Happy Friday! Before we dive in to the harder news, please join me in enjoying about scientists dosing a shy breed of octopus with ecstasy to see if the animal became cuddly and friendly while high. (I swear, it relates to health care: More studies are evaluating psychedelic drugs as outside-the-box treatments, especially for post-traumatic stress disorder in veterans.)
Now, here鈥檚 what else you may have missed:
Senators were busy bees this week on the Hill. In a rare bipartisan feat, the upper chamber passed a sweeping opioids package 鈥� but there鈥檚 some fine print. Lawmakers still have to iron out the (harder, more controversial) differences between the Senate and House versions of the legislation, and they probably won鈥檛 do that work until November 鈥� conveniently, after midterms. Until then, they have a talking point!
And you know that 鈥渄oughnut hole鈥� change (which聽forces drugmakers to pay more for medication used by Medicare beneficiaries) that pharma hates and has been pestering lawmakers about for ages? Congress might tuck a measure rolling that back into the opioid package.
It鈥檚 not all roses for drugmakers, though: A Senate-passed bill would ban 鈥済ag clauses,鈥� which currently keep pharmacists from talking to consumers about lower-cost options.
In a sharp divergence from the budget spectacles of years past, the Senate quietly OK鈥檇 a measure to avert a government shutdown. The measure included a big, 5 percent boost to the National Institutes of Health, which was the fourth-straight significant increase for the agency.
There鈥檚 a real fear out there that we鈥檙e all one bad accident away from financial ruin. A bipartisan group of senators wants to protect patients from that worry with its proposed measure on surprise bills, otherwise known as 鈥渂alance billing.鈥� (Bonus: Check out the KHN story that Republican Sen.聽Bill Cassidy cited in his announcement.)
As the news continues to evolve over the sexual assault allegations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, here鈥檚 a health tidbit you might have missed if you didn鈥檛 scan all the way to the bottom of today鈥檚 stories.聽Gov. Bill Walker of Alaska, an independent, and his lieutenant governor, Byron Mallott, both came out against Kavanaugh鈥檚 nomination聽鈥� not because of the accusations, but because they鈥檙e worried he鈥檚 going to jeopardize Medicaid coverage. It will be interesting to see if that鈥檚 enough to sway Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski, a Republican, who is being watched closely as a possible swing vote.
Attorney general races are rarely the belles of the ball when it comes to elections. But as more of them use their position to try to check President Donald Trump鈥檚 policies (especially ones chipping away at the health law), the campaigns are drawing more eyes.
Preexisting conditions have been a bomb Republicans have been trying to defuse for weeks on the campaign trail, but even GOP strategists call it a losing battle.聽鈥淲hat you have to do at this point is duck and cover,鈥� said one in Politico鈥檚 coverage.
A new, more detailed report has emerged of the slow-moving medical catastrophe that was Hurricane Maria. It鈥檚 also a grim insight into why counting a death toll becomes so complicated.
Meanwhile, an investigation has been launched into why two mentally ill women who were seeking care were taken from a safe hospital and driven into Florence鈥檚 floodwaters, where they both drowned.
In the miscellaneous, must-read file for the week:
- The U.S. is the most dangerous place to have a baby in the developed world, yet states are doing little to address the issue. And the ones that are, often blame the moms.
- We鈥檙e on the precipice of some amazing breakthroughs for cancer treatments, yet Native Americans and black patients are missing out because they鈥檙e underrepresented in clinical trials.
- Personal health aides can be a lifeline for elderly patients. Inviting a stranger into your home, though, is inherently risky and there鈥檚 few regulations that exist to weed out predators.
- And a fascinating Alzheimer鈥檚 treatment called 鈥渞eminiscence therapy鈥� has seen success overseas and is gaining traction here. Check out this one facility that recreated a 1950s town square, complete with Buddy Holly on the jukebox and an old-fashioned diner.
As a newsroom that has a dedicated chocolate drawer and sweet treats brought in by colleagues a few times a week, on employers cutting down on sugary snacks sparked a bit of a debate here. To ban or not to ban, that is the question of the week.
Have a great weekend!