Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
State Highlights: Mass. Lawmakers Hear From Families On Proposed Patient Bill Of Rights; New York City Hit With Legionnaires' Outbreak
Boston Globe: Parents Make Plea For Patient Bill Of Rights At State House
The mothers told their stories before the Legislature’s Joint Committee on Public Health, where they testified in support of a proposed patient bill of rights that aims to ensure that families like theirs can find nurses. The legislation, An Act Requiring Protection for the Continuous Skilled Care of Fragile Children, would increase oversight of the state program that provides home nursing care for their children, and calls for biannual review of the program’s nursing pay rates, to ensure that rates don’t stagnate and stall recruitment, leaving desperate families without nurses. (Russell, 10/25)
The Wall Street Journal: New York Detects Legionnaires’ Disease In Queens Neighborhood
A dozen people in New York City’s Queens borough have been sickened by Legionnaires’ disease, the city’s health department said Tuesday. The outbreak has occurred in the busy downtown section of Flushing over the last two weeks, according to the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. The patients range in age from 30 to 80 years old, and most had some serious underlying health condition leaving them more prone to illness. (West, 10/24)
Albuquerque (N.M.) Journal: Audit: Insurers Owe The State Nearly $65 Million
The state failed to collect nearly $65 million in premium taxes owed by insurance companies, with the lion’s share — nearly $29 million — owed by New Mexico’s largest health insurer, Presbyterian Health Plan, according to an audit released today. State Auditor Tim Keller, who released a special audit of the Office of the Superintendent of Insurance’s collection of premium taxes, said while the dollar amount “is large in the aggregate,” it is far less money owed to the state than previously thought. (Sinovic, 10/24)
Stat: After The Storms, Restoring Puerto Rico’s Already Weak Electrical Grid Is FDA'S Top Priority
The Food and Drug Administration’s biggest concern in Puerto Rico is access to electricity, Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said at a congressional hearing Tuesday morning. “If [drug and device manufacturing plants] don’t return to the grid by the end of this year, we’re concerned we could face multiple potential shortages,” Gottlieb said. He added that the concern could be mitigated if companies temporarily shift more of their manufacturing operations off the island during the recovery process. (Swetlitz, 10/24)
The Associated Press: Gov. Cuomo Signs Bill Banning E-Cigarettes In NY Workplaces
New York has added electronic cigarettes to its indoor smoking ban, making it illegal to use the devices in bars, restaurants and most workplaces. While New York City and several other localities had already prohibited the use of e-cigarettes in areas covered by the smoking ban, the new statewide rules will provide consistency, according to Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who signed the bill into law Monday. (10/24)
Philly.com: Community Setting For Some Norristown State Hospital Psychiatric Patients: Another Building On The Campus
When the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services announced plans in January to close the civil unit of Norristown State Hospital, the goal was to “serve more people in the community” and “reduce reliance on institutional care,” officials said. It turns out that the community setting for 16 of the severely mentally ill patients at Norristown, at least temporarily, will be another building on the campus. (Brubaker, 10/24)
Nashville Tennessean: Bordeaux Nursing Home Fined, Suspended From Admitting New Patients
The state has suspended the former Bordeaux Long Term Care facility from admitting new patients and appointed a special monitor to review that nursing home's operations. Louisville, Ky.-based operator Signature HealthCARE LLC also has to pay two state civil monetary penalties totaling $7,500, according to the Tennessee Department of Health. The orders are related to conditions found at the 419-bed facility now called Nashville Community Care & Rehabilitation Center during a complaint survey conducted from Sept. 25 to 28. (Ward, 10/24)
KCUR: KU Cancer Center One Of 16 In Nation To Offer Newly Approved Immunotherapy
Kite Pharma, whose form of immunotherapy to treat non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma was recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration, has chosen the University of Kansas Cancer Center and 15 other cancer centers to offer the treatment. Known as CAR-T (CAR stands for chimeric antigen receptor), the therapy is customized for each patient. It works by removing T cells from a patient’s body and genetically engineering them to recognize and attack the patient’s tumors. The T cells, a form of white blood cell, are then put back into the patient. (Margolies, 10/24)
Arizona Republic: Gilbert Plans For $1.2M Page Park Center To Bring Health Care, Jobs
Gilbert is spending $1.2 million in federal money to open Page Park Center next spring to help residents in areas such as affordable health care and to help find jobs. The move comes after a town-commissioned assessment three years ago revealed a need for more social services in the town. (Mo, 10/24)
Boston Globe: State To Move Forward With New Medical Marijuana Rules
After a yearlong delay, Governor Charlie Baker’s administration said Tuesday it will move forward with a series of improvements to the state’s medical marijuana program, drawing praise from dispensaries and patients who said the changes are overdue. The new rules, which were unveiled by the Department of Public Health in September 2016 but put on hold amid uncertainty over the recreational pot law approved by voters, are meant to ease the regulatory burden on dispensaries and make it easier for patients to get access to medical marijuana. (Adams, 10/24)
