State Highlights: Md., Va. State Budgets Advance; Wis. SeniorCare Proposal Stalls
A selection of health policy stories from Maryland, Virginia, Wisconsin, California, Indiana, Missouri, Texas, Arizona and Georgia.
The Washington Post:
Maryland Senate Unanimously Approves Budget
The House Appropriations Committee restored the reductions in education spending and a 2 percent cost-of-living adjustment for state workers. But it also halved a $150 million additional payment to the state employees’ pension system. The committee made various reductions to Medicaid and the Temporary Cash Assistance Program and saved $90 million by making changes to the local income tax reserve fund. (Wiggins, 3/26)
The Associated Press:
McAuliffe Signs State Budget With Raises For State Workers
The GOP-controlled General Assembly did not include expanding Medicaid in its budget, which has been a top priority for McAuliffe and state Democrats. Medicaid expansion is a key part of the Affordable Care Act and about half of the states have implemented it. Democrats say the mostly federally funded expansion would help the poor and the state’s health care system, Republicans say Medicaid expansion is financially unsustainable. (Suderman, 3/26)
The Associated Press:
Republican Says Walker's Proposal For SeniorCare Is Dead
Gov. Scott Walker's proposal to require enrollees in the popular SeniorCare prescription drug program to first sign up for Medicare Part D coverage is dead, the Republican co-chair of the Legislature's budget committee said Thursday. Walker's idea ran into bipartisan opposition in the Legislature, and the AARP and other groups representing senior citizens strongly disapproved of it. They feared the changes would increase costs for prescription drugs making it difficult for cash-strapped older people to make ends meet. (Bauer, 3/26)
Kaiser Health News:
Some Face A Big Bill From Medi-Cal — After They Die
Catherine Jarett ran into a nasty surprise after she sent a form to Medi-Cal on behalf of her clients. An estate attorney, Jarett was hired by the sons of an elderly Vallejo woman who had died. For more than 20 years, the woman had been enrolled in Medi-Cal, as the state’s Medicaid insurance program for the poor is known. (Aliferis, 3/27)
Nexstar Broadcasting:
Right To Die Bill Continues In California State Assembly
A new bill that would allow terminally ill patients to legally end their life with medication makes it through it's first hurdle in the state assembly. It all stems from a California Bay Area woman who left the state in order to die. (3/26)
The Wall Street Journal:
The Push For ‘Right To Try’ Drugs For The Seriously Ill
A divisive measure called “right to try” is getting a tryout in Indiana. As Gov. Michael Pence deals with an outbreak of HIV in the state, his agenda also includes an unrelated health initiative about drug access. Earlier in the week, the governor signed a bill allowing people who are battling life-threatening conditions to gain access to experimental medicines. Known as a “right to try” law, the idea is to leapfrog a drug-development process that takes years before new treatments become available. (Silverman, 3/26)
Los Angeles Times:
Kaiser Ordered To Pay Woman More Than $28 Million
A Los Angeles jury awarded more than $28 million to a woman who said Kaiser Permanente doctors wrongly delayed an MRI that could have detected an aggressive cancerous tumor that caused her to lose her right leg. Attorneys for 23-year-old Anna Rahm of Chatsworth argued that a cancerous tumor in her pelvis grew during the three months she and her mother tried to persuade Kaiser doctors to authorize an MRI. By the time the test was finally approved, doctors were forced to amputate Rahm's right leg, half of her pelvis and part of her spine. (Pfeifer, 3/26)
Arizona Republic:
Anthem, Premera Blue Cross Data Breaches May Affect Thousands In AZ
Thousands of current or former Arizona customers of Anthem and Premera Blue Cross may have had sensitive personal information, such as Social Security numbers and birth dates, stolen by hackers during recent attacks. (Alltucker, 3/26)
Georgia Health News:
Potential Merger Sparks Concern On Prices
As merger talks continue between Emory Healthcare and WellStar Health System, a consumer advocacy group has voiced concerns about the potential impact of a deal in the metro Atlanta market. (Miller, 3/26)
St. Louis Public Radio:
Access To Mental Health Care A Challenge In Rural Areas
Every day, LaDonna Haley talks to patients who can’t find a psychiatrist or counselor who takes new clients in the St. Louis area. She estimates that 10 percent of those callers live in a rural county. The psychiatrists, counselors and therapists that are based in Missouri’s Warren, Jefferson and Franklin counties are often swamped with requests for appointments, Haley said. If someone can find a provider, they might pay out-of-pocket if their insurance plan doesn’t cover mental health. That can be an expensive investment, and driving all the way to St. Louis may not be feasible for everyone, she said. (Bouscaren, 3/26)
The Texas Tribune:
Court Blocks Medical Leave Benefits For Same-Sex Couples
A federal court has temporarily blocked a federal rule change that would give medical leave benefits to certain same-sex couples, according to an announcement Thursday from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. In a lawsuit filed this month, Paxton challenged the Obama administration's change to the federal Family and Medical Leave Act, or FMLA, which would have granted paid time off to legally married same-sex couples, even if they live in a state like Texas that does not recognize gay marriage. The rule change was scheduled to go into effect Friday. (Ura, 3/26)
The Washington Post's Wonkblog:
Arizona Is Moving To Block Abortion Coverage, Cutting Off Poor Women
Arizona could soon become the latest state to block women from purchasing insurance plans through the federal health-care exchanges that cover abortion. The trend started soon after the Affordable Care Act created the marketplaces, granting states the power to decide if and how Obamacare plans cover termination. Supporters argue Arizona’s controversial measure will stop taxpayer money from funding procedures some deem immoral. (Pacquette, 3/26)
The Associated Press:
Cancer Hospital Fails To Get OK To Expand In Georgia
A bill to regulate home care for the elderly devolved Thursday into sarcastic debate in the state Senate when an effort was made to add an amendment that would have given an Illinois-based cancer treatment hospital chain part of what it tried unsuccessfully to get weeks ago. Senators passed a measure by Republican Sen. Greg Kirk to safeguard the elderly, but only after beating back three amendments, including one that would have allowed Cancer Treatment Centers of America to go back on part of the agreement with lawmakers that got it into the state in 2008. (Hendrick, 3/26)
