A Rep. Samantha Steckloff (D-Farmington Hills) bill providing parity for cancer patients who take treatments orally at home was introduced in the House on early this month.

Currently, chemotherapy received intravenously at a hospital or clinic is covered by insurance, and is cheaper because it’s billed as a service. Oral chemotherapies, however, are only covered if an IV form is not available, and they have a more expensive out-of-pocket cost because they’re billed as a drug.

Steckloff said the types of chemotherapy available in both forms are “staggering”, leading Michiganders who want to take treatments orally to pay completely out-of-pocket.

Her own oral chemotherapy medication is only covered because there isn’t an IV alternative available, [Read More]

“Is public health prepared for the future?” was a question posed and answered today by Michigan Association of Local Public Health Executive Director Norm Hess. The answer, he said, is no.

During his presentation before the House Health Policy Committee, Hess said the current local public health system is underfunded, understaffed and underappreciated, which could lead to a decreased ability to respond if the state faces another widespread public health emergency.

Hess said part of the problem comes from divided public perception about public health after health officers had to make “very difficult decisions” during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Public health officers were sometimes faced with option one, which was sticky, option two, which [Read More]

By EWA MATUSZEWSKI
We are entering the era of the community health worker (CHW). With decades-old roots in public and community health, it took a pandemic to truly recognize the value of the community health worker role in connecting community with clinician. Now it’s time to spread the word.

There are few barriers to entry for this in-demand position. It doesn’t require a college degree or a healthcare background. The basic requirements are a high school diploma or equivalent and being at least 18 years old.  The average annual salary is about $45,000, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Plus, the CHW role truly welcomes all – immigrants with knowledge of [Read More]

By DANIEL AYYASH, WACHLER & ASSOCIATES, P.C.

Overview

On February 28, 2022, the Biden-Harris Administration announced new efforts by the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) through its Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to improve the quality and safety of nursing homes, protect vulnerable residents and the healthcare heroes who care for them, and crack down on bad actors. The Administration expressed its commitment to these urgent actions as its first steps toward fulfilling a broader goal to ensure taxpayer dollars go towards the safe, adequate, and respectful care seniors and people with disabilities deserve – not to the pockets of predatory owners and operators who seek to maximize [Read More]

By KIMBERLY J. RUPPEL & CHRISTOPHER J. RYAN
Non-compete provisions are common in healthcare employment agreements. These provisions are designed to prohibit an employed or contracted provider from competing against the contracting entity by working for or starting a competing business within a certain geographic area for a set period of time. As the Michigan Court of Appeals has indicated, “[i]n a medical setting, a restrictive covenant can protect against unfair competition by preventing the loss of patients to departing physicians, protecting an employer’s investment in specialized training of a physician, or protecting an employer’s confidential business information or patient lists.”[1] Today, courts deciding whether a non-compete provision is [Read More]

Lansing Lines is presented in cooperation with MIRS, a Lansing-based news and information service.

MDHHS Receives Part Of $800M Opioid Settlement Payment

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services was approved to spend $39.2 million of the $800 million that would go to state and local governments from the $26 billion settlement from the three largest pharmaceutical distributors and Johnson & Johnson.

MDHHS said the funds would be spent toward treatment providers, recovery supports, harm reduction, and prevention programs for people with substance abuse disorders.

“In Michigan, we are using this long-term funding to address the multi-generational impact of the opioid epidemic as well as address racial disparities that exist as part [Read More]

By JULIE APPLEBY
In a speech on Nov. 2, 2020, then-presidential candidate Joe Biden promised, “I’ll not only restore Obamacare; I’ll build on it.”

Two years and counting since then, how is he doing in meeting that promise?

KHN has teamed up with our partners at PolitiFact to monitor 100 key promises — including this one — made by Biden during the 2020 presidential campaign. The pledges touch on issues related to improving the economy, responding to calls for racial justice, and combating climate change. On health care, they range from getting covid-19 under control and improving veterans’ health care to codifying Roe v. Wade. KHN has recently done progress checks on the administration’s pledges to lower the costs of prescription [Read More]

By HANNAH NORMAN
The same devices used to take selfies and type out tweets are being repurposed and commercialized for quick access to information needed for monitoring a patient’s health. A fingertip pressed against a phone’s camera lens can measure a heart rate. The microphone, kept by the bedside, can screen for sleep apnea. Even the speaker is being tapped, to monitor breathing using sonar technology.

In the best of this new world, the data is conveyed remotely to a medical professional for the convenience and comfort of the patient or, in some cases, to support a clinician without the need for costly hardware.

But using smartphones as diagnostic tools is a work [Read More]

By EWA MATUSZEWSKI
“Virtual behavioral health visits fail to meet the needs of patients.”

Wow. Pretty strong positioning statement, don’t you think? And yes, I wanted to catch your attention. Alarming media reports over the past month have noted that certain online mental health providers were quick to prescribe medication for mental health treatment – sometimes with tragic consequences – when talk therapy may have sufficed. But it’s not a one-sided story and I think the statement is worthy of close examination. Frankly, I both agree and disagree with it.

First, one must look at life prior to the inception of virtual visits. How many people who needed behavioral healthcare did not receive [Read More]