Perspectives On The Ground: In Defense Of N.H.’s Medicaid Expansion; Does Calif.’s Transparency Bill Do No Harm?
Opinion pages include thoughts on current state legislative issues and activities as well as on how politics in Washington could play out locally.
Concord (N.H.) Monitor:
Sununu Should Fight To Preserve Medicaid Expansion
New Hampshire’s bipartisan Medicaid expansion plan is boosting our economy and providing access to life-saving services, including substance use disorder treatment and recovery programs, to more than 50,000 Granite Staters. That is why it is so troubling that Washington Republicans keep trying to sabotage it – if they can’t eliminate it altogether. (Democratic State Sen. Donna Soucy and Rep. Cindy Rosenwald, 8/28)
Sacramento Bee:
Don't Sacrifice Cures For Drug Price Transparency
The stated goal of Senate Bill 17 is to increase transparency by requiring drug companies to give advance notice of price increases. I am concerned that the bill will have unintended consequences that could harm patients in the long run, while doing nothing to address prices that consumers actually pay for medicine. (Deborah Goldberg, 8/25)
The Oregonian:
Health Insurance And Hospital Taxes Will Hurt Individuals, Small Business
Since becoming active in Oregon politics, I've seen some serious campaign whoppers. But this summer's propaganda coming from Our Oregon, the front group for the public employee and nurses' unions, wins hands down for its doomsday scare tactics and false messaging about the health care tax referendum. (Julie Parrish, 8/27)
San Antonio Press Express:
About That ‘Rape Insurance’ Requirement
At the close of this summer’s special session, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed into law a ban on private insurance coverage of abortion in Texas. ... Of course, a huge problem with this bill is that we rarely anticipate our exact health care needs — that’s why we have insurance in the first place. (Nan Little Kirkpatrick, 8/25)
The Atlantic:
What Health Reform Means To The American Territories
There are about four million citizens living in the U.S. territories, yet they’re seldom considered in the calculus of national policy decisions. That blind spot is especially prominent in health-policy decisions, as the territories are uniquely dependent on federal programs and don’t have the same kind of latitude or flexibility as states to respond to the needs of citizens—who tend to be both poorer and sicker than their mainland counterparts. (Vann R. Newkirk II, 8/26)
