Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
New York Lawmakers Pass Bill Opening Door For Medically Assisted Suicide
AP: Terminally Ill New Yorkers Could Soon Be Allowed To End Their Own Lives
Terminally ill New Yorkers would have the legal ability to end their own lives with pharmaceutical drugs under a bill passed Monday in the state Legislature. The proposal, which now moves to the governor’s office, would allow a person with an incurable illness to be prescribed life-ending drugs if he or she requests the medication and gets approval from two physicians. A spokesperson for New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said she would review the legislation. The New York Senate gave final approval to the bill Monday night after hours of debate during which supporters said it would let terminally ill people die on their own terms. (6/10)
More health news from across the U.S. —
AP: Dozens Of States Sue To Block The Sale Of 23andMe Personal Genetic Data Without Customer Consent
Twenty-seven states and the District of Columbia on Monday filed a lawsuit in bankruptcy court seeking to block the sale of personal genetic data by 23andMe without customer consent. The lawsuit comes as a biotechnology company seeks the court’s approval to buy the struggling firm. Biological samples, DNA data, health-related traits and medical records are too sensitive to be sold without each person’s express, informed consent, Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield said in a news release about the lawsuit. (6/10)
AP: Minnesota Budget Deal Cuts Health Care For Adults Who Entered The US Illegally
Adults living in the U.S. illegally will be excluded from a state-run health care program under an overall budget deal that the closely divided Minnesota Legislature convened to pass in a special session Monday. Repealing a 2023 state law that made those immigrants eligible for the MinnesotaCare program for the working poor was a priority for Republicans in the negotiations that produced the budget agreement. The Legislature is split 101-100, with the House tied and Democrats holding just a one-seat majority in the Senate, and the health care compromise was a bitter pill for Democrats to accept. (Karnowski, 6/9)
WFSU: Families Of Kids With Autism Hail New Florida Law That Increases Early Detection, Intervention
Gov. Ron DeSantis recently signed a major bill aimed at increasing early detection and intervention for children with autism. It also works to fill in the gaps in children's education with specialized programs. (Menzel, 6/8)
Charlotte Ledger: Short Ambulance Ride, Big Bill
After Cathy Head of Charlotte fell and fractured her shoulder in 2023, she was pleased that her health insurance covered almost all of the expenses for her care: the emergency room visit, the physician’s charges and months of physical therapy. Then she got the ambulance bill. (Crouch, 6/9)
The Washington Post: Why Texas Is Spending Millions To Research An Illegal Psychedelic
For years, people have flown to clinics in Mexico to take ibogaine, the extract of an ancient African shrub that induces mind-bending hallucinations. Under medical supervision, patients undergo psychedelic trips that can last more than a dozen hours in hopes of alleviating their struggles with addiction or brain trauma. And while ibogaine is illegal in the United States, Texas is on the verge of spending up to $50 million to jump-start clinical trials, which advocates hope could hasten federal approval for using ibogaine as medication. (Ovalle, 6/9)
Chicago Tribune: Nitrate Contamination Prompts Water Warning
Customers of Aqua Illinois complained Monday about the quality of water they receive from the utility and the company’s response to nitrate contamination affecting University Park and other communities. Aqua Illinois is advising customers not to use tap water for infants under 6 months old after recent testing showed elevated nitrate levels in drinking water systems. (Nolan, 6/9)
