TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Today is the day all age restrictions on the "Plan B" emergency contraceptives were supposed to be lifted. A federal judge ordered that the pills should be available to all women of all ages over the counter, just like aspirin, as of today. But now Florida pharmacists are unsure what they should do.

Late last week, the Obama administration filed an appeal of the court order and asked for a stay of the May 6 deadline. The day before that, the FDA lowered the age at which Plan B would be available without prescription from 17 to 15. Some saw the FDA action as a compromise. But Paula Gianino with Planned Parenthood is disappointed.

"What's disappointing is that this safe and effective drug continues to be used as a political football," she charged.

Some anti-abortion groups support the appeal because they claimed the pill could endanger the lives of young girls. According to Gianino, however, there is no scientific evidence to support age restrictions on the drug.

The Guttmacher Institute reports that the number of sexually-active 12-year-olds is only about 1 percent, but nearly 9 percent of young women have had sex by age 14 and more than 10,000 14-year-olds got pregnant in 2008. Gianino declared that excluding them from access to Plan B doesn't make sense.

"This drug, evidence-based science has said, could reduce unintended pregnancy by 50 percent," she said. "And that will reduce the need for abortion. Isn't that evidence enough?"

The FDA says the drug is safe and prevents pregnancy when taken within 72 hours but does no harm to a pregnant woman or her fetus.

Oppponents don't want the drug to be available to teenagers without input from parents and doctors. The Guttmacher Institute pointed out that a ten-year decline in teen pregnancies and abortions was the result of improved use of contraceptives among teens.

Meantime, the FDA is requiring young women to show cashiers ID to buy Plan B. But a federal judge is ordering it to be made available to women of all ages starting today.

More information is at goo.gl/tnbCS and at goo.gl/KuYND.




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After more than 50 years of use, some Michigan lawmakers say naloxone may not be the best choice in an overdose situation.

Naloxone is sometimes called the "Lazarus drug" because of its powerful ability to seemingly resurrect people after a drug overdose.

Sen. Kevin Hertel, D-St. Clair Shores, and some of his colleagues have introduced a bill which would open the door for what they say are more costly, but more powerful, antidotes.

"Given the prevalence of fentanyl in our communities, and how much stronger some of these drugs that we're now seeing are, we believe -- and in talking with others -- that there should be other tools to respond to an overdose," Hertel explained. "To make sure we're doing everything we can to save somebody's life."

Not everyone is on board with the proposed legislation, Senate Bill 542. Opponents argued the more expensive naloxone alternatives are not necessary, and using them would only increase profits for the pharmaceutical industry.

Jonathan Stoltman, director of the Opioid Policy Institute in Grand Rapids, said while the naloxone alternatives do help in overdose situations, they can also cause nasty side effects.

"The newer approaches, they put people into more severe withdrawal," Stoltman pointed out. "That's a pretty profound negative side effect. The one approach is very inexpensive and works great; the other approach is far more expensive and has this strong negative side effect."

Sponsors of the bill say they're hoping to give Michigan residents a chance to chime in on the issue in a public hearing sometime in June. Michigan saw more than 3,000 opioid overdose deaths in 2021.


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New Mexico saw record enrollment numbers for the Affordable Care Act this year and is now setting its sights on lowering out-of-pocket costs - those not reimbursed by insurance. More than 56,000 New Mexicans are enrolled in a medical health insurance plan on the state exchange - an increase of 12,000 people overall.

Colin Baillio, deputy superintendent with the state's Office of Insurance, said the state has boosted its outreach and made efforts to improve the overall consumer experience.

"We saw a 40% year-over-year increase, and New Mexico saw the biggest percentage increase during the open-enrollment period among all of the state-based marketplaces," he explained

Part of the enrollment increase is due to what's called the "unwinding" - a federal directive that required all states to redetermine Medicaid eligibility following a three-year pause on checks during the COVID pandemic. He said by using expanded tools made available by the federal and state government, 8% of New Mexico's population is now uninsured - down from 23% in 2010.

Following approval by lawmakers in the 2024 legislative session, the New Mexico governor signed seven health care-related bills into law - one of which requires annual reporting of prescription drug pricing. Baililo said the Affordable Care Act built the foundation that has allowed the state to pursue additional affordability initiatives.

"I'm really glad to see that there's so much interest in the next step of health reform, really leaning into these out-of-pocket cost issues and making it easier for people to afford to stay covered and see their doctors," he continued.

Two years ago, the state also passed a one-of-a-kind law that did away with behavioral health co-pays for people in certain insurance plans.

New York's medical aid-in-dying bill is gaining further support. The Medical Society of the State of New York is supporting the bill. New York's bill allows terminally ill people with only six months to live to use this option, with safeguards requiring two physicians' approval.

The bill's Assembly sponsor Amy Paulin, D-Westchester, said despite the growing support, other hurdles lie ahead.

"Now we have what I believe, if it came to the floor, a majority. There's still a hesitation on the part of leadership. You know, we need members to assure leadership that they no longer have reservations," she said.

Other newly resolved concerns center on making sure insurance companies and doctors who don't support this aren't held liable. She's optimistic the bill will pass after nine years in the Legislature. New York would be the 11th state along with Washington, D.C. to have medical aid in dying legislation.

Corinne Carey, senior New York campaign director with Compassion and Choices finds the pandemic drew a vivid picture of a person's end-of-life experience. There were images of people dying on ventilators, apart from loved ones, and unable to communicate. She said people began thinking about a "good death."

"And, what is a good death is being surrounded by loved ones, having some measure of control, experiencing the touch of your loved ones, and being the one in the driver's seat," she explained.

Now people have different options for end-of-life care, each of which presents various challenges. Polls show medical aid in dying has garnered considerable support since being introduced in 2015. A 2022 Compassion and Choices poll finds 57% of nurses support medical aid in dying professionally, although fewer support it personally.