State
- Members of the New York State Assembly were told that they may be called into a three-day special session next week, possibly to consider tax reforms aimed at addressing the state's looming fiscal deficit.
National
- REMINDER: The funding deadline to apply for the federal Health Care Innovation Challenge is coming up. Up to $1 billion in funding is being made available for these grants, which are expected to range from $1 million to $30 million each over three years. Letters of intent must be submitted by December 19th. Submitting a letter is very easy and can be done by visiting this site. The purpose of the grant program is to improve care and lower costs in Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children's Health Insurance Program, particularly for high cost beneficiaries. Substance Use Disorder (SUD) service providers are eligible to apply and a large number of applications from SUD providers would help demonstrate both the level of interest and the need for funding within the field. The Coalition for Whole Health will hold a conference call next week with more information. Stay tuned to LAC's website to find out when this call will happen.
- At an event to commemorate World AIDS Day on Thursday, President Obama pledged an additional $50 million to support domestic clinics and drug assistance schemes. In his speech, Mr. Obama focused on the fact that the rate of infections within the United States has not declined. He also discussed the increase in new infections among young black gay men and the high rate of infection among black women. Additionally, Mr. Obama vowed to increase access to antiretrorivals in other countries that have been hard-hit by the disease.
- An HIV+ Pennsylvania boy and his mother filed a lawsuit in US District Court against the Milton Hershey School, a cost-free boarding school for children in social and financial need, after the school denied the boy admission because of his medical condition. The boy's complaint references LAC's 2010 case Doe v. Deer Mountain Day Camp, Inc. to help refute the school's claim that its decision was made out of concern for the health and safety of other students.
- The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy dedicated an entry on its website this week to the importance of Prisoner Reentry Programs. The article discusses the Administration's National Drug Control Strategy's support for comprehensive changes in criminal justice policy that promote a combined public health/public safety approach. It also talks about the Federal Interagency Reentry Council which is working to identify actions the federal government can take to better coordinate and leverage resources for reentry, remove federal barriers, and create a bully pulpit to advance the reentry agenda, dispel myths and clarify policies (including through its Mythbusters series, some of which LAC helped to develop).
- Governor Chris Christie of New Jersey announced a new initiative to assist individuals reentering society from incarceration. This initiative will include the appointment of a Reentry Coordinator within the Governor's Office, the creation of a Governor's Task Force on Recidivism Reduction and the expansion of the state's Drug Court Program.
|
Search
RSS