State Highlights: Tenn. Right-To-Die Battle Hits Courts; Audit Of Health Centers Raises Questions In N.J.

The Tennessean: Battle Over Right To Die Headed To Nashville Courts
A civil rights activist who pledged to make right-to-die legislation his final fight filed a lawsuit Tuesday challenging state law that prohibits assisted suicide. Attorney, businessman and political candidate John Jay Hooker, who is facing his own terminal diagnosis, is undeterred by the Tennessee General Assembly's choice to send the issue to summer study and is now asking a Davidson County Chancery Court judge to weigh the issue. He says the state law, which makes it a felony for a doctor or another person to assist in someone's death, violates the state constitution. (Barchenger, 5/19)

NJ Spotlight: State Auditor Raises Questions About Payments To Community Health Centers
Many millions of dollars in state payments for services provided by community health centers in New Jersey may not have been documented correctly, according to the state auditor. But a lawyer for the centers, which are known as federally qualified health centers (FQHCs), said the auditor was merely pointing out concerns that had been previously raised and were later rejected by federal judges.The Office of the State Auditor, which is part of the nonpartisan Office of Legislative Services, issued a report last week finding that the FQHCs had billed for services under the Medicaid program using other healthcare providers’ information, and that they had received $9 million in payments that weren’t approved by the insurers who are paid by the state to manage healthcare for Medicaid recipients. (Kitchenman, 5/19)

Georgia Health News: Georgia Nursing Homes Fairly Low In Quality Report
Nearly half of Georgia nursing homes have relatively low ratings — either 1 or 2 stars out of a possible 5, according to a report analyzing quality scores for these facilities nationally. (Miller, 5/19)

McClatchy: Vermont Is Healthiest State For Seniors, Louisiana Most Unhealthy
Vermont has replaced Minnesota as the healthiest state for seniors while Louisiana ranks as the most unhealthy, according to a new report released Wednesday by the United Health Foundation, a non-profit arm of insurer UnitedHealth Group. (Pugh, 5/20)

Connecticut Mirror: The Doctor Is Online, And Lawmakers Are Prescribing Some Rules
Telemedicine — also referred to as telehealth — is expected to become a larger part of medical care as technology evolves, the emphasis on reducing health care costs grows and the demand for care outstrips the supply of medical providers, particularly in primary care. But regulation of the practice has lagged. (Levin Becker, 5/20)

The Associated Press: Home Health Care Providers Plead For More State Funding
Providers of community and home-based health care [in New Hampshire] joined together Tuesday to plead for more state money and criticize lawmakers and Gov. Maggie Hassan for what they say is chronic underfunding of their programs. (Ronayne, 5/19)

St. Louis Public Radio: Seven Years In The Making, Missouri Bill To Cover Eating Disorders Await Signature
A bill awaiting the Missouri governor’s signature would add an extra layer of protection for people battling eating disorders: SB 145. The Affordable Care Act already requires insurance companies to cover treatment for eating disorders under a mental health parity law, but some patients reported they are still denied coverage because their Body Mass Index measurements were above a predetermined level. (Bouscaren, 5/19)

St. Louis Public Radio: VA Calls For 45 Changes In St. Louis Veterans Health Care
Missouri’s U.S. Senators, Republican Roy Blunt and Democrat Claire McCaskill, say they are concerned with the latest findings in a review of operations, at the VA’s St. Louis Health Care System. The review makes 45 recommendations for improvements ranging from sanitation to management inconsistencies. (Howard, 5/19)

The Denver Post: Colorado Family Says Tax Bill For Exchange Error An Unending Disaster
Laurie Swan is a trained volunteer health coverage guide for Connect for Health Colorado and an ardent supporter of all the aims of the Affordable Care Act. But after she enrolled her family through the health insurance exchange, she and her family became entangled in a bureaucratic nightmare that hasn't been resolved. (Draper, 5/20)

California Healthline: Scope Of Practice Bill Sent To Senate Floor
Optometrists could perform more medical duties than currently allowed in California under legislation passed on Monday by the Senate Appropriations Committee. ... The bill is designed to help address the dearth of primary care providers in California by allowing some of their duties to be taken up by optometrists who undergo special training for the tasks. (Gorn, 5/19)

The Texas Tribune: Texas House Backs Senate Bill Making Execution Drug Providers Secret
Legislation that would keep the names of execution drug providers secret is headed to the governor’s office after the Texas House gave final approval on Tuesday to a Senate measure. Senate Bill 1697, authored by state Sen. Joan Huffman, R-Houston, and sponsored in the House by state Rep. John Smithee, R-Amarillo, would make information about anyone who participates in the execution procedure – including those who manufacture, supply, transport and administer execution drugs – confidential and unavailable through public records requests. (Hershaw, 5/19)