Latest news with #DivisionofProfessionalLicensing
CBS News
28-03-2025
- Health
- CBS News
Utah becomes first state to ban adding fluoride to public water systems
Utah has become the first state to ban fluoride from being added to public water systems. Governor Spencer J. Cox signed a bill on Thursday banning the mineral's addition to the public water supply, which is commonly done to reduce tooth decay. The ban will take effect on May 7, 2025. The bill prohibits communities from adding fluoride to public water supplies, and bans the enactment and enforcement or ordinances that require fluoride be added to water systems. The bill does allow pharmacists to prescribe fluoride supplements to individuals, and instructs the state's Division of Professional Licensing to establish guidelines for such prescriptions. The ban comes after federal health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr . expressed skepticism about water fluoridation, even though the process is considered one of the greatest public health achievements of the last century. Fluoride is a naturally-occurring mineral that helps strengthen tooth enamel and reduce cavities, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Poor oral health has been linked to complications including cardiovascular disease, and experts have told CBS News that preventative care is the best way to keep dental health in check. Putting fluoride in public water supplies has been common in the United States since the 1950s, and researchers say drinking water is the main source of fluoride for Americans. At high levels, fluoride has been linked to health concerns including possibly lower IQs, but the levels maintained in drinking water systems are much lower. There are recommended levels of fluoride in water, and researchers say that at those levels, people are not likely to experience any adverse effects. "Seventy years of research, thousands of studies and the experience of more than 210 million Americans tell us that water fluoridation is effective in preventing cavities and is safe for children and adults," the American Dental Association says online . Studies have "consistently shown that communities with fluoridated water have lower rates of cavities," Dr. Kevin Sands, a board-certified cosmetic dentist based in Beverly Hills, California, previously told CBS News. "Moreover, water fluoridation is a cost-effective public health measure that reduces the need for more extensive dental treatments, ultimately improving overall dental health for the population." Nearly two-thirds of the nation drinks fluoridated water, but only about two in five Utah residents are served by community water systems receive it. The state ranks 44th in the nation for the percentage of residents that receive fluoridited water. State Rep. Stephanie Gricius, a Republican who sponsored the bill alongside state Sen. Kirk Cullimore, told the Associated Press that the bill "isn't anti-fluoride legislation." "I don't dispute that there can be positive benefits from fluoride, which is why the bill also includes a deregulation of the prescription," Gricius said. She called the bill "pro-informed consent and individual choice."
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Medical malpractice bill clears Utah Legislature with changes, but opponent says it still limits protections for victims
The Utah Legislature passed a bill that would help set protections for physicians in medical malpractice lawsuits while still seeking to cover the needs of victims. After multiple changes were made to HB503, it passed through the final vote in the House on Thursday by a vote of 47-27. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Katy Hall, R-South Ogden, will now go to the governor's desk for his signature. The original bill capped damages that could be awarded in medical malpractice cases that didn't result in death. This provision proved controversial and was eventually taken out. 'I think what we've come up with is really good, because we've protected those who are legitimately harmed by malpractice. We want them to be taken care of,' Hall said. Despite the changes, there are still people who believe this bill will limit the amount of money victims can receive. Hall started working on this bill after she was approached by a constituent who works in a clinic in Davis County who had concerns about frivolous malpractice lawsuits. 'He's worried about losing physicians because of the cost of medical malpractice, and not only the costs in money, but also the costs in just what it costs to the people who are being sued,' Hall said. Hall said they worked through this bill to make sure that they were protecting the victims as well as the doctors in medical malpractice cases. 'So if they have a catastrophic, heaven forbid, a catastrophic event that is life altering, they can still sue the malpractice insurance for hospitals or physicians wherever, whoever was involved to get what they need, so that still is protected,' Hall said. Hall, whose husband is a physician, shared that because of the high cost of liability insurance, the state is losing doctors, especially in small town areas where the number of physicians is more limited. Because of this she wanted to set protections for these doctors so that they could stay in their jobs. 'I'm a nurse, and I understand both sides, I mean, we need our physicians to stay in practice, right?' Hall said. 'Because even if someone gets hurt, someone still has to help them along the way too, other physicians. And I believe that most of our physicians are really, really good at their jobs.' HB503 would require plaintiffs to pay the defendant's attorney fees if the court finds that their claim doesn't have merit, in an effort to decrease frivolous lawsuits. Hall shared that sometimes when a lawsuit is brought up, defense lawyers will say that they're going to go after the doctor's home and other assets so doctors get scared and decide to settle. The bill would prevent this from happening by no longer allowing lawyers to go after the physician's assets. It would create a framework for determining economic damages based on payments made for medical expenses. The bill would require the Division of Professional Licensing to put together yearly reports to summarize malpractice claims and outcomes around Utah. Under HB503, physicians would be required to hold an insurance policy of at least $1 million. The bill originally had a $1 million cap for malpractice cases that did not result in death, but that portion of the bill was removed after victims testified about the high cost of medical care that can be incurred by those who live after a botched medical procedure. Eric Nielson, a medical malpractice lawyer who has been practicing in Utah for 40 years, is opposed to the bill and the idea of capping how much money people can receive in damages after being injured during a medical procedure. 'Because it's blatantly unconstitutional and it's anti-American,' he said. Though the bill sponsor removed the specific language about a cap, Nielson said the bill would still limit how much plaintiffs can receive in their cases. 'They just don't want to call it a cap. It has the net effect of creating a cap. And just think about how unfair this is,' Nielson said. Nielson sees a cap resulting from those suing not being able to go after a doctor's assets and because of the required $1 million insurance policies. Nielson said he believes the bill is meant to benefit insurance companies. But Hall denied those claims, saying, 'I run bills for constituents. I don't run bills for lobbyists or for big groups like that.'
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Utah moves to ban fluoride in drinking water. It would be the first for any US state.
Utah could soon become the first state to ban the mineral fluoride in public drinking water, according to legislation in the state. House Bill, 81 introduced by Rep. Stephanie Gricius and Sen. Kirk A. Cullimore, both Republicans, was approved by the Utah State Senate on Friday. The bill addresses provisions related to water fluoridation and prescription fluoride supplements. In addition to prohibiting adding fluoride to public water systems, the bill also: Allows pharmacists to prescribe fluoride; Directs the Division of Professional Licensing to establish guidelines for prescribing the mineral. If signed by Gov. Spencer J. Cox, the bill would become law in May. USA TODAY has reached out to Cox's office. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention named public water fluoridation one of the top 10 public health achievements of the 20th Century. The practice of adding small amounts of fluoride to public drinking water to strengthen teeth is endorsed by the American Dental Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics. The organizations point to research that found fluoridated water reduces tooth decay by 25% in children and adults. Watch out for these signs of skin cancer, experts say The bill's approval comes after a federal report in August linked high levels of fluoride in other countries to lower IQs in children, adding new evidence in the debate over adding fluoride to public drinking water systems. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' National Toxicity Program report evaluated a collection of studies on populations in Canada, China, India, Iran, Pakistan and Mexico. The review examined total fluoride exposure from all sources, so it did not solely measure health effects of drinking fluoridated water. But experts previously told USA TODAY they expected it would likely generate debate among anti-fluoride groups pushing for ballot measures to ban fluoride in water in local communities. Drinking water with more than 1.5 milligrams of fluoride per liter was "consistently associated with lower IQ in children," the report said. It did not say how much IQ might be lowered in children who drink water with fluoride levels that exceed that amount. The report also did not say whether adults could be affected by high levels of fluoride. The U.S. Public Health Service recommends public water systems contain a fluoride level of .7 milligrams per liter of water. The World Health Organization's recommended limit for fluoride in drinking water in 1.5 milligrams per liter. Federal public health agencies recommend public water systems be calibrated to less than half the fluoride levels which this research links to lower IQ in children. Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@ and follow her on X @nataliealund. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Utah may become first state to ban fluoride in public drinking water
Yahoo
28-01-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Bill aims to prevent unlicensed life coaches from practicing mental health therapy
Utah lawmakers are considering a bill to strengthen 'guardrails' around the scope of who can practice certain mental health therapies and crack down on instances of so-called life coaches engaging in conversion therapy. SB48, sponsored by Spanish Fork Sen. Mike McKell, R-Spanish Fork, expands the definition of mental health therapy and creates an enforcement fund to educate and train professionally licensed therapists, and investigate unprofessional and unlawful conduct. The bill comes amid concerns that unlicensed life coaches are offering services similar to professional therapy. Unlike mental health professionals — who are licensed through the state's Division of Professional Licensing — anyone can call themselves a life coach with no qualifications. McKell's bill adds "conveying an opinion as to the validity of an individual's established diagnosis" to the definition of mental health therapy. "We want mental health professionals to do that, and we only want mental professionals to do that," he told the Senate Health and Human Services Committee Monday, adding that the bill would help "root out those that are practicing mental health without a license." The bill passed unanimously out of the committee Monday, but McKell said he is working on changes to address conversion therapy, a widely discredited practice intended to change a person's sexual orientation or gender identity. Utah banned mental health therapists from practicing conversion therapy on children in 2023, but McKell said he recently learned that some life coaches are offering conversion therapy as a work-around to the ban. "I think that should concern everybody in this room," he said. "It's banned in our state — we're not going to change that, but as we draw guardrails and try to protect our mental health industry against some of the weird stuff that we see with life coaching, that may come forward at another date." Jessica Black, the legislative chairwoman of the Utah Mental Health Counselors Association, spoke in support of the bill and the proposed amendments to address conversion therapy. She said some life coaches may be working with licensed therapists — with the coach overseeing the conversion therapy with the child while the licensed professional only sees the parent. "That's kind of how they're getting around this," Black said. "People are putting themselves out as licensed professionals, but if they harm someone, those people have no recourse." Black said some life coaches advertise themselves as if they are licensed therapists, saying their practice is "deeply informed by my clinical experience and expertise" even while noting that their services are "not therapy, per se." Sarah Stroup, with the Utah Association of Marriage and Family Therapy, spoke in support of the bill, saying it is also intended to "prevent bad actors in the mental health field from pivoting to life coach when they have faced disciplinary action." SB48 now advances to the Senate floor.
