Trending News Today: Legislators Renew Push to Repeal ACA

Cherokee Nation recently filed a lawsuit alleging that pharmaceutical manufacturers and retailers allowed tribal communities to be flooded with opioids. The suit accuses CVS Health, Walgreens, and other manufacturers/retailers of failing to take the proper precautions in monitoring prescriptions for opioids, according to STAT. Drug-related deaths among American Indians and Alaska Natives are twice that of the entire country. Cherokee Nation feels that these companies are responsible for the opioid epidemic facing their people, according to the article.

A new report from the Leapfrog Group indicates that many of California’s hospitals may be more unsafe for patients than realized. The report indicates that nearly half of the state’s hospitals earned a grade of C or lower in terms of patient safety measures, such as preventable errors, injuries, and infections, according to California Healthline. Some hospitals scores diminished as a result of not preventing MRSA infections and leaving objects inside of patients during surgery. Patients should access government resources to determine the safety of a hospital prior to receiving treatment, the article noted.

White House officials are renewing the push to repeal the Affordable Care Act next week, as President Donald Trump nears his 100^th day in office. GOP officials have become concerned that this push is necessary to improve the perception of his time in office, according to The New York Times. Although healthcare has been at the forefront of the conversation, the government will also run out of money on Trump’s 100^th day. Ensuring that the government can remain open will be the first priority when Congress returns from its recess, the Times reported.