What We’re Reading: Addiction Medicine Access in Pregnancy; Nursing Home Evaluations; Pediatric Hospitals Filling

Pregnant Women to Gain Access to Addiction-Fighting Medication

The Biden administration announced that it will use federal courts and health programs to expand the accessibility of medications that help pregnant women fight substance use disorder, according to The New York Times. Pregnant women, who are a higher risk of drug overdose compared with the average woman of child-bearing age, will now be able to access more medications that are proven to help reduce dependency on opioids. The plan is part of the administration’s greater efforts to combat the drug crisis in the nation. The new initiative designates the Justice Department, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Indian Health Service as responsible for improving women’s access to treatment.

Nursing Homes to Receive Tougher Oversight

Escalating fines and terminating federal funding will be consequences for poor-performing nursing homes that do not improve, according to plans released by the Biden administration and reported in USA Today. CMS will overhaul its “special focus facility” program in nursing homes with poor safety records. Nursing homes that do not improve will have escalating penalties for violations and could lose Medicare or Medicaid funding if they have 2 or more warnings that are classified as an “immediate jeopardy.” A nursing home’s staffing level will also be considered when deciding whether to assign a nursing home to the special focus program.

Pediatric Hospitals Filling With Patients With Respiratory Illness

High numbers of children with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and other respiratory viruses have left pediatric hospitals filling and strained, according to The Washington Post. Cases of RSV began to surge at the end of the summer, which was several months ahead of its typical season of late fall to early spring. Approximately 5000 cases per week have been recorded in the United States, which is about on par with 2021 but higher than in October 2020. Federal health data show that about three-quarters of hospital beds in pediatric hospitals are occupied, with several pediatric hospitals in Washington, DC, at capacity.