Illinois Enacts Medical Aid-In-Dying Law Despite Controversy, Protests
Gov. JB Pritzker, a Democrat, said the legislation will help terminally ill patients "avoid unnecessary pain and suffering at the end of their lives." More news comes out of California, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania.
Chicago Tribune:
Gov. JB Pritzker Signs Illinois Medical Aid-In-Dying Law
Gov. JB Pritzker on Friday signed into law a measure that would allow doctors to help terminally ill people end their lives after the controversial bill barely cleared the Senate during the fall legislative session, where one skeptic said it could bring “a culture of death” to Illinois. (Gorner and Olander, 12/12)
Chicago Tribune:
Law To Make It Easier To Find Therapists Who Take Insurance
It may soon be easier for Illinois residents to find therapists who accept their insurance, after Gov. JB Pritzker signed a bill into law Friday taking aim at insurance reimbursement rates for behavioral health services. (Schencker, 12/12)
Health news from California, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania —
The New York Times:
California Hires Former C.D.C. Officials Who Criticized Trump Administration
Gov. Gavin Newsom plans to announce on Monday that California has hired two former leaders of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention who accused the Trump administration of abandoning scientific standards. One is Susan Monarez, a former director of the C.D.C., who was fired by the White House in late August after Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. tried to remove her from her position and she resisted leaving. The other is Dr. Debra Houry, a former chief medical officer of the C.D.C., who quit partly in protest over the firing of Dr. Monarez. Both will now serve as consultants for the California Department of Public Health. (Rosenhall and Mandavilli, 12/14)
San Francisco Chronicle:
UCSF IBD Clinic Serves Adults 65+ With Specialized Care
A growing group with unique medical needs — older adults living with inflammatory bowel disease — now have a practice tailor-made for them: a UCSF clinic in San Francisco focusing exclusively on patients 65 and older. Among them is 81-year-old Peter Milkie. Every four weeks, he goes to an infusion center at UCSF Mount Zion for about an hour, where he gets a dose of a medication that helps with bloating, cramping and other symptoms of ulcerative colitis. (Ho, 12/14)
North Carolina Health News:
To Control Costs, State Health Plan Looks To Invest In Members’ Health
North Carolina Treasurer Brad Briner has made waves during his first year in office among state employees, who will see a sharp uptick in their health insurance premiums starting next month. Briner says the increase is necessary to address a shortfall in the North Carolina State Health Plan he found when he arrived. (Hoban, 12/15)
The New York Times:
A Powerful New Drug Is Creating A ‘Withdrawal Crisis’ In Philadelphia
Medetomidine, a veterinary sedative mixed into fentanyl, has sent thousands to hospitals, not only for overdose but for life-threatening withdrawal. It is spreading to other cities. (Hoffman, 12/15)
