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HEALTH & JUSTICE IN THE NEWS
Date: December 15, 2017
TASC in the News
Addiction Policy Forum Announces New Initiatives and Partnerships to Address the Opioid Crisis
Business Wire, 12/12/17
Today, the Addiction Policy Forum announced several new initiatives to help millions of families in the United States struggling with opioid addiction and other substance use disorders. In the coming months, the Addiction Policy Forum will roll out additional initiatives that build on its efforts to implement a comprehensive response to addiction, including a partnership with the National Association for Children of Addiction (NACoA) to assist children who are impacted by addiction. In addition, the National District Attorneys Association (NDAA) and Treatment Alternatives for Safe Communities (TASC) Illinois will work with the Forum to improve the criminal justice response to substance use disorders. A partnership with Young People in Recovery (YPR) will assist in linking individuals to age-appropriate recovery support services. Further, the Forum will engage the Legal Action Center to expand awareness and understanding of substance use treatment insurance coverage parity requirements, and to support advocacy efforts to improve compliance with the law.
New on TASC's Blog
Addiction Policy Forum Announces New Initiatives and Partnerships to Address the Opioid Crisis
TASC Blog, 12/12/17
The Addiction Policy Forum, of which TASC is a national partner, has announced several new initiatives to help families in the United States struggling with opioid addiction and other substance use disorders. The programs put in motion key elements of the organization's multi-year plan announced in October, which offers a comprehensive approach to addressing the growing opioid epidemic. The Addiction Policy Forum is led by Jessica Hulsey Nickel, who will receive TASC's 2017 Public Voice Leadership Award at TASC's annual luncheon in Chicago on December 14. "The Addiction Policy Forum is making important progress in addressing the disease of addiction," said TASC President Pam Rodriguez. "A multi-faceted approach is needed for this complex challenge we face as a country. We look forward to working with the Forum on evidence-based programs that aim to improve the criminal justice response to substance use disorders."
Around the Nation
Open Enrollment Ends Today
You can enroll in or change 2018 Marketplace health insurance right now. The 2018 Open Enrollment Period runs from November 1, 2017 to December 15, 2017. It's important to act quickly. If you don't act by December 15, you can't get 2018 coverage unless you qualify for a Special Enrollment Period. Plans sold during Open Enrollment start January 1, 2018.
White House tamps down expectations of additional opioid funding this year
STAT, 12/14/17
White House press secretary Sarah Sanders on Thursday told reporters she was unsure when Congress would fund new initiatives specific to addressing the opioid crisis. Sanders declined to guarantee that additional spending would be included in either a stopgap spending bill Congress is expected to approve in the coming week or a longer-term budget agreement many expect lawmakers to reach in January. "This wasn't a problem that happened overnight," Sanders said. "We're not going to be able to fix it overnight. But what we want to do is make sure that we address it and that we make it a priority for the administration."
Kellyanne Conway leading an 'opioids cabinet,' as she assumes more active policy role
STAT, 12/14/17
Kellyanne Conway, counselor to President Trump, has been leading weekly meetings at the White House with officials across a dozen federal departments to develop a plan to respond to the opioid crisis and to implement recommendations from a presidentially appointed commission, she and other officials told STAT. The "opioids cabinet," as the group is known, is intended to help streamline efforts across the government and includes staffers from the Department of Health and Human Services and the Office of National Drug Control Policy, among other executive branch offices.
Republicans finish revised tax bill
Los Angeles Times, 12/15/17
Republicans finished the final version of their tax overhaul Friday, slightly expanding a child tax credit to win support from holdout Sen. Marco Rubio, but also scaling back aspirations to create a simpler code that would allow Americans to file returns on a postcard. The final text set to be released later Friday - ahead of next week's scheduled votes - permanently lowers corporate rates from 35% to 21%. It drops rates for many individuals too, but those cuts will expire in 2025. And it would repeal the requirement under the Affordable Care Act that all Americans have health insurance. Despite polling showing the bill is unpopular among Americans, Republicans remained confident it will gain support once the cuts are implemented.
Collins confident health subsidies will be in spending bill
The Hill, 12/13/17
Funding for key ObamaCare insurer subsidies is likely to be included in the upcoming government funding bill, Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) said Wednesday. Collins said she had received reassurances Tuesday from Vice President Pence that the subsidies, opposed by House conservatives, would be in the funding bill. The Maine senator, a swing vote on the tax bill, reached an agreement with Senate GOP leaders that she would vote for the tax package as long as two bipartisan ObamaCare bills were passed before the end of the year. One bill, sponsored by Sens. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Patty Murray (D-Wash.), would temporarily fund ObamaCare's cost-sharing reduction payments. Another would provide "reinsurance" - money to pay for the costs of sick enrollees and bring down premiums.
Why Millions of Children Could Lose Their Health Insurance in 2018
Time, 12/12/17
There are 8.9 million children in the U.S. whose health depends on the federally-funded Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and in a matter of months - and in some cases mere weeks - these children could be out of luck. This is because CHIP's funding expired at the end of September - more than two months ago. It could be said that Congress faces a race against the clock. Lawmakers are under mounting pressure to reauthorize the program as states drain the last of their CHIP coffers to keep children covered. At least five states will be completely out of funding by the end of January, with many more forced then to start phasing out their coverage programs.
Aetna waives co-pay for opioid overdose drug
CNN Money, 12/12/17
Starting on January 1, the co-pay on Narcan will be waived for some customers, the health insurer said on Tuesday. Narcan is a branded version of the naloxone nasal spray which reverses the effects of an opioid overdose. "Aetna is committed to addressing the opioid crisis through prevention, intervention and treatment," said Harold L. Paz, Aetna's chief medical officer. While Narcan is available over-the-counter in most states, physicians who believe their patients to be at risk of overdosing will often prescribe the drug, explained Aetna's Vice President for Clinical Strategy Dan Knecht. By waiving the co-pay, he added, the insurer can reduce barriers to patients getting the treatments they need.
A clearer NAATP ethics code may shut some members out of organization
Behavioral Health Executive, 12/11/17
A statement released publicly today by the National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers (NAATP) indicates that the prominent trade group wants to take its strongest action yet against unethical business practices within its ranks. The statement suggests that "some members will not be re-invited into membership in 2018." In an interview Monday with Behavioral Healthcare Executive, NAATP executive director Marvin Ventrell said the number of member treatment providers that will not be asked to rejoin will be small in 2018, but perhaps larger than the number that were not re-invited this year (he did not offer specific figures). NAATP believes the number soon could increase for a couple of reasons. A revised NAATP code of ethics that will be released in early 2018 will more clearly spell out the parameters of unethical business conduct in areas such as patient brokering and service misrepresentation. While NAATP will continue to investigate formal complaints lodged against members, it also will choose to act unilaterally when it is evident that a member is not operating according to association standards.
Around Illinois
Friday is deadline to buy private insurance through Illinois Obamacare website
Illinois News Network, 12/14/17
Friday is the last day for people who don't get insurance through their job, and who are not enrolled in Medicaid, to sign up for Obamacare benefits. Illinois Department of Insurance Director Jennifer Hammer said the push is on to get as many people as possible to sign up for insurance under the Affordable Care Act exchange.
Prescriptions for opioid painkillers may come with another Rx, for naloxone
Chicago Tribune, 12/14/17
atients who receive prescriptions for opioid painkillers at some Chicago-area hospitals might soon walk away with an additional prescription - for a drug meant to help them if they overdose. In January, west suburban hospital system Edward-Elmhurst Health plans to start recommending its doctors prescribe naloxone with certain dosages of opioids. Naloxone, which is often sold under the brand name Narcan, can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. Edward-Elmhurst might not be alone for long. Amita Health's primary care doctors group of more than 130 physicians is considering co-prescribing naloxone and opioids and is expected to make a decision in the coming weeks, said Dr. Gregory Teas, chief of psychiatry for the Amita Health Behavioral Medicine Institute.
Fatal dose: McLean County sees spike in opioid deaths
The Pantagraph, 12/15/17
In 2016, McLean County Coroner Kathy Davis attributed 15 McLean County deaths to opioid overdoses - which, she notes, is 15 too many. Through July of this year, Davis said there were a total of seven deaths, which was on pace to be comparable to last year. "I thought, 'Wow, we're not getting hit," she said. Now, she realizes, she spoke too soon. Since then, there have been 34 overdose deaths and there are another seven pending open cases, she said. "Not all of those are directly contributed to opioids, but most of them are," said Davis.
Illinois cops will test new device for identifying drugged drivers
Belleville News-Democrat, 12/13/17
Carol Stream police say a new test will be "a game-changer" in keeping drug-impaired drivers off the roads. The tests will use mouth swabs to test for several drugs, including marijuana and heroin, according to the Chicago Tribune. Police are trained to look for physical signs of impairment, but so far can test only for alcohol with numerical certainty. The test Carol Stream plans to test, called P.I.A.2, gives measurements for the amount of drugs present, and can be conducted on the scene.
IL Supreme Court certifies Problem-Solving courts
CentralIllinoisProud.com, 12/11/17
The Illinois Supreme Court has certified the Peoria County Mental Health, Veterans' and Drug Problem-Solving Courts. In November of 2015, the Illinois Supreme Court adopted statewide standards to bring uniformity, accountability and administrative oversight to problem solving courts in Illinois. Problem-Solving courts provide an alternative forum for certain individuals in the criminal justice system, such as those with mental illness or substance use disorders.
Kendall County readying for veterans treatment court
Kendall County Now, 12/13/17
If a veteran is charged in Kendall County with a nonviolent felony or misdemeanor and has a substance use issue or a mental illness, or both, they may qualify for a special veterans treatment court in the near future. Kendall County Judge John McAdams spoke to a panel of representatives from county courts, law enforcement, mental health and veterans agencies and organizations on Friday, Dec. 1, regarding a proposed new veterans court program at the Kendall County Courthouse in Yorkville. Legislation passed in 2016 will require every judicial circuit in Illinois to offer a veterans treatment court program, beginning Jan. 1. Kendall County is part of the 23rd Judicial Circuit along with DeKalb County, and DeKalb County will have its own veterans court.
Youth
NIH's 2017 Monitoring the Future survey shows both vaping and marijuana are more popular than traditional cigarettes or pain reliever misuse
NIDA, 12/2017
Nearly 1 in 3 students in 12th grade report past year use of some kind of vaping device, raising concerns about the impact on their health. What they say is in the device, however, ranges from nicotine, to marijuana, to "just flavoring." The survey also suggests that use of hookahs and regular cigarettes is declining. These findings come from the 2017 Monitoring the Future (MTF) survey of eighth, 10th and 12th graders in schools nationwide, reported today by the director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), part of the National Institutes of Health, along with scientists from the University of Michigan, who conduct the annual research.
Health & Justice in the News
is a summary of recent news stories relating to criminal justice, mental health, addiction, recovery, and related issues. It is compiled and published by TASC each Monday and Thursday.
Some headlines and text have been altered by TASC for clarity or emphasis, or to minimize discriminatory or stigmatizing language. Opinions in the articles and op-eds do not necessarily express the views of TASC or our staff or partners.
