Insurance Coverage for Speech Therapy Developing Legislative Trend? Pennsylvania became the second state to enact legislation ( HB 2268 ) requiring health insurers to cover speech therapy for children who stutter. The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Brandon Markosek...
MI Addresses Multiple Healthcare Issues Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) signed over half a dozen bills dealing with healthcare and family support. The measures include SB 790 and SB 791 , allowing home help caregivers to unionize, and SB 929 , increasing pay for healthcare...
CA Enacts Guardrails for Use of AI in Healthcare California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed a pair of bills making the state one of the first to establish guardrails for the use of artificial intelligence in healthcare. One of the measures ( SB 1120 ) sets requirements...
AI in Healthcare Bills Awaiting Gov’s Action in CA California could soon establish new guardrails for the use of artificial intelligence in healthcare with a pair of bills awaiting action by Gov. Gavin Newsom (D). One of the measures ( SB 1120 ) would set...
CA Nears Restricting Private-Equity Healthcare Acquisitions The California Legislature passed a bill ( AB 3129 ) that, if signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom (D), would require the state attorney general’s approval before a private equity group or hedge fund could...
CA Lawmakers Pass PBM Legislation California joined a nationwide movement to tighten restrictions on pharmacy benefit managers with the approval of SB 966 days before adjourning its legislative session on Aug. 31. If signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) the measure...
MA Expands Access to Maternal Health Care Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healy (D) signed legislation ( HB 4999 ) expanding access to maternal health services in the state. Among other things, the measure provides for the licensing of midwives—reducing the number...
Bill Regulating PBMs Nearing Passage in CA California lawmakers are on track to pass a bill ( SB 966 ) in the coming weeks regulating pharmacy benefit managers. The measure would prohibit PBM practices as steering patients to PBM-affiliated pharmacies and “spread...
MT Follows Trend of States Increasing Oversight of Nonprofit Hospitals The Montana Department of Public Health has proposed rules regarding the collection of data on nonprofit hospitals’ charitable acts, including discounting prices and conducting free...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
LA County Launching Ambitious Plan to Address Medical Debt Los Angeles County’s Department of Public Health has developed an ambitious plan to address the problem of medical debt, which impacted one in ten, or about 810,000, residents of the county and...