Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
State Highlights: N.Y. Advances Requirement That Nearly All Prescriptions Be Submitted Electronically; Fla. High Court Mulls Medical Malpractice Caps
The Associated Press: NY Measure Would Establish Electronic Prescription Option
The New York Legislature has approved an amendment to the recently enacted law that requires doctors to submit virtually all medication prescriptions electronically to a pharmacy. If signed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, the legislation would authorize the physician, dentist or other prescriber to electronically send it to a secure site from which it can be downloaded by the pharmacy of the patient's choice. (6/13)
Health News Florida: Justices Eye Constitutionality Of Malpractice Caps
More than a dozen years after a fierce political fight about the state's medical-malpractice laws, the Florida Supreme Court on Thursday heard arguments about the constitutionality of limits on damages in malpractice lawsuits. (6/10)
The Connecticut Mirror: Sharkey Calls For Wade’s Recusal, But Malloy Sees No Conflict
House Speaker J. Brendan Sharkey became the first Democratic leader Friday to call on Insurance Commissioner Katharine L. Wade to recuse herself from ruling on Anthem’s merger with Bloomfield-based Cigna, the commissioner’s last private-sector employer before joining the administration of Gov. Dannel P. Malloy. (Pazniokas, 6/10)
The Columbus Dispatch: Families Of Mentally Ill Adults Work To Have Law Providing Treatment Enforced
Families and advocates who pressed for a law that clarifies the authority of Ohio judges to order outpatient treatment for people with severe mental illness say their hard-won victory has meant little in Franklin County. (Price, 6/11)
Pioneer Press: A Year Of Medical Marijuana, And Minnesota Girl’s Life Has Changed
Amelia is among more than 1,400 Minnesotans being treated with medical cannabis since the drug became legal in the state last July 1. She is one of about 300 being treated for epileptic seizures. And she is among more than 150 children in Minnesota certified to receive medical cannabis. (Lundy, 6/12)
The Kansas City Star: Lead Paint Is Still A Huge Problem In Kansas City's Poorest Neighborhoods
Today, tens of thousands of Kansas City area homes still contain lead paint so dangerous that a tiny amount of paint dust can damage a young child’s brain. As many as 1,500 children in Kansas City have lead poisoning, health officials estimate. (Cummings, 6/11)
North Carolina Health News: Backyard Chickens At Center of Salmonella Outbreak
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed Salmonella cases in 35 states linked to exposures in backyard poultry flocks. North Carolina, with 26 known cases reported, ranks among the five states with most infections during this outbreak. (Clabby, 6/13)
