By Hyeongsu Park and Kathy Wang
- In the continued push to strengthen the mental health care system, a bipartisan group of senators advanced a bill that would improve access to mental health care at a community level. This was met with vocal support from many mental health rights groups.
- The issue of assisted suicide has become increasingly pushed into the political arena, with several states reporting a considerable push for the legalization of physician assisted suicide. Such proposals are being seriously considered in over half a dozen states around the country.
- Confusion has swirled in Louisiana after the recent law change to no longer accommodate smokers in psychiatric hospitals. This defies a tradition where those suffering from mental illness were even encouraged to take time everyday to smoke.
- From a detailed analysis of the recently released White House-ordered spending cuts, it seems that food inspections, meals for the poor young and old, and other public services would face severe cuts. However, entitlements such as Medicare and Medicaid seem to be relatively stable in government funding.
- State and federal officials have been working to preserve “MinnesotaCare,” its subsidized health care plan for the working poor. Policy makers have been moving swiftly to protect the thousands under MinnesotaCare’s purveyance before the federal health overhaul takes place.
- The FDA has released a warning of a new fake batch of anti-cancer drug Avastin. This is the third such case of counterfeit Avastin in the past year and there has been legal pressure to ensure further counterfeit drugs are not introduced to the market.