Helping or hurting? Gov. John Bel Edwards’ administration is pointing to a new report to refute the notion that Medicaid expansion has contributed to the opioid crisis. While the data only runs through 2015—meaning it doesn’t include the impact of Louisiana’s Medicaid expansion—an analysis of the data by the left-leaning Center for Budget and Policy Priorities says people with opioid use disorders have gained coverage under Medicaid expansion, which is part of the Affordable Care Act. Moreover, an analysis of trends in opioid-related hospitalization numbers suggests expanded access to Medicaid is helping combat the opioid crisis, the group says. Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry and Edwards have bickered in recent months over the role of Medicaid in the state’s opioid crisis.
Not so fast: The U.S. economy grew at a slower pace in the fourth quarter than initially thought, Reuters reports, saying the strongest clip of consumer spending in three years depleted inventories, prompting a rise in imports as businesses struggled to keep pace with demand. GDP grew at a 2.5% annual rate in the final three months of last year, down slightly from the initially-reported 2.6% pace. The numbers, a drop from the strong 3.2% showing in the third quarter, were announced by the Commerce Department today. The downward revision is largely a factor of smaller inventory than previously thought, and the reliance on imports could widen the trade deficit, tamping down the impact of the recently-passed $1.5 trillion GOP tax cut. Read the full story from Reuters.
Taking flight: A growing collection of tech companies, aircraft manufacturers, automakers and investors are making the early bet that flying cars will take off—perhaps as soon as the next decade. While things like air taxi services are just starting to inch their way out of science fiction and are decades from reality, The New York Times reports the type of dealmaking and technology exploration is similar to the work done on self-driving cars just a few years ago. The European aerospace company Airbus said this week it was investing in the aviation startup Blade, and Uber’s CEO said last week he expected the firm to start flying passengers with something called Uber Air in five to 10 years. While it’s unclear how realistic those plans are, companies are already worried about being left behind. Read more.
