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Google Agrees to Help Fund Journalism in CA California lawmakers reached a deal with Google that will provide about $250 million in public and private funding for newsrooms across the state over the...
MA Expands Access to Maternal Health Care Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healy (D) signed legislation ( HB 4999 ) expanding access to maternal health services in the state. Among other things, the measure...
When the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the federal law prohibiting state-authorized sports betting in May 2018 , it wasn’t just state legislatures that sprang into action. The fantasy sports behemoths...
AI Doomsday Bill Moves Closer to Passage in CA The California Assembly’s Appropriations Committee advanced a first-of-its kind bill ( SB 1047 ) aimed at preventing mass human casualties or property...
Bill Regulating PBMs Nearing Passage in CA California lawmakers are on track to pass a bill ( SB 966 ) in the coming weeks regulating pharmacy benefit managers. The measure would prohibit PBM practices...
With over 1 in 5 U.S. adults and youths (13-18 years old) experiencing mental illness and cost keeping many of them from being able to access mental healthcare, state lawmakers are trying various approaches to make that care more affordable. Last year Georgia (HB 1013) and Massachusetts (SB 3097) stepped up oversight of federal mental health parity requirements. Louisiana (HB 278), Massachusetts (SB 3097), New Jersey (AB 2008) and Wyoming (HB 140) enacted measures in 2022 or 2023 requiring health insurers to cover more behavioral health services. And Georgia (SB 566), Washington (HB 1688), California (AB 988) and Connecticut (HB 5001) enacted legislation last year applying surprise billing protections to mental health emergencies. (NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF STATE LEGISLATURES)
With demand for weight loss drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy surging, insurers are refusing to cover the medications, which can retail for $900 or more per month. As a result, some pharmacies have started offering unauthorized generic versions of Ozempic. (KAISER HEALTH NEWS, WALL STREET JOURNAL, NEW YORK TIMES)
Walgreens agreed to pay San Francisco $230 million to settle the city’s claim against it for contributing to the city’s opioid epidemic. Last year a federal judge found the pharmacy chain liable for failing to do proper screenings. Between 2006 and 2014, there were 163,645,704 opioid pills distributed in San Francisco County, enough to provide each resident 22 pills per year. (FIERCE HEALTHCARE)
A proposed class action suit has been filed against Aetna, alleging the insurer’s inadequate security measures enabled a Russian ransomware group to obtain access to sensitive personal data in an attack earlier this year. That attack targeted multiple healthcare providers and more than 3 million of their customers. (LAW360®)
—Compiled by SNCJ Managing Editor KOREY CLARK
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