There is light at the end of the tunnel for Tennesseans struggling with opioid addiction, as a bill has been passed to increase access to treatment for opioid use disorder at Community Health Centers. More than 3,800 lives were lost to overdose in the state in 2021, according to the Tennessee Department of Health. Emily Waitt, policy and advocacy manager for the Tennessee Primary Care Association, said the original bill limited the number of patients nurse practitioners and physician assistants could treat with buprenorphine. .
Health disparities in Texas are not only making some people sick, but affecting the state s economy. A new study shows Texas is losing $7 billion a year because it does not adequately address quality-of-life issues and the health care needs of its lower-income residents. The research was sponsored by the Episcopal Health Foundation, Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas, and St. .
With the approval of the Virginia General Assembly, a bill reducing prescription drug prices is sitting on Gov. Glenn Youngkin s desk. The bill establishes a prescription drug affordability board as an independent body evaluating drug price increases. .
Colorado lawmakers want to beef up legislation that bans PFAS, so-called forever chemicals, by 2028. Yahn Olson is an associate attorney with Environmental Litigation Group, which is taking companies that produce PFAS to court on behalf of firefighters in Colorado and other states exposed at military bases. He said PFAS are a major threat to public health, especially when they are allowed to leach into sources of drinking water. .