Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
State Laws, Business Practices Shape Nascent Field Of Psychedelic Medicine
Stat: ‘I’m Terrified’: Closure Of Ketamine Clinics Leaves Patients Scrambling
Around 4:30 p.m. last Friday, Ketamine Wellness Centers CEO Kevin Nicholson sent an email: In 30 minutes, the company would no longer be in business, he said. The message went out to some patients and to all of the employees of his company’s clinics across nine states — what had, up until moments before, been one of the largest ketamine clinic chains in the country. (Cueto, 3/17)
NBC News: Candidates Who Support Psychedelics As Medicine Get A Political Action Committee
Bolstered by a growing body of research on the use of psychedelics to treat depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental health conditions, a new political action committee seeks to elect leaders who support the therapeutic use of substances like psilocybin (in magic mushrooms), ketamine and MDMA, commonly known as ecstasy. (Victoria Lozano, 3/20)
On sex education and transgender health care —
USA Today: Florida GOP Bill Bans Young Girls From Discussing Periods In School
As local bills on gender, sexuality and diversity make their way through Florida’s state legislature, new legislation would ban any discussion of menstrual cycles in school before sixth grade. That breaks from the advice of medical providers who recommend talking to children about puberty and changes in their bodies before they occur. (Tran, 3/19)
AP: Lawmaker Pauses Filibuster On Agreement To Debate Trans Bill
A lawmaker who has been holding up the work of the Nebraska Legislature for weeks to protest a bill that would ban gender-affirming therapies for minors has paused her persistent filibuster in a deal that will see lawmakers debate the bill next week. Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh, of Omaha, had been staging a filibuster of every single bill before the legislative body — even ones she supported — since late February to protest the bill. (Beck, 3/17)
In other health news from across the U.S. —
NPR: A Nuclear Plant Leaked Contaminated Water In Minnesota. Here's What We Know
Minnesota officials are monitoring the cleanup of a 400,000 gallon leak of contaminated water from a nuclear power plant in the city of Monticello run by the energy giant Xcel Energy. Officials said there is no danger from the leak. The leak was detected nearly four months ago and reported to state and federal regulators. The federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission posted a notice publicly at the time, but the company and state agencies did not notify the general public until last week. (Radde, 3/19)
The CT Mirror: CT's Aging Population Is Surging. Who's Going To Take Care Of Them?
Connecticut’s elder care system is at a precipice. Nursing homes, for decades the final destination for many older adults and people with disabilities, are being squeezed at both ends as state officials increase oversight of the industry while funneling millions into programs that aim to keep residents in their homes and communities. (Carlesso and Altimari, 3/19)
Philadelphia Inquirer: Pennsylvania Autism Services Face Continued Headwinds From Staff Shortages
With thousands of Pennsylvania families still struggling to recover services for their loved ones with autism and intellectual disabilities, state regulators are launching a $40 million bonus program intended to encourage agencies to return to pre-pandemic enrollment levels by June. Providers of these services, who are skeptical of the plan, are allowed to use the supplemental payments however they like. (Brubaker, 3/20)
North Carolina Health News: For People With Dementia, Medicare Hospice Benefit Can Be Tricky
Sixteen years ago, Tom McCann promised his wife, Kathleen, that she’d always live at home, even though dementia was gradually sapping her memory and limiting her active lifestyle. A retired customer service manager living in Raleigh, Tom, 86, has in recent years used his anti-red-tape skills and his determined grip on her Medicare-backed hospice care to keep his promise to Kathleen, 83. (Goldsmith, 3/20)
