Health Headlines for Wednesday, January 3
Health care industry braces for state budget crunch
Crain’s New York Business
As state legislators return to Albany Wednesday, the health care industry groups that will be fighting for funding said they’re worried that federal cuts will force the governor and the Legislature to make difficult choices.
State drug take-back program includes sites in Lewis, Herkimer counties
Rome Sentinel
The first group of participants in the state’s trial/pilot pharmaceutical drug “take-back” program will include sites in Lewis and Herkimer counties.
Connections: The future of CHIP
WXXI News
What is going on with CHIP? The Children’s Health Insurance Program has been widely discussed as a potential victim of budget cuts in Washington.
NY Health Department Warns Influenza is Spreading
Fox 40
It’s flu season, and that means it’s time to take precautions — New York State Health Commissioner, Dr. Howard Zucker declared, Tuesday, that influenza (flu) is now prevalent in New York State.
BlueCross BlueShield encourages residents to think carefully before surgery
Clarence Bee
It’s estimated that 48 million people undergo surgery each year in the United States and preparation plays a significant role in their overall experience and recovery process.
Troubled James Square nursing home in Syracuse sold for $45 million
Syracuse Post Standard
The troubled James Square Nursing and Rehabilitation Centre has been sold for $45 million to a new owner who operates 10 other nursing homes in New York state and one in Michigan.
Pharma, under attack for drug prices, started an industry war
Washington Post
It’s not easy to get Americans mad at a behind-the-scenes industry they’ve barely even heard of, but pharmaceutical companies have spent most of this year trying.
GOP Obamacare quandary — easy to hate, hard to kill
Politico
Republicans start the year divided over whether to tear down or prop up Obamacare, a split that could derail their legislative agenda leading up to the 2018 midterm elections.
Opioid-Related Deaths Skyrocket In New York
The Fix
The synthetic opioid fentanyl, which has driven up nationwide rates of drug overdose deaths in 2017, is also wreaking havoc at the state and local level.