Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
State Highlights: N.H. Explores Why Its Health Care Costs Are High, Rising; Calif. Lawmakers To Weigh Open Health Care Data
The Associated Press: Insurance Department Explores Health Care Payment Reform
The New Hampshire Insurance Department is bringing together health care providers and insurers to explore why spending on health care is high and rising, and what can be done to change that. New Hampshire ranks in the top 10 states in health care spending per capita, and consultants hired by the department say health care costs are growing rapidly in the state largely because health care providers are charging more. The state has little competition among hospitals, which own many physician practices. The insurance market is highly concentrated, as well, and the consultants say the dominant insurers appear to be focused on maximizing their profits rather than using their market power to help consumers. (4/24)
California Healthline: Legislature's Turn To Consider Open Data
Last month, California HHS embraced the open data movement in health care with a decision to make more data available to the public online. Now it's the Legislature's turn. (Lauer, 4/23)
The Associated Press: New York AG Files Suit Against 2 Tanning Salon Chains
New York's attorney general has filed suit against two tanning salon chains, accusing them of downplaying health risks while playing up the allure of bronze skin. Attorney General Eric Schneiderman filed the lawsuits against Portofino Spas and Total Tan Thursday. He says both franchises falsely advertise the health benefits of indoor tanning by promoting it as a safe alternative to tanning outdoors. (4/24)
The Associated Press: Missouri House OKs Allowing Aspiring Doctors To Retake Exam
A Republican lawmaker who is an orthopedic surgeon says a measure moving forward in the Legislature would help alleviate the shortage of physicians in the state. The Missouri House on Thursday approved a measure by a vote of 110-36 that would remove the prohibition on physicians seeking licensure in the state from taking an exam more than three times. (4/24)
The Texas Tribune: Texas Health Agency Bill Pulled Amid Heated Abortion Debate
Debate on legislation to re-evaluate a state health agency morphed into a fight over abortion in the Texas House on Thursday, and the bill was pulled down after a pair of anti-abortion amendments were added to the bill over the author's objections. The amendments, authored by state Rep. Matt Schaefer, R-Tyler, included one that would ban abortions of fetuses with genetic abnormalities after 20 weeks. Democrats and the bill's author, state Rep. Four Price, R-Amarillo, had objected, complaining the amendments weren't relevant to the bill. House Bill 2510, would streamline services at the Department of State Health Services. (Walters and Ura, 4/23)
The Texas Tribune: Texas House Approves Protections For Breast-Feeding Moms
The Texas House on Thursday gave preliminary approval to a measure that would require public employers to provide accommodations for mothers who need to pump breast milk while at work. House Bill 786, by state Rep. Armando Walle, D-Houston, easily passed on Thursday on a voice vote. The measure would require public employers — state agencies, local governments and public schools — to support the practice of expressing breast milk and make “reasonable accommodations” for female employees to do so. (Ura, 4/23)
The Arizona Republic: 4 Arizona Hospitals Get Top Ratings In Patient Survey
Four Arizona hospitals scored the highest ranking of five stars based on the new, simpler measure of patient satisfaction unveiled last week by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, or CMS. (Alltucker, 4/23)
Georgia Health News: Grady Settles With State In Overbilling Case
Grady Health System has agreed to pay $2.95 million to settle charges that it improperly billed Medicaid for treatment to neonatal intensive care (NICU) patients, the Georgia attorney general announced Thursday. (Miller, 4/23)
The Charlotte Observer: Carolinas HealthCare Expands Access To Virtual Visit
Carolinas HealthCare System has expanded its Virtual Visit service to anyone. Launched last fall, the service provides live, 24-hour access to medical providers via camera-enabled smart phones, tablets or computers. Until now, it was offered only to patients who had established relationships with doctors in the Carolinas HealthCare network. (Garloch, 4/23)
The Chicago Tribune: Rauner Takes Budget Ax To Health Care For The Poor
A month ago, new Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner and state lawmakers agreed to $300 million in cuts as part of a plan to fix a budget passed last year that didn't have enough money to cover 12 months of spending. On Thursday, a few details of what those cuts are started to emerge at the Capitol, though the Rauner administration declined to provide a full list of what's been chopped. (Garcia, 4/23)
USA Today/The (Westchester County, N.Y.) Journal News: N.Y. Law Protects Against Surprise Medical Bills
Dana Roberts was raising two children in Yonkers and suddenly found herself wasting hours on the phone fighting insurers and medical offices over a $1,500 bill. She had to track down her medical records, talk to a lawyer and research similar cases. At one point, Roberts said she started recording conversations about settling the unexpected charge. Her distrust seemed appropriate. Roberts, 33, said she was unconscious when the $1,500 was tacked onto her surgery cost. ... Thousands of similar complaints by New Yorkers — many involving bills from specialists used unbeknownst to patients — prompted a state law seeking to protect against surprise medical charges. State regulators reported receiving at least 10,000 complaints about the problem. (Robinson, 4/22)
Los Angeles Times: Should Doctors Be Allowed To Ask Patients About Their Gun Habits?
Physicians acknowledge that they ask their patients questions that, in any other context, would be considered nosy and meddlesome. They expect to get some pushback. But when physicians in Florida ask whether a patient -- or a young patient's parent -- has a gun in the home, they are now bracing for a call, and possibly a letter of discipline, from their state's medical board. Physicians in Indiana and Texas are on notice that for them, too, such questions may soon be limited by law. (Healy, 4/23)
Howard County Times: New Howard Bill Would Set Nutritional Standards, With More Exceptions
New healthy food and drink standards could be coming soon to Howard County's vending machines. Four months after County Executive Allan Kittleman repealed a policy that banned sugary drinks and limited high-calorie snacks for sale on government property, County Councilman Calvin Ball is introducing legislation that would adopt a similar set of nutritional guidelines aimed at "promoting health and choice." (Yeager, 4/23)
St. Louis Public Radio: What Options Do Police Have When Interacting With Those With Mental Health Issues?
Do police do enough to de-escalate encounters with people who may be mentally ill? Why do police use guns against a person with possible mental health issues who is armed with only a knife? These are questions that seem to crop up after any incident in which police use deadly force against someone who seems to suffer from mental health issues. They arose last week after the fatal police shooting of a man with a history of mental illness in Jennings, and after the death of Kajieme Powell last year in St. Louis. (Lecci, 4/23)
