazana, 3/6)
The Texas Tribune: Lifesaving Narcan Tough To Find In Texas Pharmacies
When the U.S. Food and Drug Administration made the opioid overdose reversal drug naloxone an over-the-counter medication last summer, health care advocates praised the removal of the prescription barrier as an effective tool to prevent fentanyl deaths. That is, if you can find it. A February report from Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy found that of the 156 pharmacies they contacted, 71 percent of the Houston pharmacies kept it behind the pharmacists’ counters or were entirely out of the product. (Simpson, 3/7)
Iowa Public Radio: Report Finds More Than Two Dozen Iowa Hospitals Not In Compliance With Federal Price Transparency Rules
A new report has found more than two dozen Iowa hospitals are not fully compliant with federal price transparency requirements. The non-profit Patient Rights Advocate released the report last month reviewing 43 Iowa hospitals and found 26 hospitals, or 60% percent, are non-compliant with the Hospital Price Transparency Rule. (Krebs, 3/6)
CBS News: Colorado Bill Would Require Insurers And Medicaid To Cover Weight Loss Drugs Like Wegovy
"We know that if this was a cure for cancer that it would absolutely be paid for," says State Sen. Dafna Michaelson Jenet who has introduced a bill that would require insurers and Medicaid to cover the drugs. (Boyd, 3/6)
CBS News: Sacramento Youth Development Program Allows Kids To Play Independently. Some Say Its A Game Changer
Steve Caudle is a play manager at the Sacramento Adventure Playground, where kids can do anything from catching frogs in the mud to building a fort out of real wood with real hammers and nails, all while parents aren't allowed to hover. "We openly promote this as risky play," Caudle said. "There's a physical risk but also social risk associated with it." (Garcia, 3/6)
