Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Mo. Lawmakers Pass Bill Aimed At Preventing 'Double-Dipping' On Medical Costs In Courts
The Associated Press: Lawmakers Pass Tort Limits On Medical Suits
Missouri lawmakers on Tuesday passed legislation to change how medical expenses are handled in court, sending the measure to Gov. Jay Nixon. House members voted 95-57 in favor of the bill, which would allow only the actual costs and not the value of medical expenses to be considered as evidence in civil lawsuits. (4/27)
The Texas Tribune: Lawmakers To Consider Fetal Tissue Laws
Texas lawmakers will meet Thursday to examine policies on how human fetal tissue can be used for scientific research. It will be the first hearing on the subject since a Harris County grand jury in January indicted two undercover videographers who circulated videos about how fetal tissue was procured at Planned Parenthood clinics. (Walters, 4/28)
The Associated Press: Montana Officials Eye Options For Troubled State Facility
Montana officials will seek help from the Legislature to address concerns among Boulder residents about the impending closure of a residential facility for the developmentally disabled. The Montana Developmental Center Transition Advisory Committee convened in Boulder on Wednesday and considered proposals offered by the governor's office, including the possibility of asking legislators for $500,000 for a development fund to help keep Boulder's economy afloat. (Calvan, 4/27)
The Connecticut Mirror: Senate Passes Bill Limiting Doctor Non-Compete Agreements
The Senate passed a proposal Wednesday to limit non-compete clauses in physician contracts and broaden the types of organizations that can employ doctors, a measure intended to address concerns among Senate leaders about doctors’ ability to remain in independent practice or return to it after joining a hospital system. (Levin Becker, 4/27)
The Associated Press: Tennessee Governor Signs Religious Counseling Bill Into Law
Tennessee's Republican governor said Wednesday that he signed a bill into law that allows mental health counselors to refuse to treat patients based on the therapist's religious or personal beliefs. "As a professional I should have the right to decide if my clients end goals don't match with my beliefs — I should have the right to say somebody else can better serve them," Gov. Bill Haslam said in a phone interview with The Associated Press. "Lawyers can do that, doctors can do that. Why would we take this one class of professionals and say you can't do that?" (4/27)
The Associated Press: Attempt To Revive Talks On Medical Marijuana Fails In House
An attempt to revive talks on legislation that would expand medical marijuana access in Iowa has failed in the state House. The Republican-majority chamber voted down a motion Wednesday aimed at bringing up a bill that would create a system for manufacturing and distributing cannabis oil. Certain epilepsy patients can possess the oil under a 2014 state law that critics say doesn't provide legal access to the drug. (4/27)
The Kansas Health Institute News Service: Advocates Rally Against Watered-Down Medical Marijuana Bill
A bill to legalize hemp oil at the state level has drawn the ire of Kansas medical marijuana advocates who say it’s too watered down to do any good. Members of Bleeding Kansas, one of the state’s largest medical marijuana advocacy groups, rallied Wednesday at the Capitol to urge legislators to ditch Senate Bill 489. (Marso, 4/27)
