Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Lawsuit Against Opioid Drugmakers Seeks Additional Settlement For Babies Exposed During Pregnancy
Attorneys representing the caretakers of babies born with opioids in their system asked a federal judge in Cleveland to grant them class-action status against drug companies they believe should pay for some of the long-term care of the children. The attorneys asked U.S. District Judge Dan Polster Tuesday to bundle together claims made by guardians of the children against drug manufacturers, distributors and pharmacies. (Heisig, 1/9)
A group of providers and staff with the Department of Health and Human Services are re-examining the state鈥檚 model for how to treat young people with substance use disorders and mental health challenges, following the closure last month of the state鈥檚 sole addiction treatment center for youth. That facility, run by the organization Granite Pathways in a rented wing of the Sununu Youth Services Center, provided in-patient treatment to people ages 12-18 with substance use disorder. (Gibson, 1/10)
A federal judge declined for now to compel a Michigan-based health system to advance legal costs for a doctor's defense against murder charges in the deaths of 25 Ohio hospital patients. U.S. District Judge George Caram Steeh in Michigan concluded Wednesday it's in the public interest to deny the preliminary injunction sought by William Husel. (Franko, 1/9)