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What We're Reading: Judge Blocks Mississippi Abortion Law; Oklahoma Opioid Suit; Maine Vaccine Exemption Removal
A federal judge has blocked a Mississippi law that would ban abortions 6 weeks into pregnancy; Teva Pharmaceuticals settled with state of Oklahoma for $85 million 2 days before opioid trials were set to begin; the governor of Maine has signed a bill that will remove nonmedical exemptions for vaccinations.
Federal Judge Blocks Mississippi “Heartbeat” Abortion Law
On Friday, US District Judge Carlton Reeves blocked a Mississippi law that would have banned abortions as early as 6 weeks into pregnancy, when a fetal heartbeat can usually be detected, CNN reported. In a preliminary injunction, Reeves said the law threatened women’s rights, as most do not seek an abortion until after 6 weeks of pregnancy. Similar “heartbeat” bills to limit abortion have been introduced in 15 states this year.
Johnson & Johnson On Trial in Oklahoma Opioid Suit, Teva Pharmaceuticals Settles for $85 Million
Litigation against Johnson & Johnson, a major opioid manufacturer, will begin in Oklahoma today, Kaiser Health News reported. Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter alleged that the company overstated the benefits of opioids and understated their risks in marketing campaigns, encouraging physicians to prescribe them for ailments not approved by regulators. Teva Pharmaceuticals, which was also set to face trial, announced an $85 million settlement with the state on Sunday, leaving Johnson & Johnson as the sole defendant.
Maine Governor Signs Bill to Remove Vaccine Exemptions
Maine Governor Janet Mills signed a bill into law on Friday that will end most nonmedical exemptions for mandatory childhood vaccines, according to The Hill. The law will allow only physicians and pediatric primary care givers to determine whether a child should receive a medical exemption. Maine will become the fourth state to remove religious exemptions for vaccine requirements.
Urticaria Diagnosis Challenged by Overlapping Pruritic Skin Conditions
April 23rd 2025Urticaria is complicated to diagnose by its symptomatic overlap with other skin conditions and the frequent misclassification in literature of distinct pathologies like vasculitic urticaria and bullous pemphigus.
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New Research Challenges Assumptions About Hospital-Physician Integration, Medicare Patient Mix
April 22nd 2025On this episode of Managed Care Cast, Brady Post, PhD, lead author of a study published in the April 2025 issue of The American Journal of Managed Care®, challenges the claim that hospital-employed physicians serve a more complex patient mix.
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Personalized Care Key as Tirzepatide Use Expands Rapidly
April 15th 2025Using commercial insurance claims data and the US launch of tirzepatide as their dividing point, John Ostrominski, MD, Harvard Medical School, and his team studied trends in the use of both glucose-lowering and weight-lowering medications, comparing outcomes between adults with and without type 2 diabetes.
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ACOs’ Focus on Rooting Out Fraud Aligns With CMS Vision Under Oz
April 23rd 2025Accountable care organizations (ACOs) are increasingly playing the role of data sleuths as they identify and report trends of anomalous billing in hopes of salvaging their shared savings. This mission dovetails with that of CMS, which under the new administration plans to prioritize rooting out fraud, waste, and abuse.
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