Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
From The State Capitols: Raising Age For Tobacco Purchases; Increasing Mental Health Spending; Expanding Telemedicine Coverage; And More
Three senators advanced a bill Wednesday that would raise Iowa鈥檚 minimum age for buying tobacco products and nicotine pods from 18 to 21. Senate President Charles Schneider, R-West Des Moines, said his proposal is part of a national trend of states taking that step. (Sostaric, 4/10)
Under the proposals by Inslee and lawmakers, many state hospital patients would be moved to community placements. Short-term crisis and detox centers and outpatient programs would treat people before they got too sick. Residential housing, with staff or case managers, would care for people with chronic mental illness and dementia. Perhaps 1,000 beds could be added.聽The price would easily top $1 billion in the coming years. (O'Sullivan, 4/10)
More Ohio insurers would be required to cover virtual doctor鈥檚 visits just like they would any other medical appointment, under a proposal from Gov. Mike DeWine that鈥檚 backed by some of Ohio鈥檚 largest health-care providers. In an interview, Lt. Gov. Jon Husted said expanding telemedicine coverage would increase convenience for patients, broaden access for people in rural areas and decrease the likelihood that people visit the emergency room for routine health care. (Tobias, 4/10)
Proponents of legislation that would toughen Connecticut鈥檚 sexual assault and harassment laws won a victory Wednesday with the Judiciary Committee鈥檚 passage of the so-called Time鈥檚 Up bill. The measure would broaden the mandate for sexual harassment training, requiring all workplaces with three or more employees to provide the instruction to every worker. (Carlesso, 4/10)
On tax days, it鈥檚 not hard to spot marijuana growers waiting to exhale in downtown Eureka.They haul cash in grocery bags and boxes, making their way to a state office where they can pay their taxes. ...California still doesn鈥檛 have a better way to collect taxes from its burgeoning, licensed marijuana industry three years after voters passed an initiative to legalize recreational cannabis and 23 years after they sanctioned medical marijuana. (Ashton and Sheeler, 4/11)
