Opioid Package Is ‘A Glimmer Of Hope At The End Of A Dark Tunnel,’ Senators Say
Over the past few weeks, Congress pulled off a rare bipartisan effort by getting a massive package aimed at curbing the opioid epidemic through both chambers with overwhelming support. President Donald Trump is expected to sign the legislation. Check out what's in the bills.
The Associated Press:
Congress OKs Opioid Legislation In Show Of Bipartisanship
Setting aside the Supreme Court fight, members of Congress this week approved bipartisan legislation aimed at curbing the devastating opioid addiction across the country. But the Support for Patients and Communities Act, which President Donald Trump said he would sign into law, has political implications. It includes contributions from at least 70 lawmakers, some of whom face tough re-election campaigns in November. The measure, which the Senate passed 98-1 on Wednesday and the House approved 393-8 on Sept. 28, ensures incumbents have something positive to campaign on in the final weeks before the election.(10/4)
The Wall Street Journal:
‘We Don’t All Hate Each Other’: Senate’s Bipartisanship Obscured By Kavanaugh Fight
The intense partisanship engulfing Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh has diverted attention from a raft of recent bipartisanship in the Senate during the past few weeks, drowning out issues that could appeal to voters in the midterms. ... Also on Wednesday, the Senate advanced an opioid bill to President Trump’s desk by a vote of 98-1. That bill includes several changes to Medicare and state Medicaid programs, such as requiring Medicare to cover services provided by certified opioid treatment programs. (Jamerson, 10/4)
In other national health care news —
The Wall Street Journal:
Trump Administration To Step Up Oversight Of Hospital Watchdogs
The Trump administration announced increased oversight of organizations that accredit and inspect most U.S. hospitals, following a report last year in The Wall Street Journal focusing on problem-plagued facilities that kept their accreditation status. (Armour, 10/4)
Reuters:
E-Cigarette Maker Juul Files Complaints Against 'Copycat Products'
Juul Labs, the e-cigarette maker at the heart of a U.S. crackdown on youth vaping, has filed patent infringement complaints in the United States and Europe against what it said were copycat rivals. The complaints follow the seizure this week by U.S. health regulators of more than 1,000 pages of documents from Juul Labs about its sales and marketing practices, as they investigate growing e-cigarette use among young people that threatens to create a new generation of nicotine addicts. (10/4)
Stat:
Flu Season Likely To Stretch Longer In Big Cities Than Elsewhere, Study Says
The length of the flu season may vary depending on where you live, with large cities enduring longer periods of transmission and smaller cities experiencing shorter, but more explosive, spread, a new study suggests. The study doesn’t assert that one’s risk of contracting influenza varies depending on the size of any given community. Rather, it argues that in less populous places, flu needs the right atmospheric conditions to spread effectively. (Branswell, 10/4)
The New York Times:
Daily Baby Aspirin May Lower Ovarian Cancer Risk
Taking low-dose aspirin is a daily routine for many people because it may lower the risk for heart attacks and strokes, and some research has tied it to a lower risk of colorectal cancer. Now a new study in JAMA Oncology suggests it may lower the risk for ovarian cancer as well. Researchers followed more than 200,000 women for more than 25 years, recording data on lifestyle, health factors and disease outcomes and updating information with periodic interviews. (Bakalar, 10/4)
The Associated Press:
Scientists: US Military Program Could Be Seen As Bioweapon
A research arm of the U.S. military is exploring the possibility of deploying insects to make plants more resilient by altering their genes. Some experts say the work may be seen as a potential biological weapon. (10/4)