Health Headlines for Monday, May 16
Congress Wakes Up to the Opioid Epidemic
New York Times
The opioid epidemic is now a leading cause of death in the United States, ravaging communities across the country. At last, Congress has snapped to attention.
Sorry, We Don’t Take Obamacare
New York Times
AMY MOSES and her circle of self-employed small-business owners were supporters of President Obama and the Affordable Care Act. They bought policies on the newly created New York State exchange.
Cuomo’s HIV/AIDS legislation targets 2020 to end epidemic
Newsday
Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced legislation Sunday that would implement parts of his plan to eliminate HIV/AIDS as an epidemic by 2020, but advocates said it leaves out some of his task force’s recommendations.
$14B California firm buying health plan that serves Central New York’s poor
Syracuse Post Standard
A $14 billion California company that trades on the New York Stock exchange is buying a Medicaid managed care health insurance plan that serves about 37,000 poor and disabled Central New Yorkers.
Mount Sinai denies reports it’s preparing to close Beth Israel
Capital New York
Mount Sinai Health System on Friday evening acknowledged that it was still looking to overhaul Beth Israel Medical Center but denied reports that it was about to close the money-losing East Side facility, saying it was “100% committed to serving the community.”
New York diocese sues to rescind insurer abortion mandate
CNS News
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany has sued state insurance regulators over requirements that workplace health plans cover employee abortions.
Not Walgreens, Not CVS: Life as an Independent Pharmacist
The Atlantic
Before the U.S. licensed its first pharmacist in 1816, ailing Americans visited apothecaries based solely on reputation.
Dying Infants and No Medicine: Inside Venezuela’s Failing Hospitals
New York Times
By morning, three newborns were already dead.