From The State Capitols: Youth Tackle Football Ban; Surprise Medical Bill Solution; Medicaid Co-Pays; ‘Shared Savings’ Plans; And More

The New York Times: Massachusetts Bill Would Ban Tackle Football Until After Seventh Grade
Less than a month after the New England Patriots won the Super Bowl, a group of Massachusetts lawmakers has proposed a bill that would ban organized youth tackle football until after seventh grade. The bill, which moved to the Massachusetts Legislature’s Joint Committee on Public Health this week, follows attempts by legislators in five other states who have tried — but failed — to pass similar measures to protect growing brains from traumatic injury. The bipartisan bill, known as No Hits, would impose financial penalties for any school league or other entity that does not comply. (Rueb, 3/1)

Houston Chronicle: New Bill Will Get Patients Out Of Middle Of Billing Fights 
Texas patients would be removed from the middle of fights between insurers and health care providers, and the longstanding practice of balance billing would be curbed under legislation filed Thursday. "Enough is enough," said state Sen. Kelly Hancock at a press conference to announce the bi-partisan measure. Hancock filed the measure along with state Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer, D-San Antonio. (Deam, 2/28)

Texas Tribune: Sweeping Legislation Takes Aim At Shock Emergency Room Bills In Texas
Typically, the unexpected and often confusing bills result when disputes between out-of-network doctors and insurance companies leave patients holding the bag — even if they had no choice in selecting their medical provider. But now, state Sen. Kelly Hancock, R-North Richland Hills, and Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer, D-San Antonio, want to keep those disputes from spilling over onto patients' bills. They unveiled their bipartisan legislation at the Texas Capitol Thursday. (Root and Najmabadi, 2/28)

Cleveland Plain Dealer: Ohio Medicaid Expansion Patients Would Face Co-Pays, Premiums Under New Bill
A new bill in the Ohio Senate would require Medicaid expansion enrollees to pay premiums and make copayments on some medical services. Senate Bill 60, which would start a program called in the bill the Medicaid Personal Responsibility Initiative, doesn’t have specific dollar amounts for co-pays and premiums. That’s purposeful, said sponsor Sen. David Burke, a Union County Republican. (Hancock, 2/28)

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Evers Budget: Wisconsin Governor Rolls Out Plan For Medicaid Expansion
The governor has proposed covering adults in BadgerCare Plus, the state’s largest Medicaid program, up to the threshold that would enable Wisconsin to receive the additional federal dollars available through the Affordable Care Act. That would free an estimated $320 million in state revenue over the biennium that the governor has proposed partially spending on health programs, including spending $43 million on an array of initiatives to improve access to dental care for low-income children and adults. (Boulton, 2/28)

The Associated Press: Kansas Lawmakers Struggle Over School Aid, Medicaid, Taxes
Kansas lawmakers have hit the halfway point of their annual session and they haven't had a hearing on a Medicaid expansion plan or pushed an education funding bill out of committee in the face of a court mandate to boost spending on public schools. And the GOP-dominated Legislature doesn't just appear to be slow-walking new Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly's big initiatives. Despite Republican supermajorities, an income tax relief bill that GOP leaders consider an urgent priority hasn't cleared both chambers. (2/28)

Health News Florida: DeSantis Backs ‘Shared Savings’ Health Plan
Gov Ron DeSantis is throwing his support behind a proposal that could lead to insurance companies and HMOs returning premiums to savvy customers who are willing to shop around for health care. Appearing at Memorial Regional Hospital in Broward County on Wednesday, DeSantis supported bills filed for the upcoming legislative session that would establish “shared savings incentive” programs. (Sexton, 2/28)

Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee Lawmakers Debate Support For Families, Children With Disabilities
In Tennessee, nearly all children with severe disabilities who come from middle- and high-income families do not qualify for the state's Medicaid program because their parents' salary is too high. Many of these families have private insurance and at least one working parent — and some have savings. But for the families of kids with complex medical needs and long-term disabilities, those safety nets aren't enough. (Bliss, 2/28)

Austin American-Statesman: Texas Senate Committee OKs Bill That Smacks Down Austin's Sick Leave Policy
Austin’s ordinance mandating paid sick leave for private employees got a swift diagnosis from detractors Thursday — a bad case of government overreach — even as supporters called it a boon for low-wage workers and for public health overall if it ever takes effect. The comments came during a hearing at the Capitol over Senate Bill 15, a proposal that would prohibit Austin and other local governments from regulating sick leave policies for private businesses or from putting in place other regulations “requiring any terms of employment that exceed or conflict” with federal or state law. (Sechler, 2/28)

Georgia Health News: Legislative Effort To Overhaul CON System Stalled In Senate
The proposed reform of the state’s certificate-of-need (CON) system faces an uncertain fate, just days before a legislative deadline. Lawmakers are considering the broadest revamp of the controversial regulatory program in years, and several hearings have been held on the issue. (Miller, 2/28)

Des Moines Register: Iowa Poll: Children's Mental Health Screenings Favored By Most Iowans
More than three-quarters of Iowans support a proposal to routinely screen children for mental health issues, a new Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll shows. Seventy-seven percent of Iowa adults favor a universal mental health screening program for children, with a provision allowing parents to opt their kids out of it. Just 15 percent oppose the proposal, and 8 percent are unsure. (Leys, 2/28)