Health Headlines for Tuesday, July 12
State’s opioid-prescribing policies earn ‘B’ from group
Albany Times Union
As the nation grapples with an epidemic of prescription opioid abuse, states are clamping down on their policies for prescribing painkillers like OxyContin and Vicodin.
NYS Officials: Do not discriminate against mothers with depression
News 10
New York State is warning health insurers not to discriminate against women dealing with maternal depression.
New York Said to Conditionally Approve Aetna Deal for Humana
Bloomberg
New York’s insurance regulator has conditionally approved Aetna Inc.’s $37 billion takeover of Humana Inc., one of the last state sign-offs needed for the deal, people familiar with the matter said.
Obamacare 2.0: Obama calls for revisiting the public option
Albany Times Union/AP
President Barack Obama is laying out a blueprint for addressing unsolved problems with his signature health law, including a renewed call for a “public option” to let Americans buy insurance from the government.
New York Gives Aetna-Humana Merger Green Light with Conditions
Insurance Journal
New York’s insurance regulator has conditionally approved Aetna Inc.’s $37 billion takeover of Humana Inc., one of the last state sign-offs needed for the deal, people familiar with the matter said.
Infection experts warn of more U.S. superbug cases in coming months
Reuters
After two confirmed U.S. cases of a superbug that thwarts a last-resort antibiotic, infectious disease experts say they expect more cases in coming months because the bacterial gene behind it is likely far more widespread than previously believed.
Vaping rapidly rising in popularity among New Yorkers: study
New York Post
More than 530,000 New York City adults have used e-cigarettes, according to the city Health Department’s first-ever survey on the fast-rising trend.
Congress Is Voting on an Inadequate Opioid Bill
New York Times
Congress is about to pass a bill meant to deal with the nation’s opioid epidemic. It contains some good ideas. It will also be far less effective at saving lives than it should be.