The past week’s headlines have been focused on unrest overseas and economic issues within the United States, but health and the law have not been completely absent. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced a new Medicaid Emergency Psychiatric Demonstration designed to provide states with more flexibility and resources to care for Medicaid beneficiaries with mental illnesses. Also making headlines:
- CMS will now be providing more assistance to help low-income individuals save on prescription drugs.
- The FDA, along with European counterparts released two reports indicating progress has been made on international drug inspection which will help enhance drug quality globally.
- Health insurance paperwork costs American doctors approximately $83,000 annually.
- Arizona residents will be happy to know that the FDA finally approved the first specific treatment for scorpion stings.
- Massachusetts residents are still heavily relying on safety-net health care despite health care reform that took place in 2006.
- In food safety news, Cargill has recalled 36 million pounds of ground turkey due to salmonella contamination concerns.
