Health Headlines for Tuesday, January 16

Deficit, spending caps, fed tax plan will impact Cuomo’s budget plans

Albany Times Union

There will be three key numbers when Gov. Andrew Cuomo reveals his 2018-19 budget plan on Tuesday.

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State senators push bill requiring pharma companies to gather, discard unused prescription drugs

New York Daily News

Pharmaceutical companies would have to collect unused prescription drugs and dispose of them under a bill proposed by two state lawmakers.

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First shots in war on Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security

Newsday Editorial

Poverty is not a scam. Neither is old age or infirmity or serious illness. But making poverty and the need for help look like a scam is a common political strategy, and it’s one President Donald Trump’s administration sought to rekindle last week when it allowed states to impose work requirements on Medicaid recipients in “test” programs.

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With CHIP funds running low, doctors and parents scramble to cover kids’ needs

WENY

Dr. Mahendra Patel, a pediatric cancer doctor, has begun giving away medications to some of his patients. He’s determined not to disrupt their treatments for serious illnesses, like leukemia, should Congress fail to come up with renewed funding for a key children’s health program now hostage to partisan politics.

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Flu is on the Rise, Get Vaccinated – It’s Not Too Late

Oswego County Today

If you or your loved ones have not received a flu vaccine yet, get vaccinated today. Across New York State, cases of flu increased by 66 percent for the week ending Dec. 30, compared to the previous week.

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New York City Program Takes Controversial Approach to Opioid Crisis

WNYC

There’s no single solution to the opioid crisis, but a New York City program is taking a controversial approach to fighting the epidemic.

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UnitedHealth Group Reports 2017 Results Highlighted by Continued Strong and Diversified Growth

BusinessWire

UnitedHealth Group reported fourth quarter and full year 2017 results reflecting continued broad-based growth and strengthened operating performance across the enterprise.

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Opioid crisis driving record number of deaths among city’s homeless, report finds

Politico

The opioid crisis is having a devastating effect on New York City’s homeless population, driving up the number of homeless people who died in fiscal year 2017 to a record number, according to a recent report.

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To Get Medicaid in Kentucky, Many Will Have to Work. Advocates for the Poor Say They Will Sue.

New York Times

Kentucky will be the first state to require many of its Medicaid recipients to work or face losing their benefits after the Trump administration approved its plan on Friday.

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To Get Medicaid in Kentucky, Many Will Have to Work. Advocates for the Poor Say They Will Sue.

New York Times

Kentucky will be the first state to require many of its Medicaid recipients to work or face losing their benefits after the Trump administration approved its plan on Friday.

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After a Debacle, How California Became a Role Model on Measles

New York Times

In December 2014 something unusual happened at Disneyland. People came to visit Mickey Mouse, and some of them left with measles.

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Flu season is shaping up as one of the worst in years, officials say

Stat

The entire continental United States is experiencing widespread flu right now, the first time in the 13 years of the current tracking system that that has happened, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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Anti-birth control official who led Title X departs HHS

Politico

Teresa Manning, the controversial official in charge of the Title X federal family planning program, was escorted from the Department of Health and Human Services premises on Friday.

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