Health Headlines for Wednesday, March 23
Justices Divided Over Health Law Birth Control Plan
New York Times
The Supreme Court seems deeply divided over the arrangement devised by the Obama administration to spare faith-based groups from having to pay for birth control for women covered under their health plans.
F.D.A. Toughens Warning Labels for Some Opioid Painkillers
New York Times
The Food and Drug Administration said Tuesday that it was requiring new warning labels for certain types of opioid painkillers, a step that it said would help ease an epidemic of abuse in the United States.
Ithaca’s Anti-Heroin Plan: Open a Site to Shoot Heroin
New York Times
Even Svante L. Myrick, the mayor of this city, thought the proposal sounded a little crazy, though it was put forth by a committee he had appointed. The plan called for establishing a site where people could legally shoot heroin — something that does not exist anywhere in the United States.
Medicare Proposal Takes Aim at Diabetes
New York Times
The Obama administration plans on Wednesday to propose expanding Medicare to cover programs to prevent diabetes among millions of people at high risk of developing the disease, marking the sixth anniversary of the Affordable Care Act with the prospect of a new benefit, federal officials said.
Insurers plot test to build better provider directories
Albany Times Union
Some health insurers are hoping to ease headaches that can flare when customers try to confirm whether a doctor is covered in a plan’s network of providers.
UB med school chief: New facilities lead to spike in interest from incoming students
Buffalo Business First
Dr. Michael Cain watched as a beam was ceremoniously lifted to the top of the University at Buffalo’s new $375 million medical school Tuesday, signifying a major construction milestone.
Coalition wants more transparency on insurance mergers
Albany Times Union
Worried about the possible impacts of two planned health insurance mergers, three state healthcare organizations announced Wednesday that they are former a coalition to push for greater transparency regarding such consolidations.
Report: HealthCare.gov logged 316 cybersecurity incidents
Albany Times Union/AP
The web portal used by millions of consumers to get health insurance coverage under President Barack Obama’s law logged 316 security incidents in just under 18 months, said a report Wednesday by nonpartisan congressional investigators.