State Highlights: Wash. Senator Pushes More Affordable Insurance Options; New England Drinking Water Linked To Bladder Cancer

The Associated Press: More Affordable Health Insurance Option Urged For Washington
U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell wants Washington state to bring back the Basic Health Plan, which provided an inexpensive health insurance option for the working poor. The new federal program is modeled after a Washington plan that started in 1987 but suspended in 2014 with the start of provisions of federal health care reform. (Blankinship, 5/2)

New Hampshire Public Radio: Study Links Arsenic In Northern New England Wells To Bladder Cancer
Drinking water from private wells in northern New England may increase the risk of bladder cancer, according to a new study from the National Cancer Institute, Dartmouth and the state health departments in New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont. (Rodolico, 5/2)

The Seattle Times: Gov. Inslee Directs Health Officials To Step Up Focus On Lead Risks
Washington health officials will review the state’s screening for and response to potential lead poisoning in water supplies and other sources, following a directive issued Monday by Gov. Jay Inslee. (Aleccia, 5/2)

ProPublica: University Of California Regent Violated Ethics Rules, Review Finds
A doctor on the University of California’s Board of Regents has been allowed to keep his seat despite a secret investigation that concluded he violated ethics rules by trying to strike a financially beneficial deal between his eye clinics and UCLA, part of the university system the regents oversee. Dr. William De La Peña also engaged in discussions about a prominent eye center affiliation involving UCLA even after recusing himself, an investigation found. At the time, he was chairman of the regents’ health services committee. (Ornstein, 5/2)

The Orlando Sentinel: Urgent-Care Centers Changing Health-Care Landscape
Dr. Alejandro Badia started an orthopedic urgent-care center out of frustration. "Every patient that came to see me had already been somewhere, and that somewhere didn't do much for them," he said. "I said to myself, 'Why can't somebody reach me more directly?'" (Miller, 5/2)

The Tampa Bay Times: Charity Care Drops After Hospital Becomes For-Profit
Look around and there is more: special lighting, new anesthesia machines, new instruments — just a few of the upgrades totaling $60 million that have been made throughout the hospital over the last three years. (McGrory, 5/1)

New Hampshire Public Radio: Doctor At Hillsborough Jail Temporarily Prohibited From Practicing Medicine
A doctor who oversees the medical needs of over 200 jailed inmates in Hillsborough County has been barred from practicing at the facility for at least the next 120 days, after an emergency license suspension by the state’s Board of Medicine (Corwin, 5/2)

The Columbus Dispatch: Exercise, Diet Have Role In Mental-Health Treatment
In many cases, a pill might be the answer. But doctors and researchers also are increasingly looking toward less invasive and more basic methods of treating mental illness and mood disorders, including exercise and vitamin supplements. (Kurtzman, 5/2)

North Carolina Health News: Orange County Health Officials Punt On E-Cigarette Decision
Usually, just a handful of people show up to meetings of the Board of Health in Orange County, if they show up at all. But last week’s open meeting in Hillsborough on whether or not include electronic cigarettes in the county’s ban on tobacco in restaurants, bars and public buildings drew several dozen people and provided emotional testimony both for and against the proposal. (Hoban, 5/2)

New Hampshire Public Radio: New Hampshire's First Medical Marijuana Dispensary Opens in Plymouth
By the time Sanctuary ATC opened its doors in Plymouth — around 11 a.m. Saturday morning — about a dozen people were already huddled around on the porch or hanging out in the parking lot outside, hoping to get in. (McDermott, 5/2)