State Highlights: Wis. Seniors Criticize Gov. Walker’s Planned Cuts; Colo. Rejects Right-To-Die Proposal

The Associated Press: Walker's Cuts To SeniorCare Could Leave Some Struggling
Wisconsin's older residents say Gov. Scott Walker's proposal to cut funding for the SeniorCare drug program could leave them struggling to make ends meet. The proposal would require SeniorCare enrollees to first sign up for Medicare Part D prescription drug program and use state benefits under SeniorCare as a supplement. The cut could save the state $15 million over the next two years. (Ferguson, 2/8)

The Associated Press: Colorado Rejects Right-To-Die Legislation
Colorado lawmakers rejected a proposal to give dying patients the option to seek doctors' help ending their lives, concluding a long day of emotional testimony from more than 100 people. For one lawmaker who voted no, the issue was personal. Tearfully telling her colleagues she was a cancer survivor, Democratic Rep. Dianne Primavera recalled how a doctor told her she wouldn't live more than five years. (2/7)

The Associated Press: Nebraska Lawmakers To Debate Medicaid Family Planning Bill
An Omaha legislator is proposing that Nebraska join 28 other states in making birth control available to more women by expanding access through Medicaid, but so far his idea has met some skepticism. A bill introduced by Sen. Jeremy Nordquist would widen eligibility for family planning services, including contraceptives, to people with family incomes at or below 185 percent of the poverty level. Separately, the bill would spend $1 million over the next two years to expand a federally backed program called Every Woman Matters, which funds breast and cervical cancer screening for women ages 40 to 64. (Gronewold, 2/8)

The Associated Press: Court Rules Medicaid Company Must Pay Kentucky Damages
The Kentucky Court of Appeals says a company that once managed 125,000 Medicaid recipients must pay the state damages for leaving the contract early. Kentucky Spirit was one of three companies that initially handled the state's Medicaid claims when it switched to a managed care model in 2011. But the company decided to terminate the contract after one year. State health officials said the company could not leave before three years without paying a significant penalty. (2/6)

The Washington Post: Va. House, Senate Unveil Budget Plans Amid Improved Revenue Forecasts
House and Senate budget writers on Sunday unveiled competing spending plans that would give state employees a pay raise, provide Gov. Terry McAuliffe with extra cash to lure new businesses to the commonwealth and offer more care to severely mentally ill Virginians. Both panels also rejected Medicaid expansion, bucked the Democratic governor’s bid to hike some business fees, and poured more money into K-12 education, public universities and the state’s rainy day fund. (Vozzella, 2/8)

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Big Pay Cut Puts Doctors, Patients In Difficult Spot
Medicaid payments for primary care doctors, including those in Missouri and Illinois, were slashed in half at the start of this year, a move that has left many physicians and their patients scrambling. Starting Jan. 1, Medicaid — the government-funded insurance program for lower income residents — stopped paying primary care doctors enhanced rates for treating recipients. As a result, some doctors aren’t taking new Medicaid patients and are struggling to afford their current ones. (Shapiro, 2/8)

The Associated Press: Washington State University Med School Hits Snag Over Reproductive/End-of-life Care
A widely supported bill to let Washington State University open a medical school in Spokane hit a snag when a Seattle lawmaker asked the school to promise that it would not limit teaching on reproductive health or end-of-life care because of its partnerships with religious hospitals. (2/8)

The Chicago Tribune: Illinois Keeps Making Health Care Payments For Dead: Audit
A new report finds Illinois has continued making health care payments for people who died, despite officials saying last year that the problem needed to be fixed. A report from state Auditor General William Holland released Thursday found $3.7 million was paid for medical care for about 1,100 people who died. The report found nearly 6,000 people were still marked as eligible for medical services despite being listed as dead elsewhere in state or federal records. (2/6)

The Associated Press: Taos Health Care Facility Left Employees Without Health Insurance To Cover Payroll
The state is investigating a Taos health care facility for leaving 80 workers without health insurance in order to cover paychecks. State Superintendent of Insurance John Franchini says Tri-County Community Services secretly used employee insurance premiums last year to make payroll. (2/8)