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The Biden administration on Monday announced it would finalize a highly anticipated proposal meant to force health insurers to cover mental health care on the same basis as physical health conditions. It is the latest salvo in a long-running federal government effort to crack down on insurance plans skimping on treatment for conditions including anxiety, depression, and addiction. (Facher, 9/9)

The largest U.S. drug industry group and several drug companies have lost a bid to block a Maryland law requiring drugmakers to offer discounts on drugs dispensed by third-party pharmacies that contract with hospitals and clinics serving low-income populations. U.S. District Judge Matthew Maddox in Baltimore on Thursday refused to issue a preliminary order blocking the law while he hears a challenge to it by Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), Novartis, AbbVie, and AstraZeneca. (Pierson, 9/6)

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) circulated a letter to Senate colleagues Sunday afternoon warning them of the looming government funding deadline of Sept. 30 and highlighting rail safety legislation and proposals to lower the cost of insulin and prescription drugs as top priorities remaining in 2024. Schumer also said he would make it a priority to continue confirming President Biden’s judicial and executive branch nominees over the next four months, as Democrats are in danger of losing their Senate majority. (Bolton, 9/8)

Amid staffing shortages, rising costs and other issues plaguing the nation's health care landscape, an Ohio State University study found that thousands of communities in the United States are in a "pharmacy desert." Approximately 46% of U.S. counties have at least one or more pharmacy deserts, defined as 10-mile radius without a retail pharmacy. This means many Americans lack reasonable access to prescribed medications and other health services — something that afflicts at least 15 communities in Ohio, according to the study. (Hendrickson, 9/9)

Â鶹ŮÓÅ Health News: With TV Drug Ads, What You See Is Not Necessarily What You Get

Triumphant music plays as cancer patients go camping, do some gardening, and watch fireworks in ads for Opdivo+Yervoy, a combination of immunotherapies to treat metastatic melanoma and lung cancer. Ads for Skyrizi, a medicine to treat plaque psoriasis and other illnesses, show patients snorkeling and riding bikes — flashing their rash-free elbows. People with Type 2 diabetes dance and sing around their office carrels, tipping their hats to Jardiance. Drugs now come with celebrity endorsements: Wouldn’t you want the migraine treatment endorsed by Lady Gaga, Nurtec ODT? (Rosenthal, 9/9)