Trending News Today: US Uninsured Rate Remains Steady in 2018

A new Illinois law will allow physicians to temporarily prescribe medical marijuana for pain relief, the Associated Press reported. According to the article, Rep. Kelly Cassidy (D), the House sponsor, said the plan reforms pain treatment and provides more options to patients. The Illinois Department of Public Health reported that 11,000 individuals have died from an opioid overdose since 2008, according to the article.

CDC data show that the uninsured rate in the first 3 months of 2018 held steady compared with the same time frame last year, The Hill reported. According to the article, 8.8% of individuals of all ages were uninsured in the first 3 months of 2018. The CDC stated that there was no significant change from the same period last year, when 9.1% of individuals were uninsured, the article reported.

A mother’s use of opioids during pregnancy may cause learning disabilities and other special education needs in offspring born with opioid-related symptoms, the Associated Press reported. According to the article, the study involved approximately 7200 children aged 3 to 8 years enrolled in Tennessee’s Medicaid program, with nearly 2000 of them born with newborn abstinence syndrome. Approximately 1 in 7 affected children required special classroom services for problems such as developmental delays and speech or language difficulties, compared with approximately 1 in 10 children not exposed to opioids before birth, the article reported.