Literature Review

Optum to pay $20M to settle improper prescription allegations Becker's Hospital Review; by Rylee Wilson; 6/28/24 OptumRx will pay $20 million to settle allegations it improperly dispensed some opioid medications, the Justice Department said June 27. The settlement resolves an investigation into if OptumRx improperly filled certain opioid prescriptions between 2013 and 2015. The Justice Department alleged the pharmaceutical benefit manager improperly dispensed opioids in combination with other drugs, including benzodiazepines and muscle relaxants, from its mail-order pharmacy operations in Carlsbad, Calif. Opioids prescribed alongside benzodiazepines and muscle relaxants are commonly referred to as "trinity" prescriptions. These prescriptions raise red flags that the drugs may not be for legitimate medical use, and could lead to the diversion of controlled substances, the Justice Department said. In its investigation, the department alleged OptumRx dispensed trinity prescriptions without resolving red flags. OptumRx does not admit liability as part of the settlement.

How the Supreme Court’s Chevron Decision could help stop home health cuts Home Health Care News; by Andrew Donlan; 6/28/24 On Friday, the U.S. Supreme Court upended the Chevron doctrine precedent. For home health industry purposes, that means a potentially weakened Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) moving forward. The news comes just two days after the home health proposed payment rule was released, which included significant cuts for the third straight year. Broadly, moving away from the Chevron precedent – usually known as the Chevron doctrine – will mean less regulatory power for government agencies. Government agencies often take their own interpretations of certain laws and statutes, and then act upon those interpretations. ... The National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) already filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) and CMS over rate cuts in 2023. “In our own analysis, we believe that providers of home health have been underpaid as it relates to budget neutrality,” NAHC President William A. Dombi said when the lawsuit was filed. “At minimum, we would expect to see the rate cuts from 2023, that were permanent readjustments to the base rate, and the one proposed for 2024, along with the temporary adjustments … to go away. The end product of that is that we would have a stable system to deliver home health services to Medicare beneficiaries.”

Spread of assisted dying shines spotlight on difficult decisions Financial Times; by Charlotte Middlehurst; 5/22/24 The right to control your death is a principle that societies have debated for centuries. But, as more countries prepare to legalise medically-assisted dying, the reality of allowing the practice is sparking fresh ethical arguments. Some form of assisted dying is now legal in 9 countries, as well as in 11 US states and parts of Australia. [Click on the title's link for data and discussion regarding international policies; concerns about increased "unassisted suicide"; rapid legislative/medical decisions; inducing death; devaluing the lives of disabled persons; ethical choices based on economic factors; doctors' choices; and more.] 

Wide-ranging health care bill gets final approval from CT House CT Mirror - Connecticut's Nonprofit Journalism; by Jenna Carlesso; 5/6/24The House gave final passage Monday to a wide-ranging health care bill that would add protections for home care workers, boost preparedness for cyberattacks at medical facilities and establish new regulations for the state’s health information exchange, among other reforms. ... The sections on additional protections for home care workers were prompted by the murder of visiting nurse Joyce Grayson, who was killed in October while working at a halfway house in Willimantic. ... The bill requires home health aide agencies to collect certain client information upon intake and make it available to any employee assigned to the client. Information includes a history of violence against health care workers, domestic abuse, substance use, psychiatric history, any listing on a sex offender registry, the crime rate of the municipality the person lives in, and whether there are any weapons or safety hazards in the home. [Click on the title's link for more important information about this bill's safety measures.]

Across the nation, the fight’s on to protect physician-led careAmerican Medical Association - AMA; by Kevin B. O'Reilly; 4/25/24After helping state medical associations and national specialty societies defeat more than 100 bills to inappropriately expand nonphysicians’ scope of practice in 2023, the AMA is again relentlessly joining its allies in organized medicine to continue the fight for physician-led, team-based care in this year’s legislative session. This intensive and effective advocacy effort has ranged across the country, as the AMA has helped battle scope creep in Alaska, Connecticut, Georgia, Oklahoma, New Hampshire and elsewhere.

The Maine Death with Dignity Act Annual Report - Data from calendar year 2023 Produced by Data, Research, and Vital Statistics Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention Department of Health and Human Services; 4/12/24 In accordance with 22 MRS § 2140(17), the Department of Health and Human Services (Department) [has generated and made available] to the public an annual statistical report of information collected under the Maine Death with Dignity Act. ... This report is for patients who completed a written request for medication to hasten their death in calendar year 2023. Patients who completed the oral request but not a written request within the calendar year will be included in the subsequent year’s report.

Connecticut Appellate Court rules employer could discharge medical marijuana user impaired on the job The National Law Review; by John G. Stretton, Nicole S. Mulé, Zachary V. Zagger of Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C.; 3/27/24 On March 19, 2024, the Connecticut Appellate Court upheld an employer’s right to discharge an employee for being impaired on the job from medical marijuana under a state law that provides employment protections for qualified medical marijuana users.

Noem signs bill removing some medical marijuana dispensary protections SDPB Radio (South Dakota Public Radio), by Evan Walton; 3/19/24 Gov. Kristi Noem has signed a bill removing some protections medical cannabis facilitates now receive. Senate Bill 71 allows local law enforcement to inspect, search, seize, prosecute, or impose disciplinary action on medical cannabis dispensaries. This includes medical cannabis cultivation, manufacturing, and testing facilities. 

Proposed legislation would create tax credits for family caregiversHospice News, by Jim Parker; 2/23/24A bill to strengthen support for family caregivers is working its way through Congress. If enacted, it would create tax credits to help offset the financial burdens of caring for the seriously ill. ... The nation’s health care system is lacking in support for caregivers of the terminally ill, who are often left with a heavy financial and logistical burden. Without assistance or relief, these difficulties can impede access to hospice and other types of home-based care.

Exploring the role of medicinal cannabis in palliative careMicrodose, by Keith Fiveson; 2/19/24Palliative care is a crucial aspect of healthcare, aiming to enhance the quality of life for patients facing incurable illnesses. Within this context, the use of medicinal cannabis (MC) has emerged as a potential avenue for addressing various symptoms and improving overall well-being. This article delves into a systematic review conducted by Marjan Doppen and colleagues, which examines the current evidence surrounding MC’s effects and potential harms in palliative care settings.

Most Pa. workers can’t take paid leave to care for sick loved ones. State law could change thatWESA Pittsburgh's NPR News Station, by Kristen Mosbrucker-Garza; 2/18/24About 66% of workers statewide don’t have paid family and medical leave benefits, according to a U.S. Census compensation survey from March 2022. And the brunt of that unpaid work often falls on any women in the household, said Meghan Pierce, CEO of the Executive Forum of Women in Philadelphia. ... The Executive Forum of Women, created in the late 1970s, is one organization in the coalition of nonprofits and businesses pushing to get paid family medical leave as a state law in Pennsylvania. 

From “high potential for abuse” to “accepted medical use”: Tracking developments and possible outcomes of federal cannabis rescheduling in the U.S.JD Supra, by Jean Smith-Gonnell and Cole White; 2/7/24Whether you believe that cannabis legalization has occurred too quickly or too slowly, one thing is certain: recent developments herald a potentially seismic shift in federal cannabis policy in the U.S. ... This article aims to catch readers up on the latest developments in federal cannabis legalization.

Alzheimer’s Association calls for federal involvement to increase dementia care workforce, training in assisted livingMcKnights Senior Living, by Lois A. Bowers; 1/29/24“Congress should consider the steps it can take at the federal level, including expanding the necessary workforce and improving dementia training standards and access,” as part of efforts to “help ensure a quality direct care workforce that can meet the unique needs of our nation’s growing number of Americans living with Alzheimer’s and other dementia” in assisted living communities and elsewhere, the Alzheimer’s Association and its advocacy affiliate, the Alzheimer’s Impact Movement, said in comments submitted to the US Senate Special Committee on Aging for the record of the hearing it held Thursday, titled “Assisted Living Facilities: Understanding Long-Term Care Options for Older Adults.”