Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
White House Unveils Website Intended To Help Those Struggling With Substance Abuse Issues Learn About Treatment
The Associated Press: White House Launches Website Aimed At Addiction Treatment
The Trump administration has unveiled a website aimed at helping millions of Americans with substance abuse issues learn about and locate treatment options. FindTreatment.gov is the latest development in the administration's effort to address the nation's opioid crisis. The White House said it believes the site, which went up Wednesday, will enable the tens of millions of Americans with a variety of substance abuse and mental health issues to better access the care they need. (Miller, 10/30)
The Philadelphia Inquirer: Philly’s Needle Exchange Prevented 10,000 HIV Diagnoses, But Fentanyl Means New Cases Are Up
Philadelphia’s syringe exchange — the only one in the city, and one of just a handful operating around the state — prevented an estimated 10,592 HIV diagnoses in its first 10 years of operation, researchers at George Washington University have found. The study, published Tuesday in the Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, used mathematical modeling to estimate how the 1992 opening of the needle exchange, Prevention Point, affected the spread of HIV in the city. Without the exchange, the study found, Philadelphia would have seen 15,248 HIV diagnoses associated with injection drug use between 1993 and 2002. (Whelan, 10/29)
The Star Tribune: 'Troubling Dysfunction' At Minn. Agency Led To Overpayments, Report Says
The state’s top government watchdog has concluded that “troubling dysfunction” at the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) resulted in the agency making $29 million in improper payments to two Indian bands for opioid treatment. In a scathing report issued Tuesday, Legislative Auditor James Nobles said the DHS did not have legal authority to make the payments, and the DHS did not document why, when, and who decided it was appropriate to make them. (Serres, 10/29)
