The United States Department of Health and Human Services is embarking on a massive undertaking of unraveling Medicaid coverage for 15 million low-income Americans across the country. States have been preparing for this transition for months, however the patchwork of states’ readiness levels for this difficult task is varied. The Federal Health Department is encouraging states to take advantage of their electronic records to properly identify who is still eligible for Medicaid, rather than relying on individuals to respond to renewal notices. Health officials are also doing their best to ensure that the 8.2 million people who are no longer eligible for Medicaid will be able to find coverage elsewhere. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is expected to decide on the approval of Emergent BioSolutions' Narcan, an opioid overdose reversal drug, for over-the-counter use today. Independent advisers to the FDA are scheduled to meet in May to assess whether the agency should allow birth control pills to be sold without a prescription. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is raising alarm over the actions of a Republican senator who is blocking the promotion of nearly 160 senior U.S. Military officers protesting the new abortion policy of the Pentagon to protest the policy of the Pentagon. Congress has also proposed legislation to make xylazine, a legal animal tranquilizer that is becoming a common ingredient in deadly fentanyl supplies, a controlled substance and for human consumption illegal. In a major victory for healthcare reform, North Carolina has recently passed a bill expanding Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. This will bring relief to around 600,000 North Carolinians who now have access to health insurance. This bill was made possible by a coalition of medical providers, county commissioners, chambers of commerce and the North Carolina Sheriffs’ Association and is a sign that the ACA may become a reality in other redder states that have yet to opt in.
HEALTHCARE
NORTH CAROLINA
FDA