The document summarizes two policy briefs. The first brief discusses the Maryland Medical Marijuana Act, which authorizes medical marijuana use under state law but not federal law. The second brief discusses the Fiscal Sustainability Act of 2013, which aims to reduce healthcare costs through various initiatives without lowering quality, such as adopting health IT, pay for performance, and comparative effectiveness research. The document examines differences between state and federal marijuana laws and options to reduce wasteful healthcare spending at the federal level.

1. State and Federal Policy
Brief Reviews
The Maryland Medical Marijuana Act
and
The Fiscal Sustainability act of 2013
Heather V. Westerfield MSN, RN CMSRN

2. State Brief
www.dc.about.co

3. Maryland Medical Marijuana Act
House Bill 302
Authorizes the medical use of marijuana under
specified conditions.
Protection from arrest in the state. (Still
prosecutable at the federal level)
www.wggb.com

4. Policy Brief
 Issue before congress is whether to allow the
use of medical marijuana without fear of
prosecution

5. Importance of the Problem
 The use of medical marijuana is illegal under
federal law.
 Patients can still be arrested by federal law
enforcement agents, and furthermore
prosecuted under federal law.
www.tokeofthetown.com

6. Reasons to Oppose
 Impaired coordination and decision making
ability
 No medical value
 “Smoking” is not a predictable delivery system
 Undermines the war on drugs

7. In Favor
 Treats symptoms
 Number of healthcare agencies support its use

8. Focus- Federal vs. State

9. Federal Brief

10. Fiscal Sustainability Act of 2013
 Senate Bill S.11
 To provide a comprehensive deficit reduction
plan, and for other purposes.
www.projectinsight.net

11. Slow down on Spending
 Reduce health care costs without reducing the
quality of care that is provided.

12. Types of Waste
 Failures of Care Delivery
 Failures of Care Coordination
 Overtreatment
 Administrative Complexity
 Pricing Failures
 Fraud and Abuse

13. Policy Options
 Waste attributed to the way they US health
system is:
 Organized
 Paid for
 Deliverd

14. IOM Recommendations
 September 2012
 Recommended changes will improve care and
reduce expenses.
 No Estimated cost savings
www.myinvestmentideas.com

15. What initiatives will help decrease
waste?
 Information Technology Adoption
 Pay-for-performance
 Payment and Delivery Reforms
 Comparative Effectiveness Research
 Competitive Bidding

16. Conclusion
 Reduce health care costs without reducing the
quality of care that is provided.
 Walk the fine line between offering healthcare
that is of no benefit and situations where
benefits are relatively small.
 There are many initiatives that are already in
place to help reduce waste in health care.