Overnight Health Care: FDA approves drug made from marijuana for first time | Michigan gov signs Medicaid work requirements law | NY rules would prohibit discrimination against transgender patients

View in Browser     Welcome to Overnight Health Care, Monday edition. Today, Michigan's governor signed a controversial bill for Medicaid work requirements, the FDA approved the country's first ever marijuana-based drug, and cultivation of the plant used to make cocaine is at an all-time high. We'll start with the news from FDA...   The first drug derived from an active ingredient in marijuana was given a green light by the agency. Epidiolex, manufactured by GW Pharmaceuticals, is intended to treat seizures associated with two rare and severe forms of epilepsy that begin in childhood. The liquid is made of cannabidiol (CBD), a component of marijuana that doesn't give users a high. THC-- tetrahydrocannabinol-- is the main psychoactive ingredient in marijuana.   Impact: The approval could spur more research into marijuana products. FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb opened the door on Monday. "This approval serves as a reminder that advancing sound development programs that properly evaluate active ingredients contained in marijuana can lead to important medical therapies," he said. Key point: Marijuana is still illegal. Federal regulations classify CBD as a Schedule 1 drug, which means it has no medical value and a high potential for abuse, because it is a chemical component of the cannabis plant. Other Schedule 1 drugs: heroin, LSD, cocaine. This means the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will have to reclassify CBD before GW can begin marketing Epidiolex. Key quote: "This is an important medical advance. But it's also important to note that this is not an approval of marijuana or all of its components," Gottlieb said. "This is the approval of one specific CBD medication for a specific use." Read more here      Plant used to make cocaine hits new production peak Cultivation of the plant used to make cocaine has reached an all-time high in Colombia, the White House said in a report Monday. Coca cultivation increased 11 percent, to about 807 square miles in 2017, according to the Office of National Drug Control Policy. Potential pure cocaine production increased by 19 percent, to 921 metric tons, that same year. "President Trump's message to Colombia is clear: the record growth in cocaine production must be reversed," said ONDCP Deputy Director Jim Carroll in a statement. "Colombia is an important United States partner with a critical role. We will continue to work with them to reduce drastically the production of cocaine destined for the United States." Annual increases in Colombian coca production directly relate to greater cocaine use in the U.S., resulting in more overdose deaths and crime and violence associated with the drug trade, the ONDCP said in its report. Read more here   Arizona woman says pharmacist refused to fill miscarriage prescription An Arizona pharmacist became the center of some attention over the weekend. An Arizona woman said the pharmacist refused to give her a miscarriage prescription, citing his "moral objection." Nicole Arteaga, 35, said she received the heartbreaking news that she was miscarrying during her 10-week checkup, The Arizona Republic reported Saturday. A doctor prescribed her with medication to terminate the pregnancy, as the baby's development had stopped and there was no heartbeat. When Arteaga went to a Peoria, Ariz., Walgreens to pick up the prescription, the pharmacist refused to fill her medication for her, she said. "I didn't want to need those pills," Arteaga said, according to the news outlet. "This is not how I wanted my pregnancy to go, but this is my situation." Reaction from pro-abortion rights advocates: NARAL put out a statement Monday saying: "No woman should ever have to face the humiliation of being discriminated against and denied essential medication or any other healthcare because of someone else's personal beliefs. Healthcare should be guided by medicine, not religion or personal ethics." Read more here   Michigan's governor signs Medicaid work requirements into law Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder (R) on Friday signed a bill to require certain Medicaid beneficiaries to work or be in school for 80 hours a month. If the plan is approved by the Trump administration, Michigan would become the fifth state to add work mandates to its program. There are exemptions including for people who are disabled, pregnant, children or elderly. Those who do meet the requirements will have to work for 80 hours per month, or be in school, job training or substance abuse treatment. Background: In January, Trump officials released their guidelines for work requirements on Medicaid, a move that has drawn a sharp outcry from Democrats, who say the change will lead to people losing health coverage. Read more here   More preliminary ObamaCare rates.  In Kentucky, CareSource proposed a 19.4 percent premium increase in 2019. The company cited an increase medical and prescription drug inflation as well as the removal of the individual mandate as reasons for the increase. Anthem proposed only a 3.5 percent increase over last year, but in 2018 the insurer covered fewer counties across the state than CareSource did.   New York seeks to preempt Trump administration policy on LGBTQ patients. Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) announced proposed regulations that would prohibit health care providers from discriminating against transgender patients. Cuomo also directed the New York State Department of Financial Services to issue regulations expanding the scope of anti-discrimination protections for transgender individuals when it comes to accessing health insurance. What he's fighting: A proposed rule under review at the White House Office of Management and Budget would roll back ObamaCare's anti-discrimination protections for transgender patients. The sweeping 2016 policy from the Obama administration prohibited health-care providers and insurers who receive federal money from denying treatment or coverage to anyone based on sex, gender identity, or termination of pregnancy, among other conditions. The rule is expected to be released later this summer. What we're reading More doctors embrace membership fees, shunning health insurance  (Chicago Tribune) HUD Is Failing to Protect Children From Lead Paint Poisoning, Audits Find  (The Southern Illinoisan and ProPublica) New CDC director targets opioids, suicide and pandemics (The Wall Street Journal) Could genetic testing help reunite separated immigrant families? It's complicated  (Stat)   State by state Kentucky is taking Medicaid expansion hostage to win its work requirements lawsuit (Vox.com) SC Medicaid agency wants to add work requirements, child advocate calls proposal 'cruel' (Post and Courier) Maine governor floats hospital tax to pay for Medicaid expansion (Associated Press)     The Hill presents: Join us Tuesday, June 26 for "Mergers and Innovation: Measuring Performance and Patient Care," featuring HHS Deputy Secretary Eric Hargan, Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and Rep. Gene Green (D-Texas). Topics of discussion include how the landscape of health care delivery in the United States is undergoing a dramatic shift, its implications for health care industry stakeholders and patients and also the role of Congress in ensuring all Americans have access to quality care. RSVP Here.         Did a friend forward you this email? Sign up for Healthcare Newsletters     Forward Healthcare Newsletters       Privacy Policy  |  Manage Subscriptions  |  Unsubscribe  |  Email to a friend  |  Sign Up for Other Newsletters   The Hill 1625 K Street, NW 9th Floor, Washington DC 20006 ©2016 Capitol Hill Publishing Corp., a subsidiary of News Communications, Inc.