Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Needle-Vending Machine Launched In Southern Nevada
Las Vegas Review-Journal: Southern Nevada Health District Unveils Needle-Exchange Vending Machine
A vending machine dispensing free kits aimed at reducing the risk of HIV and hepatitis C and at treating opioid overdose was unveiled Monday at the headquarters of the Southern Nevada Health District. (Hynes, 11/21)
The Wall Street Journal: Vending Machines Dispense Narcan To Reverse Opioid Overdoses
Vending machines stocked with overdose-reversing nasal spray are part of the latest attempt to diminish a record tide of drug deaths. ... “If we hadn’t had that vending machine, I might not have had my brother alive today,” said LuDene LoyaltyGroves, who works at a homeless shelter in Moses Lake, Wash. People staying with her brother in a nearby encampment retrieved Narcan from a vending machine at the shelter and used it to revive him repeatedly, she said. (Wernau and Maher, 11/21)
KHN: Schools, Sheriffs, And Syringes: State Plans Vary For Spending $26B In Opioid Settlement Funds
With more than 200 Americans still dying of drug overdoses each day, states are beginning the high-stakes task of deciding how to spend billions of dollars in settlement funds from opioid manufacturers and distributors. Their decisions will have real-world implications for families and communities across the country that have borne the brunt of the opioid crisis. Will that massive tranche of money be used to help the people who suffered the most and for programs shown to be effective in curbing the epidemic? Or will elected officials use the money for politically infused projects that will do little to offer restitution or help those harmed? (Pattani, 11/22)
In other health news from across the U.S. —
AP: New York Issues First Licenses For Legal Pot Dispensaries
New York issued its first 36 cannabis dispensary licenses on Monday, taking a monumental step in establishing a legal — and lucrative — marketplace for recreational marijuana. (Calvan, 11/21)
Fox News: University Of Florida College Of Medicine Pushes 'Destructive' Woke Agenda On Students, Report Says
The University of Florida College of Medicine incorporates aspects of critical race theory into its admissions and educational programs, according to a new report obtained exclusively by Fox News Digital. (Hauf, 11/22)
The Texas Tribune: Prison Firm MTC Accused Of Billing Texas For Programs It Didn’t Provide
One of the country’s largest private prison companies has defrauded Texas by collecting millions of dollars for in-prison therapeutic programming it hasn’t provided during the pandemic, a new complaint filed with the state auditor claims. (McCullough, 11/22)
KHN: California Aims To Maximize Health Insurance Subsidies For Workers During Labor Disputes
This spring, Chevron workers testified that the company revoked health coverage for hundreds of members of the United Steelworkers Local 5 at the Richmond, California, refinery during a strike that ultimately lasted two months. Thousands of nurses at Stanford Health Care were told in April they would lose their health insurance if they did not return to work during their weeklong strike. More than 300 workers at Sequoia Hospital in Redwood City received a similar message after going on strike in mid-July as contract negotiations stalled. (Sciacca, 11/22)
