State Highlights: Calif. Union Takes Aim At High Health Care Costs; Minn. ‘Failed’ Model Could Serve As Lesson For Amazon

Politico: California Union Leverages Ballot Initiatives For Health Care On Its Own Terms
One of California's most powerful heath care unions wants the public to press hospitals and insurers over high costs, filing 10 state and local propositions for November’s elections — a tactic critics deride as an inappropriate attempt to gain negotiating leverage via the ballot box. Following victories to raise the minimum wage in Arizona, Colorado, Maine and Washington, the Service Employees International Union – United Healthcare Workers West got state approval to collect signatures for two California propositions: one to prevent health insurers with high reserves from raising premiums, and another that would tax millionaires to help fund safety-net hospitals and clinics. (Colliver, 2/5)

The Star Tribune: Like Amazon, Big Companies In Minn. Tried To Upend Health Care, But The Effort Fell Apart 
The effort rolled out last week by three of the nation's most influential companies to revamp health care is the latest in a series of such pushes by corporate America, including a widely heralded effort in the Twin Cities that ultimately failed. For a period during the late 1990s, big employers in Minnesota launched an innovative program that gave workers data to help them shop for health care based on the cost and quality of care provided by competing groups of doctors and hospitals. (Snowbeck, 2/5)

Dallas Morning News: State Of Emergency: An Examination Of Freestanding ERs In Texas
Since the Legislature passed a 2009 law allowing freestanding emergency rooms to operate in Texas, the industry has taken off statewide. The facilities aim to add convenience by allowing patients to be seen faster than in full-service hospitals' ERs — where overcrowding has been an issue — and by making emergency care more accessible in areas without a hospital nearby. But health economists say the business model grew too fast, and questions have been raised about whether Texans were fully aware that the centers are not always a lower-cost option. (Rice and Joseph, 2/5)

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett Withdraws Health Nominee After Outcry
Mayor Tom Barrett is withdrawing his pick to serve as temporary head of the troubled Milwaukee Health Department. Barrett said Monday he was dropping his appointment of Paul Nannis because it was clear that he did not have the votes to be confirmed by aldermen. (Spicuzza and Bice, 2/5)

The Associated Press: Death Takes A Toll: Bill Helps First Responders With PTSD
Former Orlando police officer Gerry Realin isn't the same since he spent five hours in the Pulse nightclub among the bodies of those killed in what was then the nation's deadliest mass shooting. He's been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and sometimes still thinks he smells the dead bodies that lay in the hot club as police processed the crime scene. The once fun, mischievous practical joker now is a recluse. He rarely goes out, and when he does, it's to paddleboard alone to enjoy nature or to spend time at a park with his wife and children. He avoids crowds. (2/5)

Arizona Republic: Phoenix-Area Police, Autism Groups Bridge Gap With Training, Education
Cynthia Macluskie, founder of Autism Society of Greater Phoenix, said all major first-responder agencies in the Phoenix area partner with health centers and local organizations to tap into learning opportunities. Macluskie wants to ensure those with autism are prepared. (Gomez, 2/5)

Nashville Tennessean: Diane Black: Jobs, Health Care, Education Are Top Campaign Issues
U.S. Rep. Diane Black said Monday the top issues in her campaign for Tennessee governor are jobs and the economy, health care and education. ...“I am not for expanding Medicaid. I know what is going to happen with the expansion of Medicaid. The federal government right now is at a point where it cannot afford the Medicaid expansion, so I do not want to get into a situation where we have to back out.” (Buie, 2/5)

Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Adoption Bill Fight Is Now About Living Expenses For Birth Mothers
As posted this weekend, Gov. Nathan Deal and Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle appeared to have come to agreement over a Senate initiative to give sanction to a church-based, private foster care system that would allow parents to hand off custody of their children for up to a year at a time. But also posted this weekend was a column by Robert White, executive director of the Georgia Baptist Mission Board, and Mike Griffin, the lobbyist for Georgia Baptists at the state Capitol. (Galloway, Bluestein and Hallerman, 2/5)

Houston Chronicle: Suicide Attempts Have More Than Doubled In Texas Prisons 
The attempted suicide rate recorded inside the Texas prison system has doubled in four years, a trend that some experts call "concerning" and others see as a positive sign the Texas Department of Criminal Justice is getting more serious about tracking mental health issues. It's not entirely clear what's behind the shift. Some experts point to staff turnover and an increasingly mentally ill prison population. But according to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, the four-year increase all stems from a 2013 push for better suicide prevention training that could have broadened the understanding of what counts as an attempt. (Blakinger, 2/5)

KCUR: More Health Care Workers Want In On Kansas Telemedicine 
A proposed telemedicine bill has Kansas medical providers pushing for a new chance to make their services eligible for reimbursement. Under the House bill, introduced last month, licensed mental health care professionals and physicians can tend to faraway patients over phone or video calls. Insurers would have to cover their services as if they had seen patients in person. Groups representing chiropractors, occupational therapists, nurses and other health professionals made their case for inclusion before the House Health and Human Services Committee on Monday. (Fox, 2/5)

KQED: Richmond Launches Review Of Metal Yard That Went Up In Flames
Richmond city officials have begun to scrutinize the Sims Metal Management facility, where a smoky fire forced thousands of residents to stay indoors last week. The city’s Planning and Building Department will review whether Sims is complying with rules governing its work near the Port of Richmond, according to Richard Mitchell, the department’s director. (Goldberg, 2/5)

Texas Tribune: Medical Cannabis Dispensaries Are Opening In Texas, But The Newly Legal Oils Still Aren't Easy To Procure
But as dispensaries are opening, Texans like Campbell’s daughter might still have a hard time getting access to the oil from marijuana plants. Currently, fewer than 20 doctors across the state are registered with the Texas Department of Public Safety to prescribe it. (Samuels, 2/5)