First Edition: April 10, 2015

Kaiser Health News: Federal Marketplace More Adept Than States At Enrolling Customers, Study Finds
Despite its rocky launch, the federal health insurance exchange did better than the exchanges run by individual states at both enrolling new people in Obamacare and hanging onto previous enrollees during the 2015 open enrollment period that ended in February, according to a recent analysis. (Andrews, 4/10)

Kaiser Health News: Tougher Vaccine Exemption Bill In Calif. Clears First Hurdle
A California bill that would allow parents to opt out of mandatory school vaccinations for their children only if they have a medical condition that justifies an exemption was endorsed by a state Senate committee but still has a long, controversial path before becoming law. The bill was introduced in the California Senate in response to a measles outbreak at Disneyland in late December that’s now linked to almost 150 infections. (Bartolone, 4/9)

Los Angeles Times: Four Largest States Have Sharp Disparities In Access To Health Care
The national divide over the Affordable Care Act is beginning to affect Americans' access to medical care and perhaps even their ability to pay medical bills, a new study of the country's four largest states suggests. Residents of Florida and Texas, which have resisted expanding insurance coverage through the health law, reported more problems getting needed care than residents of California and New York, which both guarantee coverage to their residents. (Levey, 4/10)

Politico Pro: Some States Give Insurers Flexibility Before King Ruling
The uncertainty over King v. Burwell is prompting a handful of states to allow health insurers to submit two sets of proposed 2016 premium rates — one for each Supreme Court scenario. If the Supreme Court in late June rules against the Obama administration and halts subsidies in 34 states, the cost of insurance is expected to increase significantly because mostly the sickest people would keep their coverage. The potential for such a sudden change makes it complicated for insurers to plan their rates for 2016 — a process that is beginning now. (Pradhan, 4/9)

Politico: Top GOP Negotiators Return Early To Work On Budget
The top House and Senate budget negotiators are returning to Washington early from congressional recess to begin to hash out a final fiscal blueprint agreement, several sources told Politico. ... But they still have to iron out some differences, including the size and scope of future domestic spending, how specific to go in wringing savings out of Medicare and how to use a powerful procedural tool that allows the Senate to pass legislation on a simple majority vote instead of the typical 60-vote threshold. (Bade and Sherman, 4/9)

The Wall Street Journal: Obama Administration Report Slams Digital Health Records
The Obama administration took vendors of electronic health records to task for making it costly and cumbersome to share patient information and frustrating a $30 billion push to use digital records to improve quality and cut costs. The report, by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, listed a litany of complaints it has received about vendors allegedly charging hefty fees to set up connections and share patient records; requiring customers to use proprietary platforms; and making it prohibitively expensive to switch systems. (Beck, 4/10)

The Wall Street Journal: Medical Labs Settle Case; Ex-CEO, Contractor Sued
Federal authorities are cracking down on cardiac biomarker laboratories that they allege paid doctors kickbacks to provide patients’ blood samples for testing. Health Diagnostic Laboratory Inc. and Singulex Inc. agreed to pay at least $47 million and $1.5 million, respectively, to settle civil allegations filed by the Justice Department that they paid doctors for patient blood and billed Medicare for medically unnecessary testing. (Carreyrou, 4/19)

The Associated Press: Elder Care Costs Keep Climbing; Nursing Home Bill Now $91K
The steep cost of caring for the elderly continues to climb. The median bill for a private room in a nursing home is now $91,250 a year, according to an industry survey out Thursday. The annual "Cost of Care" report from Genworth Financial tracks the staggering rise in expenses for long-term care, a growing financial burden for families, governments and insurers like Genworth. The cost of staying in a nursing home has increased 4 percent every year over the last five years, the report says. Last year, the median bill was $87,600. (Craft, 4/9)

The Wall Street Journal: Battle Heats Up Over Unionizing Of Pennsylvania Home Health Aides
A new battle over organizing home health aides has sprung up in Pennsylvania as several groups try to block an executive order issued by Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf that could make it easier for unions to target the low-wage but fast-growing group of workers. The Pennsylvania Homecare Association and United Cerebral Palsy of Pennsylvania filed a lawsuit Monday in state court arguing that the February order violates state labor law. The order creates a path for labor to organize aides hired directly by consumers. (Maher, 4/9)

Los Angeles Times: Doctors At UC Student Health Clinics Start Strike
Unionized doctors began a rolling strike Thursday at student health clinics on UC campuses, accusing the university of unfair labor practices during negotiations for the physicians’ first contract. The walkout started early Thursday morning at five Northern and Central California campuses -- Berkeley, Davis, San Francisco, Santa Cruz and Merced -- and is scheduled to last four days. (Gordon, 4/9)

USA Today: Arizona Health Law Could Boost Theranos' Bio-Tech Prospects
Much has been written in the past year about the dynamic Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos, her bold quest to overhaul the $60 billion blood taking and analysis business. Holmes’ twist: requiring only one drop of blood vs. many vials for a battery of tests using Theranos’ proprietary hardware and software. The 10-year-old startup – valued at $9 billion on $400 million in raised capital – remains in quasi-stealth mode, testing its proof-of-concept in its Theranos Wellness Centers inside a Walgreens in Palo Alto, Calif., and a number of them around Phoenix. (Cava, 4/9)

The New York Times: For Mentally Ill Inmates, A Cycle Of Jail And Hospitals
For years, Rikers has been filling with people like Mr. Megginson, who have complicated psychiatric problems that are little understood and do not get resolved elsewhere: the unwashed man passed out in a public stairwell; the 16-year-old runaway; the drug addict; the belligerent panhandler screaming in a full subway car. It is a problem that cuts two ways. At the jail, with its harsh conditions and violent culture, the mentally ill can deteriorate, their symptoms worsening in ways Rikers is unequipped to handle. As they get sicker, they strike out at guards and other correction employees, often provoking more violence. (Winerip and Schwirtz, 4/10)

The Associated Press: NY Court Upholds Restriction On Doctor Convicted Of Bribery
A New York court has upheld a state restriction against a doctor convicted of bribing a state senator in a failed attempt to keep Parkway Hospital in Queens operating. The Administrative Review Board for Professional Medical Conduct sustained a professional misconduct finding against Dr. Robert Aquino and said he could have his own private practice but not own or operate a medical facility. (4/9)