Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Wyoming House Committee Passes Bills Making Abortion All But Impossible
Wyoming Public Radio: Abortion Restrictions Pass Wyoming House Committee
Two bills that would add conditions to Wyomingites’ access to procedural and medication abortions passed the House Labor, Health and Social Services Committee on Jan. 24. One would cause the closure of Wyoming’s only clinic that provides procedural abortions. The other would require pregnant people to “catch” their fetal tissue following a medication abortion and return the tissue to their physician for disposal. (Clements, 1/27)
The New York Times: Wisconsin’s Supreme Court Race: A Pivotal Battle Over Abortion
Two years ago, a race for the Wisconsin Supreme Court vividly demonstrated how local elections that once flew under the radar were becoming expensive, nationalized and highly partisan affairs. Now, Democrats and Republicans in Wisconsin are preparing for yet another contest in April that will again determine control of the state’s top court — and with it the fate of abortion rights, labor rights and two congressional districts. (Epstein, 1/27)
In other news from across the U.S. —
CBS News: Minnesota AG Announces Novo Nordisk Settlement Capping Monthly Insulin Payments At $35
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison says his office has settled with the last of the three largest insulin manufacturers following its 2018 lawsuit over unaffordable prices that led several diabetics to ration their medications with fatal consequences. Ellison says the agreement requires Denmark-based manufacturer Novo Nordisk to cap monthly out-of-pocket payments for insulin at $35 a month for the next five years, even for people without health insurance. (Swanson, 1/27)
CBS News: State Report Calls For Medicaid Changes To Better Serve American Indian Communities
A new Minnesota Department of Human Services report is proposing changes to improve health gaps American Indian communities in Minnesota face. The Pathways to Racial Equity in Medicaid: Improving the Health and Opportunity of American Indians in Minnesota report calls for investing in traditional healing practices and redefining health and well-being to align with indigenous values. (Lentz, 1/27)
ProPublica, Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting: Dozens Died In Sober Living Homes As Arizona Fumbled Fraud Response
At least 40 Native American residents of sober living homes and treatment facilities in the Phoenix area died as state Medicaid officials struggled to respond to a massive fraud scheme that targeted Indigenous people with addictions. The deaths, almost all from drug and alcohol use, span from the spring of 2022 to the summer of 2024, according to a review of records from the Maricopa County Office of the Medical Examiner. Over half died as officials ignored calls to address lax oversight later shown to have contributed to thousands of patients being recruited into sham treatment programs. (Hudetz and Bassett, 1/27)
CBS News: Denver Health Unveils Naloxone Vending Machine That Offers Live-Saving Drug Free Of Charge
Denver Health unveiled a no-cost naloxone vending machine on its hospital campus on Monday. The vending machine distributes the life-saving drug naloxone, otherwise known as Narcan, free of charge. Denver Health unveiled a no-cost naloxone vending machine on the hospital campus. It's available to the community through the National Institute of Drug Abuse's VEnding machine Naloxone Distribution in Your community, or VENDY, program. (McRae, 1/27)
North Carolina Health News: Mobile Center Helps Meet Needs For Formerly Incarcerated People
Last November, Kerwin Pittman drove hours to Peachland, North Carolina — a town in Anson County — to buy a bus. On the drive back to Raleigh, he said, he was just hoping it wouldn’t break down. After all, he had a big dream for it. Three months later, he has transformed the once “old and dusty” bus into the state’s first Mobile Recidivism Reduction Center. (Crumpler, 1/28)
KFF Health News: Schools Aren’t As Plugged In As They Should Be To Kids’ Diabetes Tech, Parents Say
Just a few years ago, children with Type 1 diabetes reported to the school nurse several times a day to get a finger pricked to check whether their blood sugar was dangerously high or low. The introduction of the continuous glucose monitor (CGM) made that unnecessary. The small device, typically attached to the arm, has a sensor under the skin that sends readings to an app on a phone or other wireless device. The app shows blood sugar levels at a glance and sounds an alarm when they move out of a normal range. (Galewitz, 1/28)
