McConnell Touts Measure Aimed At Helping Ease Transition From Opioid Treatment Back Into Workforce
The proposal is part of an opioids legislative package that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says lawmakers are crafting.
The Associated Press:
McConnell: Senate Likely To Consider Anti-Opioid Package
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says the U.S. Senate is working on crafting a comprehensive package to combat the nation's opioid addiction problems and ease the transition from treatment to the workforce. The Kentucky Republican attended discussions Monday in Louisville that included business representatives and executives on the front lines of treating people battling drug addiction. McConnell emerged to promote his recently introduced measure aimed at helping people make the successful journey from treatment to the workplace. (4/30)
In other national health care news —
CQ:
Survey: Percentage Of Adults Without Health Coverage Creeps Up
The coverage gains made under the 2010 health care law appear to be slowly eroding, a study released Tuesday by the Commonwealth Fund shows. The number of uninsured adults between ages 19 and 64 grew by 2.8 percentage points from 2016 to March of this year, the study shows. That represents an additional 4 million uninsured American adults in that time period. (McIntire, 5/1)
The Washington Post:
Viral Photos Of Utah VA Clinic Leads To Apology And Investigation
When American soldiers bathe in Iraq, where a grimy film coats every surface, they are reminded by bathroom signs not to ingest anything that comes from the tap. So when Christopher Wilson left the Army after two tours in Iraq and sought medical care for his service-related injury at the Department of Veterans Affairs, he expected a cleaner environment than what he encountered April 5 at a VA clinic in Salt Lake City. Wilson was shocked by what he found inside a clinic room during his appointment, he told local media: an overflowing trash can, medical instruments strewn about on the counter and a filthy sink. He snapped photos of what he saw. (Horton, 4/30)
The Washington Post:
Ocular Melanoma: Three Friends Among At Least 18 Diagnosed With Rare Eye Cancer
At least a dozen and a half people have been diagnosed with a rare form of eye cancer in two locations in North Carolina and Alabama, leaving medical experts mystified about the cause. Ocular melanoma occurs in about 6 out of every 1 million people, according to CBS News, and at least 18 people who have been diagnosed with the eye cancer have connections to Huntersville, N.C., Auburn, Ala., or both locations. Marlana Orloff, an oncologist at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, is studying the cases with her colleagues, according to CBS. (Rosenberg, 4/30)
NPR:
Young People Are Lonelier Than Their Elders
Loneliness isn't just a fleeting feeling, leaving us sad for a few hours to a few days. Research in recent years suggests that for many people loneliness is more like a chronic ache, affecting their daily lives and sense of well-being. Now a nationwide survey by the health insurer Cigna underscores that. It finds that loneliness is widespread in America, with nearly 50 percent of respondents reporting that they feel alone or left out always or sometimes. (Chatterjee, 5/1)
Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
Alcohol Risk: Study Finds Higher Cancer, Bad Bacteria, Bugs Risk
Nights of hard drinking can lead to much more than just bad hangovers. In fact, new research suggests that heavy drinkers may actually experience higher levels of "bad" bacteria in their mouths, including bugs linked to gum disease, heart disease and cancer compared to moderate or non-drinkers. (Lemon, 4/30)