States Target School Cell Phone Use At least four states have banned or severely restricted the use of smart phones in schools in the current legislative biennium. Florida became the first state to do so last year, and Indiana and Ohio passed bans this year....
Compounded Weight-Loss Drugs Creating Headaches for State Regulators With popular weight-loss drugs like Mounjaro, Ozempic and Wegovy in short supply, many doctors, pharmacies and other providers have begun offering compounded versions of the drugs tailored to...
In their seminal book on the American health care system, legendary investigative reporters Donald L. Barlett and James B. Steele offered a disturbing metaphor for the illogical nature of medical pricing in 2004’s Critical Condition: How Health Care in America...
PA Lawmakers Pass Bill Regulating PBMs The Pennsylvania legislature passed a bill ( HB 1993 ) aimed at increasing oversight of pharmacy benefit managers. If signed by Gov. Josh Shapiro (D), the measure would prohibit PBMs from requiring patients to use a PBM...
In a sign of the times, states have begun pursuing bills that require disclosure of the use of artificial intelligence. In March, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox (R) signed SB 149 , making the state the first in the nation to require individuals who use generative AI to...
PBMs Driving Up Prescription Drug Prices The three largest pharmacy benefit managers—CVS Health, Cigna and UnitedHealth Group—often “steer patients toward pricier drugs, charge steep markups on what would otherwise be inexpensive medicines and...
NY Enacts Social Media Protections for Minors New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) signed first-in-the-nation legislation ( SB 7694 ) prohibiting social media platforms from providing algorithmic feeds to minors to try to keep them online. But the “Stop Addictive...
CA to Make Changes to Labor Law Costing Employers Billions Business and labor groups in California have agreed on changes to the Private Attorney’s General Act, a landmark state law that has allowed workers to sue employers for workplace violations amounting...
With America facing an obesity epidemic , it’s no wonder some are embracing the concept that food—simple, healthy, nutritious food—is medicine in and of itself, a philosophy that’s growing in popularity among health care providers. The...
VT Gov Vetoes Tough Privacy Bill Vermont Gov. Phil Scott (R) vetoed HB 121 , which would have been one of the strongest consumer data privacy laws in the nation, allowing residents to sue data brokers for violations. Scott said the measure would make the state...
Hospital Cost Transparency Bill Advances in PA The Pennsylvania House Health Committee approved a bill ( HB 2339 ) that would require hospitals to publish a list of the standard costs for all of their services on their website. It would also prohibit hospitals...
AI Disclaimer Bills Draw Support in NY First-of-its-kind legislation introduced last month in New York ( AB 10103 / SB 9450 ) would require generative artificial intelligence systems to notify users that the content they provide “may be inaccurate and/or...
FDA Advisory Panel Rejects Use of MDMA-Assisted Therapy for PTSD An advisory panel for the Food and Drug Administration rejected the use of MDMA-assisted therapy for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder. Among other things the panelists raised concerns...
With no action at the federal level, over a dozen states have enacted comprehensive consumer privacy legislation since 2018. Many of these bills, however, have been significantly watered down by the influence of Big Tech. A recent joint report by the Electronic...
Last June a new federal law went into effect that requires companies with 15 or more employees to provide “reasonable accommodations” for workers who are pregnant or have recently given birth, or who have a related medical condition. Accommodations...