State Highlights: Ga. Autism Advocates Push To Increase Age Cap For Kids’ Insurance; Mass. Health Data Agency Cuts 65 Jobs

Atlanta Journal Constitution: Autism Advocates Want To Increase Age Cap For Insurance
Autism advocates say they will push for expansion next year on Georgia’s recent mandate to guarantee insurance coverage of children 6 and under, including a call to raise or remove the age cap. (Torres, 12/1)

Boston Globe: State Health Data Agency Is Cutting 65 Jobs
The public agency responsible for analyzing data about the Massachusetts health care market is eliminating dozens of jobs to contend with $45 million in planned budget cuts. The Center for Health Information and Analysis, or CHIA, will reduce spending over five years, part of a political compromise struck earlier this year to avoid a ballot question about hospital payments. The deal allowed the state to take money from CHIA to help fund community hospitals. (Dayal McCluskey, 12/2)

The Bend Bulletin: Hospital Smoking Bans Yield Fewer Fires
Over the past two decades, U.S. hospitals have been moving steadily toward establishing smoke-free campuses in a bid to promote healthier lifestyles among their patients and their staff. But the movement has had a secondary benefit — a reduction in the number of hospital fires. According to a new report issued by the National Fire Protection Association, smoking materials accounted for an average of 50 fires per year in hospitals and hospices from 2009 to 2013. That’s down from 100 fires per year from 2006 to 2010, and 3,800 fires per year from 1980 to 1984, when nearly half of smoking-related fires occurred in patient rooms. (Hawryluk, 12/1)

The Baltimore Sun: Maryland Hospitals Spend $1.6 Billion On Community Services 
Maryland's hospitals in the past year provided nearly $1.6 billion in services other than the medical care traditionally offered in emergency rooms, operating rooms, or hospital beds, according to the Maryland Hospital Association. The hospital association said its members spent 10 percent of their operating expenses on non-traditional services, or community benefits, such as chronic disease management programs, free health education and other public health programs. (McDaniels, 12/1)

The Philadelphia Inquirer: St. Christopher's Hospital For Children Again Faulted For Care After Third Surprise Inspection
For the third time this year, surprise inspections by state investigators have revealed serious shortcomings in patient care at St. Christopher's Hospital for Children. After the latest site inspection, in mid-October, investigators said the North Philadelphia hospital did not do enough to determine why four patients who underwent surgery suffered some kind of treatment-related harm during their stay. One of the patients died, though the cause of death was not revealed in the inspection report. (Avril and Purcell, 12/1)

Boston Globe: Galvin Files Fraud Charges Against Investment Adviser 
Secretary of State William F. Galvin on Thursday filed civil fraud charges against an investment adviser with Boston-based LPL Financial for allegedly selling costly variable annuities to retirees and health care workers, reaping $1.8 million in commissions. The adviser, Roger S. Zullo, allegedly sold unsuitable annuity investments to at least 11 clients, generating large payouts for himself and the brokerage firm. (Healy, 12/1)

Boston Globe: Caregiver Respite Program Launches In Reading 
Reading Trust Fund Commissioners recently announced the launch of a new Caregiver Respite Program, which provides care for Reading residents by certified home health aides through Hallmark Health VNA and Hospice for up to three hours per month. The new initiative is part of the Reading Response Program. (Buote, 12/1)

The Baltimore Sun: Area Public Health Experts Make Case For Federal Health Programs 
With a host of federal health programs on the line with the incoming Trump administration, some public health experts in the Baltimore region are both bracing for big changes and offering their take on how to better spend taxpayer funds to improve outcomes for millions of Americans. ...A panel of policy experts largely supportive of the health programs gathered this week at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and said large groups of people could be affected in the new year as GOP lawmakers in charge of the Congress and the White House make use a budgetary process to alter programs. (Cohn, 12/1)

The Star Tribune: With Greater Outreach, Hennepin County Aims To Curb HIV Cases 
Hennepin County officials unveiled a plan Thursday to reduce the spread of HIV, starting with outreach to residents who have the infection but are not receiving treatment. Last year, 168 county residents were diagnosed with the virus that causes AIDS — a number that has been fairly constant for nearly two decades. (Howatt, 12/1)

Los Angeles Times: California Health Officials Report First Death Of Flu Season
California health officials on Thursday confirmed the state’s first death of this year’s influenza season and reminded everyone to get a flu shot before more people get sick. “As this unfortunate case illustrates, the flu can be deadly and causes thousands of fatalities each year in the United States,” said Karen Smith, director of the California Department of Public Health. “Fortunately, people can get vaccinated to help keep them from getting sick and spreading the flu to others.” (Karlamangla, 12/1)

San Jose Mercury News: California Reports First Flu Death Of 2016-17 Flu Season
California public health officials on Thursday announced the first flu-related fatality of the 2016-17 flu season. The victim, whom the department would identify only as a person under age 65, died in Los Angeles County. (Seipel, 12/1)

Minnesota Public Radio: Hennepin Co. Seeking HIV-Infected People In Need Of Care 
Hoping to curb the spread of the virus that causes AIDS, Hennepin County officials Thursday launched a new effort to contact some 2,000 county residents who are HIV-positive but who've dropped out of care or never received it. Early and sustained medical treatment is now considered the key to stopping the spread of HIV because drugs have proven so effective. (Benson, 12/1)

Health News Florida: Court Rejects $18.5M Award In Smoker’s Death 
A South Florida appeals court Wednesday said an $18.5 million damages award against R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company was excessive in a lawsuit filed by the daughter of a woman who died of lung cancer. A panel of the 4th District Court of Appeal ordered that a circuit judge consider reducing the amount or hold a new trial on damages. The Palm Beach County case was filed against the tobacco company by Gwendolyn Odom, whose mother, Juanita Thurston, died of lung cancer in 1993 after smoking cigarettes. (12/1)

California Healthline: California Has High Aspirations For Lowering HIV Infections
Zero. That’s the number of new HIV infections California officials are aiming for under a comprehensive initiative released this fall. The “Getting to Zero” plan, intended to guide the state’s AIDS policy from 2017 to 2021, is designed to boost surveillance, increase access to care and eliminate disparities in treatment. (Korry, 12/2)

Richmond Times Dispatch: $20 Million Lawsuit Filed Against Richmond City Justice Center In Death Of Inmate
A Petersburg man was treated for the wrong medical condition and then died after jailers strapped him to a restraint chair at the Richmond City Justice Center in January, according to a wrongful-death lawsuit filed Thursday in federal court. (Kleiner and Burnell Evans, 12/1)

Minnesota Public Radio: Minnesota OKs Medical Pot For Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder 
Minnesota will allow the use of medical marijuana to treat people suffering post-traumatic stress disorder, state health officials said Thursday. The Minnesota Department of Health had been weighing requests to expand the use of medical cannabis for PTSD, autism, arthritis, depression and other conditions. (Feshir, 12/1)

The Star Tribune: PTSD Is Added To Minnesota's Medical Pot Program As Qualifying Condition 
Post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, is being added to the list of conditions covered by Minnesota’s medical cannabis program, effective next August. The expansion, announced Thursday by Health Commissioner Dr. Ed Ehlinger, adds an option for the estimated 8 percent of Minnesotans who, at some point in their lives, will suffer PTSD, a condition that can cause people to relive the emotion of traumatic experiences through panic attacks, nightmares and severe anxiety. (Olson, 12/1)

Kansas City Star: Petition Seeking Vote To Decriminalize Pot In KC Has Enough Signatures 
A petition initiative seeking a vote to decriminalize marijuana possession in Kansas City has enough signatures to qualify for an election ballot.City Clerk Marilyn Sanders said Thursday that election authorities had counted more than 2,000 valid signatures of registered voters, more than the 1,708 required to place a citizen-led initiative on a Kansas City ballot. (Horsley, 12/1)