Colorado Checkup: December 2023

‘They See a Cash Cow’: Corporations Could Consume $50 Billion of Opioid Settlements
By Aneri Pattani As opioid settlement dollars land in government coffers, a swarm of businesses are positioning themselves to profit from the windfall. But will their potential gains come at the expense of the settlements’ intended purpose — to remediate the effects of the opioid epidemic?

Millions in Opioid Settlement Funds Sit Untouched as Overdose Deaths Rise
By Katheryn Houghton and Aneri Pattani Some states haven't begun using opioid settlement funds intended to help curb the opioid epidemic. Meanwhile, more than 100,000 Americans died of an overdose last year.

Colorado Blames Biden Team and Drugmakers for Delaying Canadian Imports
By Phil Galewitz Colorado officials say they haven’t been able to stand up a program to import drugs from Canada because of drugmaker opposition — and the Biden administration’s inaction.

As Foundation for ‘Excited Delirium’ Diagnosis Cracks, Fallout Spreads
By Renuka Rayasam and Markian Hawryluk and Samantha Young Major policy changes and disavowals have made this a watershed year for curbing the use of the discredited “excited delirium” diagnosis to explain deaths in police custody. Now the ripple effects are spreading across the country into court cases, state legislation, and police training classes.

Biology, Anatomy, and Finance? More Med Students Want Business Degrees Too
By Samantha Liss A majority of medical schools now offer dual MD-MBA programs, compared with just a quarter two decades ago. The number of medical students seeking a business degree has nearly tripled. This begs the question: Whom will these doctors serve more, patients or shareholders?

These Programs Put Unused Prescription Drugs in the Hands of Patients in Need
By Kate Ruder States and counties look to expand programs that accept donations of unused surplus drugs from places like nursing homes and hospitals and redistribute them to low-income and uninsured residents.

FTC Chief Gears Up for a Showdown With Private Equity
By Harris Meyer Lina Khan, chair of the FTC, says a recent lawsuit is meant to chill the consolidation of medical groups that results in higher prices for consumers. But it may be too late to curb price hikes.