Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
State Highlights: Pharma Launches Campaign Against N.Y. Plan To Curb Drug Prices; Fla., Ga. Residents Struggle With Medical Bills
The Wall Street Journal: Drug Industry Launches TV Ads Lambasting Cuomo’s Pricing Plan
On the heels of a presidential election in which the pharmaceutical industry was a popular target, Gov. Andrew Cuomo proposed new state controls over drug prices. Now the industry is punching back. On Wednesday, the industry’s largest trade group began running television ads in New York lambasting the proposal, a campaign that cost $100,000, people involved said. (Vilensky, 3/22)
Miami Herald: Floridians Report Trouble With Medical Bills In 2016, Survey Says
Residents of Florida and Texas were more likely to report having difficulty paying their medical bills in 2016 than those who lived in California or New York, according to a survey published Wednesday by the nonprofit Commonwealth Fund, a health policy think tank and advocate for coverage. Though all four states made gains in the numbers of residents with health insurance since the launch of the Affordable Care Act’s coverage expansions in 2014, the survey found that Florida and Texas residents were more likely to report having a medical bill problem in the prior year or having carried long-term medical debt. (Chang, 3/22)
Chicago Sun Times: Health Study Finds Huge Disparities Based On Race, Neighborhood
A three-year health study of nine city neighborhoods found large disparities among racial and ethnic groups in areas including physical and mental health, food insecurity and encounters with the criminal-justice system. Funded by a $1 million Chicago Community Trust grant, the study, titled “Community Health Counts,” is believed the largest community-driven, face-to-face health survey ever conducted in Chicago. (Ihejirika, 3/23)
Modern Healthcare: Mental Health Agencies Say They've Saved State Billions Under Medicaid
A new report by advocates for Michigan's public Medicaid behavioral health system estimates it has saved the state $5.3 billion over the past 18 years and would save an additional $7.4 billion through 2024 using their patient-centered and integrated care model. They also contend rate increases for behavioral health systems were lower than Medicaid HMOs and state Medicaid programs during that period. A trade group for the HMOs contends that the comparison is unfair because the figures used for HMOs are national in scope rather than focused on Michigan. (Greene, 3/22)
The Star Tribune: Mental Clinic Owned By Marcus Bachmann Sanctioned For Violating State Rules
A Christian counseling center owned by the husband of former congresswoman Michele Bachmann violated a series of state rules governing patient treatment and client records, according to a state correction order released Tuesday. Bachmann & Associates Inc., which does business as Counseling Care at clinics in Lake Elmo and Burnsville, was cited for failing to keep information about its clients’ developmental condition, as well as failing to keep records demonstrating that clients were informed of treatment alternatives and possible outcomes, among other violations, the Minnesota Department of Human Services found. (Serres, 3/22)
New Orleans Times-Picayune: How Long Should Louisiana Keep Old, Ill Criminals In Prison?
Gov. John Bel Edwards is expected to make a push to lower Louisiana's highest-in-the-world incarceration rate, in part by opening options for parole for non-violent offenders who serve shorter prison sentences. But the governor also has said he is interested in reducing the number of Louisiana inmates with longer sentences as well. Many of Louisiana's older, long-term prisoners might no longer pose a threat to society, judging from national studies of recidivism. And for prisoners with serious illnesses, the costs of treatment can be daunting. Taxpayers are responsible for prison medical care, but some of that money could be used elsewhere, such as for higher education and mental health care for children, if ill prisoners were released. (Donoghue, 3/22)
