Healthcare Roundup: New Multistate Opioid Settlement, Fallout from Single Payer Failure in CA & More

States, Purdue Pharma Agree to New Opioid Settlement

The attorneys general for all 50 states have reached a new settlement with Purdue Pharma over its role in the opioid crisis. An earlier settlement had been appealed by eight states: California, Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington.

The new deal includes an additional $1.2 billion contribution and apology from members of the Sackler family who own the drug company, in exchange for protection from civil lawsuits. The settlement, filed in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in White Plains, New York, still has to be approved by a judge. (MODERN HEALTHCARE)

Failure of Single Payer in CA Impacting Other States

The demise of single-payer healthcare in progressive bellwether California this year – after Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) abandoned it in favor of universal healthcare, which doesn’t require muscling out private insurers or a big tax hike – has cast doubt on the ability of single-payer efforts in other states, including Colorado, New York and Washington, to succeed.

“We’re also fighting in New York, but just like in California, there’s not 100 percent Democratic consensus among legislators,” said Ursula Rozum, co-director of the Campaign for New York Health. “It feels like a constant question of ‘Can we win this?’”

But supporters say they’ve learned valuable lessons from what happened in California, such as how critical it is to win and keep the support of the governor, unite Democrats and counter the intense lobbying of the healthcare industry.

Only one state, Vermont, has enacted single-payer healthcare, in 2011, and it never implemented it. (KAISER HEALTH NEWS)

Hospital Visitation Bill Advances in MO

Missouri’s Republican-led House advanced a bill (HB 2116) last week that would require hospitals and nursing homes to allow visitors even during a state of emergency. The bill was approved by the House Committee on Rules – Administrative Oversight and needs another vote to advance to the GOP-led Senate. (NEWS & OBSERVER [RALEIGH], NEWS TRIBUNE [JEFFERSON CITY], ASSOCIATED PRESS, STATE NET)

HIV Patients Still Paying for PrEP

Under rules triggered by the Affordable Care Act, health insurers were supposed to start covering the costs of preexposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, for the prevention of HIV infection by January 2021. After pushback from insurers, the Department of Labor clarified last July that medical care associated with PrEP treatment, including doctor visits and lab tests, should be fully covered. But over six months later, patients are still being billed for such care.

Carl Schmid, executive director of the HIV+Hepatitis Policy Institute, said insurers are setting up drug formularies in a way that makes it look as though PrEP drugs aren’t free or in some cases only covering a single drug.

Amy Killelea, a lawyer based in Arlington, Virginia who specializes in HIV policy, said “It’s the employer-based plans that are problematic right now.”

“The current system is not working. There need to be actual penalties for noncompliance,” she said. (CNN)

Vaccines Top Public Health Issue in 2021

Vaccine policy was the most popular public health issue in state legislatures last year, with more than 800 bills addressing that subject having been introduced, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

More than half of the bills addressed vaccine requirements and exemptions. About 150 of the introductions (46 of which were enacted) dealt with insurance coverage for vaccines and the provider workforce, including authorization for pharmacists to administer vaccines. Close behind those bills in number were vaccine access measures (91 introductions and 11 enactments) and vaccination reporting (88 introductions, 10 enactments). (NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF STATE LEGISLATURES)

US Senate Passes Bill to End COVID-19 Emergency

With several Democrats absent, Republicans passed a resolution (SJR 38) in the U.S. Senate that would end the national emergency declaration for COVID-19. The measure has little chance of passing in the Democrat-led House, and President Biden has said he would veto it. (POLITICO, WIBW [TOPEKA], STATE NET)

US Consumers Have $88B in Medical Debt

As of June American consumers had $88 billion in medical debt. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau vowed to crack down on it. (MODERN HEALTHCARE)

-- Compiled by KOREY CLARK