State Highlights: Universal Health Care To Appear On Colorado’s 2016 Ballot; Blue Shield Of Calif. Sues Former Exec For Breach Of Contract

The Associated Press: Universal Health Care To Appear On Colorado Ballot In 2016
Supporters of universal health care have gathered enough signatures to put on next year's ballot a plan to make Colorado the first state to opt out of the federal health law and replace it with taxpayer-funded coverage for all. Proponents submitted 158,831 qualified signatures, about 60,000 more than required to put the measure on the ballot, Secretary of State Wayne Williams said Monday. The question would make Colorado the first state to opt out of the federal Affordable Care Act and replace it with universal health care. (11/9)

Los Angeles Times: Insurer Blue Shield Sues Ex-Executive Who Became Nonprofit's Critic
Health insurance giant Blue Shield of California sued its former public policy director and accused him of disclosing confidential company information. The nonprofit insurer filed the breach of contract complaint against Michael Johnson in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Friday, eight months after he resigned from the company. (Terhune, 11/9)

The Houston Chronicle: State Launches New Background Check System For Long-Term Care Employees
The Connecticut Department of Public Health has launched a comprehensive background check program for employees of nursing homes and other long-term care agencies that strengthens protections for the elderly and disabled residents. The background check program helps nursing homes and other providers identify whether a job seeker has a disqualifying criminal conviction or other patient abuse or neglect information that could make him or her unsuitable to work directly with residents. (Cuda, 11/9)

WBUR: Baker Defends Opioid Bill, Says Crisis ‘Requires Disruption’
Gov. Charlie Baker on Monday defended his proposed legislation to deal with the state’s opioid crisis, and the package gained support from Massachusetts county sheriffs. The bill — which includes proposals to limit first prescriptions of pain pills to enough for 72 hours, and to allow doctors to involuntarily hold a substance abuse patient for 72 hours — has been criticized by doctors groups and been met with skepticism from some legislative leaders. (11/9)

The Associated Press: No Source Found For E. Coli; Chipotle Could Reopen Midweek
Washington state health officials said Monday they have found no source for the E. coli outbreak related to Chipotle, and the chain's Pacific Northwest restaurants could reopen later this week. All the tests of food from Chipotle stores in Washington and Oregon came back negative for E. coli, Washington state epidemiologist Dr. Scott Lindquist said. Chipotle did its own testing, and those results came back negative as well. (Blankinship, 11/10)

The Charlotte Observer: Three Charlotte Health Care Projects To Be Reviewed By State
An expansion at Novant Health Huntersville Medical Center, a new outpatient surgery center and two new kidney dialysis centers have been proposed for the Charlotte area, according to the North Carolina Division of Health Service Regulation. Novant Health wants to expand its Huntersville hospital by relocating 48 acute-care beds and one operating room from Presbyterian Medical Center in Charlotte. Upon completion of the $44.6 million project, the Huntersville hospital would be licensed for 139 acute-care beds and six operating rooms. (Garloch, 11/9)

St. Louis Public Radio: Why Missouri Is Suing Feds Over Hospital Overpayments
The state of Missouri is on the line to repay about $100 million in to the federal government, unless the state’s Department of Social Services wins a lawsuit that’s brewing in district court. Every year, states are given federal funding to allocate to what is called Disproportionate Share Hospitals (DSH—pronounced “dish”). In general, this funding cares for large percentages of patients who are uninsured or covered by Medicaid. Because the hospitals aren’t being reimbursed as well as they would if those patients had private insurance, the government reimburses them for some of the costs for the uncompensated care they provide. (Bouscaren, 11/9)

Minnesota Public Radio: State May Be Close To Allowing Pot For Pain Relief
Minnesota Health Commissioner Ed Ehlinger must decide by year's end whether to add severe, incurable pain to the list of qualifying conditions for medical marijuana. A state advisory panel recommended last week against such a move, saying there's too little medical research on pot as a pain treatment. (Sepic, 11/10)

The New York Times: Sheldon Silver’s Grants Suppressed In Budget Reports, Official Testifies In Corruption Trial
On Monday, federal prosecutors in Mr. Silver’s corruption trial turned to a relatively obscure staff member on the Assembly Ways and Means Committee whose title seemed as bland as the job he held — deputy budget director for budget studies — to open a window into the seemingly impenetrable world of state finances that Mr. Silver controlled. The staff member, Victor E. Franco, in his second day of testimony at the trial in Manhattan, elaborated on the budgetary process, as prosecutors sought to illustrate that Mr. Silver controlled it all with little transparency or accountability, particularly on the Health Department grants that are the focus of the case. (Weisner and Craig, 11/9)

The Houston Chronicle: Teens Learn To Deal With Doctors -- And Anxiety About Doctors
Joseph Valcourt, 14, and Taylor Testo, 11, are learning to be health-literate. Over the last four weeks, they've gotten important lessons about taking care of themselves, including the need for regular medical checkups and vaccinations, as well as how to handle anxiety. Their lessons came in the form of games led by educators from perhaps an unusual source: a health insurer. CDPHP completed its first health literacy program for kids, #Healthy4Life, at the Rotterdam Clubhouse of the Schenectady Boys & Girls Club. (Hughes, 11/9)