Health Headlines for Friday, October 27
Trump Declares Opioid Crisis a ‘Health Emergency’ but Requests No Funds
New York Times
President Trump on Thursday directed the Department of Health and Human Services to declare the opioid crisis a public health emergency, taking long-anticipated action to address a rapidly escalating epidemic of drug use.
CVS makes more than $66 billion bid for Aetna: sources
Reuters
U.S. pharmacy operator CVS Health Corp has made an offer to acquire No. 3 U.S. health insurer Aetna Inc for more than $200 per share, or over $66 billion, people familiar with the matter said on Thursday.
Americans want to see a bipartisan fix for Obamacare: Reuters/Ipsos poll
Reuters
As Republican and Democratic lawmakers clash over the future of Obamacare, Americans largely are eager for a bipartisan solution to its shortcomings, according to a Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll released on Thursday.
THE BIGGEST FEDERAL THREATS TO NEW YORK HEALTH CARE FUNDING
City & State
“To say that New York health is a timely topic is probably the understatement of the year,” state Department of Financial Services Superintendent Maria Vullo told a room of lawmakers and stakeholders at City & State’s State of NY Health event earlier this month.
What to know: NY’s health exchange opens Nov. 1
Press Connects
Four million New Yorkers will have to re-enroll for their health insurance starting Nov. 1 amid uncertainty over the future of the federally funded program.
Billionaire Drug Maker Charged With Pushing Powerful Opioid
NBC New York
U.S. prosecutors leveled charges Thursday against the billionaire founder of an opioid medication maker that has faced increasing scrutiny from authorities across the country over allegations of pushing prescriptions of powerful painkillers amid a drug epidemic that is claiming thousands of lives each year.
Cuomo orders cancer studies on hard-hit areas of state
The Record News
Gov. Andrew Cuomo, during a Wednesday visit to Glens Falls, announced a $500,000 new initiative to examine trends and potential causes of cancer.
N.Y. must tackle opioid crisis with bipartisan response embracing all communities
New York Daily News
In the last several years, the white face of the opioid crisis has engendered a different set of responses than past drug epidemics that were seen as affecting largely Black and or Latino communities.