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States Loosening Occupational Licensing Laws In an effort to boost their workforces, states are advancing legislation to loosen their occupational licensing laws. For example, the Louisiana House passed...
ME House Passes Restrictive Data Privacy Bill Maine’s House narrowly approved a bill ( LD 1977 ) that would impose restrictions on the digital information that companies can collect. Businesses...
By many if not most people’s standards, Heidi Clayton was a clear victim of workplace harassment . A member of the Atlantic City Police Department, Clayton was asked out on dates by a lieutenant...
MD Drug Affordability Board Weighing Caps on Eight Drugs Maryland’s Prescription Drug Affordability Board could soon impose price limits on up to eight drugs on state-run health insurance plans...
MD Passes Major Data Privacy Bills With the approval of a pair of bills last week, Maryland joined a handful of other states, including California, Connecticut, Texas and Utah, that have passed both...
The Michigan Senate passed a bill (SB 410) that would allow residents and state and local governments to sue drug manufacturers and sellers if their products cause injury. In 1995 the state passed the strongest drug immunity law in the nation, shielding drugmakers and sellers almost entirely from such suits. The measure is now in the House Judiciary Committee. (BRIDGE MICHIGAN), MICHIGAN ADVANCE, STATE NET)
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed legislation (SB 525) that will phase in a nation-leading $25 minimum wage for workers at hospitals, nursing homes, and other medical facilities. The law applies to direct care providers as well as support personnel. (KFF HEALTH NEWS, SACRAMENTO BEE, STATE NET)
Customers of Amazon Pharmacy who reside in College Station, Texas are now able to get their prescriptions delivered by drone. Customers can choose from over 500 medications and have them delivered in under 60 minutes for no additional charge. (CNBC)
Employer-sponsored health insurance premiums rose an average of 7% to nearly $24,000 this year, according to a KFF survey of over 2,000 U.S. companies. Last year’s increase was 1%. (BLOOMBERG, KFF)
Research conducted by Penn Medicine and Independence Blue Cross showed that providing mental health services through primary care practices doesn’t increase the overall cost of those services for insurers. Previous research by the two institutions showed that linking mental health services with primary care enabled more patients to obtain needed mental healthcare. (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER)
—Compiled by SNCJ Managing Editor KOREY CLARK