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Patients seeking treatment for an opioid addiction have limited access to a life-saving medication, buprenorphine, in residential treatment facilities across the U.S. Research published in JAMA finds that 29% of 368 programs contacted offer the drug that helps reduce cravings for heroin or fentanyl. Another 21% of the treatment centers contacted discouraged its use. (Bebinger, 8/25)

Kaiser Health News: LA Hospital Seeks Vaccine Trial Participants Among Its Own High-Risk Patients

The patients at Dr. Eric Daar’s hospital are at high risk for serious illness from COVID-19, and he’s determined to make sure they’re part of the effort to fight the disease. He also hopes they can protect themselves in the process. (Allen, 8/26)

Kaiser Health News: Prognosis For Rural Hospitals Worsens With Pandemic 

Jerome Antone said he is one of the lucky ones. After becoming ill with COVID-19, Antone was hospitalized only 65 miles away from his small Alabama town. He is the mayor of Georgiana — population 1,700. “It hit our rural community so rabid,” Antone said. The town’s hospital closed last year. If hospitals in nearby communities don’t have beds available, “you may have to go four or five hours away.” (Tribble, 8/26)

Google sister company Verily Life Sciences on Tuesday launched a subsidiary selling analytics-driven employer stop-loss health insurance. The Verily subsidiary, dubbed Coefficient Insurance Co., is backed by Swiss Re Corporate Solutions, the commercial insurance arm of reinsurance company Swiss Re Group. Swiss Re Corporate Solutions is making a minority investment in Coefficient; in exchange, Ivan Gonzalez, the company's North America CEO, will join Coefficient's board of directors. (Cohen, 8/25)