Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Democratic Wins In Ga., Fla., Could Mean More Money For Hospital Chains
Bloomberg: Democratic Gubernatorial Victories Seen Aiding Hospitals
Democratic victories in gubernatorial races in Florida and Georgia would help hospital chains as Medicaid is expanded, according to Bloomberg Intelligence. If Democrats take executive offices from Republicans in those toss-up states as well as in Kansas and Alaska, they may enlarge the program, which would increase hospital admissions and reduce free care, said analysts Gerard Campagna and Jason McGorman. HCA Holdings Inc., the largest U.S. hospital operator, and Tenet Healthcare Corp. are among companies that may benefit the most. (Braun, 10/31)
NBC News: Not Just Candidates: Abortion, Guns And More On The November Ballot
Voters will pick who they’re sending to Congress and to their statehouses on Tuesday, but many will also get to weigh in on issues like abortion, gun control, marijuana and the minimum wage. In more than 40 states, voters’ ballots will include statewide measures on important issues. (O'Connor, 11/1)
Politico: Anti-Abortion 'Personhood' Movement Faces North Dakota Test
Radical elements in the anti-abortion movement keep coming up short in their effort to define an embryo as a “person” with constitutional rights. It’s failed on the ballot in conservative strongholds like Mississippi and in Republican-dominated legislatures around the country. (Haberkorn, 11/3)
ProPublica: As Vote Nears, North Dakota Amendment Stirs Debate About More Than Abortion
On Tuesday, voters here will decide the fate of a proposed amendment to the state constitution that has provoked excitement and fear among the combatants in the country's never-ending abortion wars. The ballot initiative known as Measure 1 — which would enshrine "the inalienable right to life of every human being at any stage of development" — has attracted millions of dollars in contributions, as well as the involvement of one of the nation's best-known conservative strategists. From the start, Measure 1 was aimed squarely at ending abortion. "I'm hoping it will be a direct challenge to Roe v. Wade," the amendment's chief sponsor in the North Dakota legislature declared last year. Leaders of the burgeoning personhood movement — who believe that establishing legal rights for the unborn is the key to overturning that 1973 decision — have made Measure 1's passage a national priority. (Martin, 10/31)
The Washington Post: Planned Parenthood Vs. Personhood In Colorado
Amendment 67 would allow prosecutors to bring charges against someone who commits a crime against a fetus. Proponents are going out of their way to insist that the measure has nothing to do with abortion, and Alderman, vice president of public affairs for Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains, is worried that voters won't recognize its similarity to other "personhood" initiatives they've rejected in the past. (Zezima, 11/2)
Elsewhere, initiatives and races in California, Arizona and North Carolina are examined --
Los Angeles Times: Poll: Support For Lighter Sentences, But Not 2 Health Care Measures
Voters strongly back a ballot measure to soften penalties for certain drug and theft crimes, but two healthcare initiatives face much stiffer opposition, a new USC Dornsife/Los Angeles Times poll shows. The healthcare-related measures, Propositions 45 and 46, have faced an onslaught of negative advertising from well-financed opposition campaigns, damaging their prospects at the ballot box Tuesday. (Mason, 11/2)
Arizona Central-Republic: Fact Check: Tobin On Kirkpatrick's Medicare Votes
[State Rep. Andy] Tobin, who's in a tight race with [Rep. Ann] Kirkpatrick to represent the northern Arizona district, is repeating a common criticism levied at Democrats who supported the health care law proposed by President Barack Obama. Democrats in Congress, including Kirkpatrick, narrowly passed the law commonly referred to as "Obamacare" in March 2010. The law included changes in funding for parts of Medicare. (Shumway, 10/31)
North Carolina Health News: Wake County Campaign Pits Health Care Providers Against Each Other
There are few health care providers slated to be in this year’s crop of state legislators. In one district, two providers are running against each other. (Hoban, 10/31)
North Carolina Health News: Sales Tax On Ballot To Fund Three McPherson County Hospitals
Voters in McPherson County will decide Tuesday whether to raise their sales tax by a half-cent, with proceeds going to three hospitals in the county. If the ballot measure passes, 75 percent of the tax revenue would go to McPherson Hospital, and the remaining 25 percent would be split evenly between Lindsborg Hospital and Moundridge's Mercy Hospital. The increase would take effect in April and expire after 10 years. The money generated could be used for capital improvements or operating budgets. McPherson Hospital would get about $1.65 million per year if the measure passes. The facility has one wing built in 1921 and another built in 1971. It is in the midst of a multi-phase renovation project. (Marso, 10/31)
