The New York Times: Failed Co-Ops Add Ammunition To G.O.P. War On Health Law
The financial failure of more than half the nonprofit health insurance companies created under the Affordable Care Act has handed Republicans a new weapon in their campaign against the health law, thrown the Obama administration on the defensive once again and left more than a half-million consumers in the cold. “Any start-up faces the inherent risks of building a business from the ground up,” Dr. Mandy Cohen, the chief operating officer at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, told Congress on Tuesday at a contentious hearing of the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health. “As with any new set of business ventures, some co-ops have succeeded while others have encountered more challenges.” (Pear, 11/3)

The Associated Press: More Than Half Of Health Law's Insurance Co-Ops Are Closing
Republicans and Democrats on the House Ways and Means Committee traded blame for the mess, which is forcing several hundred thousand people to find new coverage for 2016. Republicans said the taxpayer-financed program exemplifies the problems of "crony capitalism" in which the government backs certain businesses for political purposes. Democrats countered that deep funding cuts forced by the GOP worsened the problems and contributed to the financial instability of many co-ops. (11/3)

The Washington Post: More Than Half Of ACA Co-Ops Now Out Of Insurance Marketplaces
More than half of the nonprofit health insurance co-ops formed through the Affordable Care Act are now off the market for the coming year, with the last-minute departure of a plan in Michigan. On Tuesday, two days after the start of the new enrollment season in insurance exchanges created under the health-care law, the Web site of Michigan’s Consumers Mutual Insurance posted notice that it will not sell coverage for 2016. ... The latest gyrations are occurring as the co-ops become new fodder for the partisan acrimony that has surrounded the 2010 law since its beginnings. At a hearing Tuesday afternoon of a House Ways and Means subcommittee, Republicans accused the Obama administration of wasting taxpayers’ money on an aspect of the law that they say is failing. Democrats countered that a series of GOP-forced budget cuts crippled many co-ops’ chances to thrive. (Goldstein, 11/3)

Fiscal Times: Obama Administration Cuts Its Losses With Crumbling Health Care Co-Ops
The Obama administration signaled Tuesday that it had nothing up its sleeve to salvage a crumbling network of non-profit insurance coops created under the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, to give more choice and less costly policies to consumers. The administration is hoping to keep the remaining dozen out of 23 operational for at least another year. During a House Ways and Means subcommittee hearing that was one part status report and one part post-mortem, Mandy Cohen, the chief operating officer of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which operates Obamacare, said the administration was essentially cutting its losses while keeping close watch on the surviving health insurance co-ops. (Pianin, 11/4)

Los Angeles Times: California Fines Top Health Insurers For Overstating Obamacare Networks
California regulators fined two insurance giants for overstating their Obamacare doctor networks and said the companies will pay millions of dollars in refunds to patients who paid too much for care. The state’s Department of Managed Health Care levied fines of $350,000 against Blue Shield of California and $250,000 for Anthem Blue Cross. (Terhune, 11/3)

The Sacramento Bee: Anthem, Blue Shield Fined $650,000 For Faulty Doctor Directories
As part of the bumpy rollout of Obamacare in California, two major insurers – Anthem and Blue Shield – were issued $650,000 in fines Tuesday because they provided inaccurate doctor directories that resulted in costly overcharges for some patients. The fines are based on statewide surveys in June 2014 that found more than 25 percent of Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of California’s online doctor listings were faulty, either because the physicians weren’t in the location listed or weren’t offering plans as cited. (Buck, 11/3)

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Market Continues To Evolve For ACA Insurance Plans
As the third enrollment period gets underway, the market for health plans sold on the exchanges set up through the Affordable Care Act remains in flux — and it is likely to stay that way for several more years. Some insurers are increasing premiums sharply. Others are lowering premiums. One insurer is pulling out of the Milwaukee market. Another is entering the market. And one is dropping one of its health plans. (Boulton, 11/3)

Tampa Bay Times: Obamacare Open Enrollment Gets Off To Smooth Start, But Navigators Still Face Challenges
It took Doug Calwhite about 30 minutes Monday to enroll in a new health insurance plan on the Obamacare marketplace. The 62-year-old retired maintenance mechanic stopped into the University of South Florida's Marshall Student Center for in-person assistance from enrollment experts known as navigators. One quickly helped him trade his midrange silver plan for a more economical bronze plan. (McGrory, 11/3)

Politico: Ryan Pitches Unified GOP Agenda To Senators
At the beginning of this year, House and Senate Republicans huddled together in Hershey, Pa., to plot strategy and temper expectations that the GOP could unilaterally move legislation over Democratic objections in the Senate. But hopes for a unified front faded during the year as the House and Senate GOP sparred over immigration policy, surveillance legislation and how to defund Planned Parenthood. Finally, House conservatives resorted to begging the Senate to change its arcane rules; senators are now studying whether such a proposal is feasible. ... Ryan is clearly seeking a do-over — Republican senators said that he emphasized to them that he would be a diligent communicator, pointing to his five Sunday show appearances this weekend as evidence he is serious about coordination. (Everett, 11/3)

The Washington Post: Being GOP’s Next Great Communicator Will Be Delicate Task For Paul Ryan
In his years as House Budget Committee chairman, Ryan laid out spending blueprints that embraced ideas such as privatizing portions of Social Security, cutting Medicaid and converting Medicare to a voucher-based program — all of which provided fodder for Democratic attacks. Addressing reporters on Tuesday at his first news conference as speaker, Ryan said he would not shy away from presenting controversial policy prescriptions in an election year. ... The tax plans put forth by the 2016 GOP presidential nominees hew by and large to the principles Ryan has embraced in the past — reducing the number of income tax brackets, lowering rates, and eliminating loopholes and deductions. But Ryan’s ideas on reforming entitlement programs could prove more divisive. National front-runner Donald Trump, for instance, has pushed back on suggestions of major changes to Social Security and Medicare. (DeBonis, 11/3)

The Associated Press: Policy Fights, Funding Battles Still Pose Shutdown Threat
Despite a broad budget deal, the White House and congressional Republicans must resolve dozens of policy issues and spending fights if they are to avoid a holiday season government shutdown. Hot-button battles over Planned Parenthood, the environment and money for agencies like the IRS could still derail a must-do spending bill to keep the government running. (Taylor, 11/4)

The Hill: GOP Changes Mental Health Bill, Seeking Dem Support
Rep. Tim Murphy (R-Pa.) on Tuesday introduced an updated version of his sweeping mental health reform legislation that seeks to allay some of Democrats’ concerns. The move comes the day before the bill is marked up in the House Energy and Commerce health subcommittee. The measure, billed as the Republican response to the mass shooting in Newtown, Conn., when it was first introduced in 2013, has been controversial and delayed for years, but is now moving forward. (Sullivan, 11/3)

Modern Healthcare: Congress Wrestles With Court-Ordered Mental Health Treatment
One of the provisions that is keeping a House mental health reform bill from relatively easy passage involves assisted outpatient treatment. Some experts say it has been unfairly labeled as questionable since widespread evidence has shown success. A few organizations, however, and about 20 Democrats in the House Energy & Commerce Committee, say assisted outpatient treatment, or AOT, is not proven to be helpful and the law as currently written would punish the five states that don't have AOT laws on the books. (Muchmore, 11/3)

The Associated Press: Ayotte Proposes Bill To Improve Substance Abuse Treatment For Pregnant Women, Moms
U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte is introducing legislation to improve treatment programs for pregnant women and mothers who have a substance use disorder, including a pilot program that allows funds to help women in non-residential settings. Ayotte, a Republican, was introducing the Senate version of the Improving Treatment for Pregnant and Postpartum Women Act on Tuesday. A similar bill was recently introduced in the House by U.S. Rep. Ben Ray Lujan, a Democrat from New Mexico. (11/4)

The New York Times: Obama Administration Plans Forum On High Drug Prices
Trying to turn up the political heat on the pharmaceutical industry, the Obama administration announced on Tuesday that it would hold a forum this month on the high prices of some prescription drugs. The move came amid reports of price manipulation and opinion polls that identify drug prices as a top concern for many consumers and voters. Hillary Rodham Clinton and other Democrats have called for efforts to stop what they call price gouging by drug makers. Senior House Democrats are forming a panel to explore possible legislation on drug pricing. (Pear, 11/3)

The Hill: Facing Bipartisan Attacks, PhRMA Goes On Offensive
U.S. firms of all sizes are racing to find a way to keep handling foreign data after a European court struck down the international Safe Harbor legal framework over privacy worries. U.S. leaders are busy negotiating a pact, dubbed Safe Harbor 2.0, in response to the European Court of Justice’s October ruling. But experts say there is no reason for companies to believe that the new agreement won’t be struck down as summarily as the old one. Absent new, stricter data security laws in the U.S., policy specialists warn a new Safe Harbor pact will immediately come under fire. (Ferris, 11/4)

The Associated Press: Glaxo Plans Up To 20 New Drug Applications In Near Term
GlaxoSmithKline could seek regulatory approval for up to 20 new medicines before 2020 and some could hit the market by then, enabling it to boost revenue rather than just compensate for declining sales of its older drugs. The British drugmaker said it could start late-stage patient testing in the next two years on about 20 new drugs or new uses for existing ones. And it could start mid-stage patient testing on about 30 others. (Johnson, 11/3)

Kiplinger's Money Power: Retirement: How To Save On Medicare Prescription Drugs
With rare exceptions, Medicare doesn't cover prescription drugs at all unless you're in the hospital. There are two ways to fill the gap if you don't have retiree health insurance. You can either get a Medicare Part D prescription-drug plan (paired with a Medigap plan for your other out-of-pocket costs) or buy a Medicare Advantage plan that includes both medical and drug coverage. Either way, you need to follow a similar process when shopping. Don't just look at premiums when comparing plans. Find out whether your drugs are on the plan's formulary (its list of covered drugs) and how the drugs are covered. Some plans have you pay 40 percent to 50 percent of the cost of certain brand-name drugs, which could be hundreds of dollars, even if your drugs are covered. (Lankford, 11/4)

The Denver Post: DaVita's Earnings, Revenue Increase For Q3
DaVita HealthCare Partners Inc. on Tuesday reported gains in its third-quarter income and revenue, surpassing Wall Street expectations, and also raised its financial guidance for the year. The Denver-based health care company said it made $215.9 million, or $1 per diluted share, on revenue of $3.5 billion for the period that ended Sept. 30. DaVita plans to make significant investments in the areas of information technology, compliance and physician recruiting. The company also recently announced that it would expand its headquarters operations in Denver. (Wallace, 11/3)

The Denver Post: Envision Healthcare Grows With Acquisition Of Questcare Medical
Greenwood Village-based Envision Healthcare is growing again. The company on Tuesday announced an agreement to acquire Dallas-based Questcare Medical Services and its billing division, QRx Medical Management, for about $135 million. Questcare is expected to generate annual net revenues of $160 million, Envision said in a release. Questcare, founded in 1996 in Texas, was purchased in 2005 by 51 of the company's full-time physicians to become "a truly democratic emergency medicine group characterized by a one-member/one-vote policy," according to the company's website. (Keeney, 11/3)

The Los Angeles Times: Rx For America: Nearly 6 In 10 Adults Take Prescription Drugs, Study Says
Americans have become increasingly medicated since the turn of the century, according to a new study. Fully 59% of U.S. adults were on at least one prescription drug in the years 2011 and 2012, and 15% took five or more. A dozen years earlier, 51% of adults filled at least one prescription and 8% filled at least five, federal survey data show. (Kaplan, 11/3)

The Washington Post: Nearly 60 Percent Of Americans — The Highest Ever — Are Taking Prescription Drugs
In a study published Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association, researchers found that the prevalence of prescription drug use among people 20 and older had risen to 59 percent in 2012 from 51 percent just a dozen years earlier. During the same period, the percentage of people taking five or more prescription drugs nearly doubled, to 15 percent from 8 percent. One likely factor driving the increased use: obesity. (Dennis, 11/3)

Rueters: Prescription Drug Use Has Risen In The U.S.
But “something beyond the aging of the U.S. population appears to be driving the increase in prescription drug use,” Kantor said. Many factors are at play, she said. New drugs enter the market and old drugs lose patent protection and become less costly, she noted. Meanwhile, patterns of prescription drug use evolve with scientific advances and with changes in clinical guidelines and policies regarding drug marketing and promotion. (Doyle, 11/3)

NPR: Americans Are Using More Prescription Drugs; Is Obesity To Blame?
Prescription drug use is rising across the United States. More people are taking medications and they're taking more of them. A study published Tuesday by researchers at Harvard's T.H. Chan School of Public Health shows that 59 percent of adults used a prescription drug in a 30-day period. That's up from just 50 percent when the survey was last conducted a decade earlier. (Kodjak, 11/3)

Politico: Ben Carson's Medicare Muddle
Ben Carson's Medicare problem isn't going away. The former neurosurgeon announced last week that he had shelved his plan to end the popular government health care program for seniors. But the few components of a new plan he's revealed have only added to the confusion about what, exactly, he intends to accomplish -- and his opponents are beginning to pounce. (Cheney, 11/4)

The Washington Post's Fact Checker: Ben Carson’s Claim He Did Not Have ‘An Involvement’ Or ‘Formal Relations’ With Mannatech
One of the buzziest moments of the CNBC debate was Carson’s rejection of his “involvement” with Mannatech Inc., a multi-level nutritional supplement company. A quick Google search surfaces Mannatech promotional videos featuring Carson, so it didn’t take too long for viewers to debunk his answer. Mannatech and its co-founder in 2009 agreed to a $7 million settlement with the Texas attorney general over allegations that the company falsely marketed its dietary supplements as remedies for cancer and other serious illnesses. The company did not admit to wrongdoing. (Lee, 11/4)

The New York Times: Matt Bevin, Republican, Wins Governor’s Race In Kentucky
Heading into Election Day, Republicans fretted that Mr. Bevin was frittering away an opportunity. But Bill Stone, a former chairman of the Republican Party in Jefferson County, which includes Louisville, said many analysts had underestimated “how reviled” Mr. Obama and the Democrats are in Kentucky. Mr. Obama’s health care law was an especially contentious issue in the race, and some see the Bevin victory as a rebuke to Gov. Steve Beshear, a Democrat, who expanded Medicaid under the measure. An estimated 420,000 Kentuckians, nearly 10 percent of the state’s population, now have coverage as a result. Mr. Bevin, a fierce opponent of the health care law, at first said he would reverse it, but has since softened his position and said he would stop enrolling new people but would not take coverage from those who had it. (Stolberg and Binder, 11/3)

The Washington Post: Businessman Who Campaigned As Outsider Wins Kentucky Governor's Race
Republicans made every effort to nationalize the race, tying Conway to the national Democratic Party and, more specifically, to President Obama. The state is heavily Republican at the federal level, but Gov. Steve Beshear (D) has won two elections in recent years and enjoyed relatively strong approval ratings. Also at issue was the Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. Bevin said that he would have rejected the federal funds, which many GOP governors have done but which polls show is an unpopular stance. Democrats pilloried him for it, hoping it would be their ticket to victory. (Blake, 11/3)

Reuters: Republicans Win Kentucky Governor's Race, Second Time In 44 Years
Bevin, who rode Tea Party support to a narrow victory in a four-way Republican primary, defeated State Attorney General Jack Conway, who quickly conceded on Tuesday night after his late October lead in the polls evaporated on election day. ... Bevin had pledged to roll back the expansion of Medicaid to provide health coverage to the poor under Obama's health plan as started by the current governor, which Conway had supported. (11/3)

The Wall Street Journal: Republican Matt Bevin Wins Kentucky Governor’s Race
The race between Mr. Bevin, a 48-year-old businessman, and Democrat Jack Conway, the 46-year-old state attorney general, was the most high-profile of three gubernatorial contests this year. ... His win also suggests that arguments against the health law, also known as Obamacare, remain a potent line of attack, analysts say. Elsewhere, Republican Gov. Phil Bryant of Mississippi easily won re-election against Democrat Robert Gray, a little-known truck driver. The third gubernatorial race, in Louisiana, between Republican U.S. Sen. David Vitter and Democratic state Rep. John Bel Edwards, will be decided in a runoff on Nov. 21, after the two garnered the most votes in a first round of balloting last month. (Campo-Flores, 11/3)

Politico: Republican Bevin Wins Kentucky Governor's Race
The general election was ugly, with both candidates repeatedly impugning the other’s integrity and Conway repeatedly blitzing Bevin with negative ads branding the eventual victor as a hypocrite and a liar. Bevin was outspent for most of the contest and had his tactics consistently questioned by his fellow Republicans. But a late $2.5 million spending blitz from the Republican Governors Association helped Bevin close the gap in television advertising in the final weeks. (Robillard, 11/3)

The Washington Post: GOP Win In Kentucky Sets Up Unprecedented Affordable Care Act Fight
The disconnect between Obamacare and KYnect was one of the great paradoxes of American politics. In polls, Kentucky voters rejected Obamacare at roughly the rate they rejected the president, 2-1. But they were fond of KYnect, which Beshear created by executive order, bypassing a gridlocked Kentucky legislature. Month by month, Kentuckians took advantage of the state's Medicaid expansion or the plans offered on the exchange, and the state's uninsured rate plummeted from 20.4 percent to 9 percent. Beshear predicted that "the Democratic nominee will make this a major issue and will pound the Republicans into the dust with it.” On Tuesday night, it was the Democrats eating dust. (Weigel, 11/3)

Reuters: Republicans Win Governor's Races In Mississippi, Kentucky
Bevin, who rode Tea Party support to a narrow victory in a four-way Republican primary, soundly defeated State Attorney General Jack Conway, whose late October lead in the polls evaporated on election day. ... Bevin had pledged to roll back the expansion of Medicaid to provide health coverage to the poor under Obama's health plan as started by the current governor, which Conway had supported. (Bittenbender, 11/4)

The Washington Post: McAuliffe’s Hopes For Senate Majority Dashed
Republicans held onto the Virginia Senate in fiercely contested elections Tuesday, leaving Gov. Terry McAuliffe without legislative leverage or political momentum as he works to deliver Virginia for his friend and ally Hillary Rodham Clinton in 2016. ... "Having said that, he’s a person of remarkable resilience,” Holsworth added. “He’s not the kind of guy who gets depressed by some defeat. He’ll move on to some Plan B to carve out a legacy on economic development and some agreement with Republicans on education, while he knows he will not get the Medicaid expansion that he so wants.” (Vozzella and Portnoy, 11/3)

Richmond Times-Dispatch: Republicans Retain Control Of Virginia Senate In Blow To McAuliffe
Republicans retained their 21-19 majority in the Virginia Senate on Tuesday, prevailing in a more than $43 million off-year election battle with Democrats for control of the General Assembly. ... Over the past two years, Republicans have delighted in frustrating McAuliffe’s highest legislative priorities — tapping federal dollars to expand Medicaid and passing gun control measures. Despite Republican control, Democrats still wield considerable influence in Richmond through control of all three executive branch offices. (Nolan, 11/3)

The Wall Street Journal: Measure To Legalize Marijuana In Ohio Is Defeated
Ohio voters rejected a ballot measure Tuesday legalizing marijuana for recreational and medical uses, dealing a blow to pot industry investors looking to build on a series of ballot victories across the country. (Peters, 11/3)

The Washington Post's Wonkblog: Ohio Just Rejected Legalizing Marijuana. What That Means For The Future Of Pot.
Ohio voters on Tuesday rejected a controversial marijuana legalization measure at the polls in that state. Recent surveys showed support in Ohio for marijuana legalization, but voters balked at the specifics of the ballot initiative, which would have created an oligopoly on marijuana production for a small handful of the initiative's wealthy donors. (Ingraham, 11/3)

Cleveland Plain Dealer: Issue 3 Backers Pledge To Return With New Marijuana Legalization Measure
They'll be back. The creators of Ohio's failed marijuana legalization issue said Tuesday night they heard the voters and will put a revised plan on the ballot next year. (Borchardt, 11/4)

USA Today/Cincinnati Enquirer: Ohio Voters Say No To Legalizing Marijuana
Unofficial election results found that the proposed constitutional amendment, known as Issue 3, was defeated 65.1% to 34.8%. Voters did write into the Ohio Constitution a provision known has Issue 2 that prohibits the establishment of a “monopoly, oligopoly or cartel” in the state’s founding document. The ballot issue, which the state legislature wrote expressly to defeat the marijuana language, passed 52.6% to 47.4%. (SAker, 11/3)

The Associated Press: Ohio Votes Down Legalizing Pot For Medical, Recreational Use
Failure of the proposed state constitutional amendment followed an expensive campaign, a legal fight over its ballot wording, an investigation into petition signatures — and, predominantly, a counter campaign against a network of 10 exclusive growing sites it would have created. It was the only marijuana legalization question on the 2015 statewide ballots. About 65 percent of voters opposed the measure, compared to 35 percent in favor. (Smyth, 11/4)

Iowa Public Radio: Medicaid Privatization Scrutinized
A statehouse committee spent the day Tuesday hearing about what’s being called a massive change in how health care in Iowa is delivered to the poor and disabled. Private companies are scheduled to take over management of the state-federal health care program known as Medicaid which serves more than 560-thousand Iowans. (Russell, 11/4)

The Associated Press: Democratic Effort To Stall Medicaid Privatization Fails
A Democratic effort to delay privatization of Medicaid in Iowa failed to advance during a legislative oversight hearing Tuesday. Democratic lawmakers on the bipartisan Health Policy Oversight Committee sought to pass a motion asking Gov. Terry Branstad to hold off on implementing the privatization plan by six months, but Republicans opposed it and the proposal did not move forward. (Lucey, 11/3)

Wichita Eagle: Kansas Lawmakers Meet To Discuss Medicaid Expansion
Fourteen major Kansas health care organizations brought Indiana health care officials to Wichita on Tuesday to talk with Kansas lawmakers about Indiana’s approach to Medicaid expansion. Kansas has not expanded Medicaid because of political opposition to the Affordable Care Act, which was created with the intent that all states would expand Medicaid, the state- and federally funded insurance program for people with low incomes or disabilities. Indiana’s conservative legislature and Republican governor have expanded Medicaid. (Dunn, 11/3)

The Kansas Health Institute News Service: Kansas Medicaid Expansion Supporters Urge Lawmakers To Look At Indiana
Supporters of expanding Medicaid in Kansas hope the story of how the conservative governor of another “red state” found a way to move forward will motivate Gov. Sam Brownback and Republican legislative leaders to do the same here. They invited a delegation of hospital officials from Indiana to come and talk about how they worked with Republican Gov. Mike Pence and large GOP majorities in the Indiana Legislature to pass a conservative plan that expanded health coverage to more than 350,000 low-income residents of the Hoosier state but required them to share in the costs. (Marso, 11/3)

Topeka Capital-Journal: Kansas Health Industry Points To Indiana On Medicaid Expansion
Eileen Hawley, spokeswoman for [Kansas Gov. Sam] Brownback, said the plan would be a nonstarter for the governor. “Indiana’s policy is not right for Kansas as it does not include a work requirement for able-bodied adults, a plan to first provide services to disabled citizens who are already eligible for additional assistance, and depends upon an unreliable funding source,” she said. (Hart, 11/3)

Also, a federal watchdog agency wants closer scrutiny of some Medicaid payments, and there's Medicaid news from Arizona and Florida as well --

The Associated Press: State Of Arizona Seeks To Get Back $4.2M From Scheme
Prosecutors are seeking the forfeiture of $4.2 million in cash, real estate and other property seized in an investigation of a former state employee charged with stealing millions of dollars from Arizona's health care program for the poor. Michael John Veit, the chief procurement officer for state's Medicaid program, is accused of participating in a scheme in which payments submitted in the name of one of the agency's vendors ended up in the hands of the procurement officer, one of his associates and some of Veit's family members. (Billeaud, 11/3)

Modern Healthcare: Federal Watchdogs Want Scrutiny Of State Efforts To Boost Medicaid Pay
The Government Accountability Office and the federal advisory panel on Medicaid reiterated their calls Tuesday for states to better document and report the extra payments they make to providers that fall outside the federal disproportionate-share hospital programs. The lack of transparency, the GAO says, limit the federal government's ability to make sure the payments are efficient and actually support Medicaid beneficiaries. In one analysis, the agency found that supplemental payments to about 500 hospitals in 39 states exceeded the costs of caring for Medicaid patients by $2.7 billion. (Muchmore, 11/3)

Health News Florida: Kidcare Expansion Gets Senate OK
With backing from the Florida Children and Youth Cabinet, a Senate committee Monday approved a bill (SB 248) that would allow thousands of immigrant children to receive health coverage through the KidCare subsidized insurance program. The Health Policy Committee approved the bill, sponsored by Sen. Rene Garcia, a Hialeah Republican who has long pushed for the KidCare expansion. The bill would eliminate a five-year waiting period for "lawfully residing" immigrant children to receive coverage. Senators have backed the change in the past, but the House has not gone along. (11/3)

Georgia Health News: More A's: Georgia Hospitals' Safety Ratings Rise
One-third of Georgia hospitals earned an “A” grade on patient safety in recently published ratings. The 34.8 percent of hospitals in the state getting the top grade was up from the 27.5 percent that the Leapfrog Group gave “A’s” in its spring safety rankings. It puts Georgia at No. 10 among states with the highest percentage of top-performing hospitals. (Miller, 11/3)

The Dallas Morning News: Management Working To Reopen Forest Park Medical Center
The management company for Forest Park Medical Center in Dallas, which closed suddenly Friday because of lending complications, is looking for ways to resolve the problem but isn’t exactly sure when it will reopen. Todd Furniss, chairman of the management company for the Forest Park chain of luxury hospitals, said the “pause” in Dallas operations is temporary. Management is focused on two things, Furniss said: the introduction of capital into the business and preserving the hospital’s license. Forest Park reflects a growing trend of high-end, for-profit, doctor-owned hospitals. It has five facilities across Texas, and at least two others are troubled. The Dallas hospital, which opened in 2009, specializes in bariatric, orthopedic and certain pediatric surgeries. (Jean, 11/3)

The Boston Globe: Steward, Mount Auburn Quit Medicare Pilot Project
A federal pilot program that has shown mixed success in cutting Medicare costs by better coordinating care for elderly patients is losing two of its members in Massachusetts. Steward Health Care System and Mount Auburn Hospital’s physician network have followed several other providers across the country that have left the pilot, called the Pioneer accountable care organization program, largely for financial reasons. At least half of the 32 health systems that were initially participating in the program have left. (McCluskey, 11/3)

The Star Tribune: Hennepin County Board Approves $192M In Bonds For New HCMC Outpatient Clinic
By the time the 2018 Super Bowl arrives at the new stadium in downtown Minneapolis, nearby Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC) will be boasting a shiny new building of its own — an outpatient center that aims to consolidate 40 specialty clinics, improve patient care and enhance the hospital’s image. HCMC is so eager to begin the new venture that groundbreaking for the Ambulatory Outpatient Specialty Center had already been scheduled for Nov. 12, hinging on the board’s support. (Olson, 11/3)

The Baltimore Sun: Baltimore Community Group Seeks Support For Hospital Jobs Proposal
Fifty members of the interfaith community organization BUILD, or Baltimoreans United in Leadership Development, plan to assemble in front of the CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield headquarters building Tuesday morning in an effort to well up support for a proposal to create 1,000 new hospital jobs in Baltimore. The jobs proposal, lead by Johns Hopkins Hospital and supported by others, aims to aid the city's hardest hit communities. Hospital leaders said it was a response to the hopelessness many felt during the unrest stemming from the death of Freddie Gray, an unarmed black man, in police custody earlier this year. (Cohn, 11/3)

The Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Wall Of Secrecy Shields Florida's Mental Hospitals
Luis Santana died at a state-funded mental hospital at age 42. Officials at the Department of Children and Families say they investigated his death in July 2011, but they won’t say more. They don’t have to. Under Florida law, DCF can withhold information about people who die in its care, so long as the agency decides no employees were to blame. So, state officials won’t tell you that in the hours before Santana died, his caretakers at South Florida State Hospital suspected he was having a psychotic episode. They won’t say they gave him five powerful drugs to calm him down, then left him alone in the bathtub. (Anton, Braga and Cormier, 11/3)

Reuters: Community Health Says Can Boost Share Buyback Program
Community Health Systems Inc, the second-largest for-profit U.S. hospital operator, said it has the ability to increase its share repurchase program by more than $300 million under its current bank credit facility. Community has about $150 million remaining under its existing share repurchase authorization, Chief Executive Wayne Smith said Tuesday on the company's earnings conference call. (Kelly, 11/3)

New Hampshire Public Radio: Opioid Prescriber's Story A Cautionary Tale As Proposed Rules Face Pushback
For years, Chris Clough prescribed more pain medication than almost anyone else in New Hampshire. Along the way, state regulators say, he broke nearly every rule in the book. Clough, a 41-year-old physician assistant for the state’s largest chain of pain clinics, failed to warn patients of the risks of opioids. He failed to screen them for addiction or mental illness. He disregarded drug screens that suggested his patients were abusing their potent medications. (Wallstin, 11/4)

The New Hampshire Union Leader: Hassan Calls For Special Sessions On Opioid Crisis
Gov. Maggie Hassan wants lawmakers to approve $11.1 million in new programs to combat the state’s heroin and opioid crisis. Hassan will ask the Executive Council today to approve a special legislative session beginning Nov. 18 — not a sure thing, with Republicans holding a 3-2 majority. (Rayno, 11/3)

The New Hampshire Union Leader: NH Medical Board To Take Up Fast-Tracked Prescription Rule
Gov. Maggie Hassan’s package of tough regulations to control the opioid pain prescriptions goes before the state Board of Medicine on Wednesday, with several doctor groups and the state’s hospitals urging the board to slow down the process. The 11-member board is expected to take up the regulations, which limit the size of prescriptions, require patient drug testing and other examinations, and mandate training for physicians and physician assistants who write opioid prescriptions. (Hayward, 11/3)

The Wall Street Journal: Drug Deaths Becoming A 2016 Presidential Election Issue
Christopher Stawasz, manager of an ambulance service in Nashua, said the city set a record of 28 overdoses in September, then topped it with 37 in October. “It’s surreal,” he said. “It’s just day after day.”Across the state, overdoses are on track to break last year’s record of 326 deaths. The pattern is so alarming that participants in an October WMUR Granite State poll ranked drug abuse as the most important issue in the 2016 presidential campaign, surpassing jobs and economy for the first time in eight years. That is prompting a conversation in the state with the nation’s first primary that is remarkably different from prior elections in its expressions of compassion rather than condemnation. (Haddon, 11/3)

The Concord Monitor: Committee Votes To Raise Health Care Premium For State Retirees Under 65
Roughly 3,000 state retirees will pay an additional $46 a month for health care under a plan lawmakers approved Tuesday. The Joint Legislative Fiscal Committee voted 6-4 to raise premium contributions from 12.5 to 17.5 percent for state retirees under age 65. The change will take effect Jan. 1 and save about $2.8 million, helping lawmakers close a $10.6 million deficit in the state retiree health plan that has been driven by rising pharmaceutical costs. (Morris, 11/4)

San Jose Mercury News: Measure Slashing Drug Prices May Go To California Voters Next Fall
The skyrocketing cost of prescription drugs -- already a hot issue on the U.S. presidential campaign trail -- may be headed to California's statewide ballot next fall. Advocates of a proposed measure that would require state programs to pay no more for prescription drugs than prices negotiated by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs said they had turned in 542,879 signatures by Monday's 5 p.m. deadline, well beyond the 365,880 required by the state. (Seipel, 11/3)

The Philadelphia Inquirer: Compact Aims To Help Doctors Practice Across State Lines
In every state, it is a crime to practice medicine without a license. But a medical license is good only in the state that issued it after a rigorous credential and background check. The result, many experts say, is an outmoded, red-tape-laden medical licensing system that is hampering efforts to relieve physician shortages, improve health-care access, and expand telemedicine. The Interstate Medical Licensure Compact aims to streamline matters by allowing doctors licensed in a state that belongs to the compact - a sort of treaty - to quickly and easily get privileges in other participating states. (McCullough, 11/3)

The Associated Press: After UCare's Big Loss, Huge Shift Of Those On Minnesota Public Health Care Plans Is Underway
State health officials are in the midst of a massive transition of residents on public health programs, shifting hundreds of thousands of low-income people to new coverage plans as the state aims to book millions of dollars in savings. The unprecedented effort is a byproduct of a competitive bid for companies to cover MinnesotaCare and Medical Assistance enrollees — the first statewide offer for those massive contracts. The big loser in that process was UCare, which lost its contracts in all but one county, forcing its 350,000-plus customers to pick new plans for next year — and perhaps leave behind their current doctors. (Potter, 11/3)

Georgia Health News: Struggling Rural County In The Vanguard Of Telecommunication Revolution
While health care across rural Georgia has many shortcomings, Hancock County has languished at the more desperate end. Located between Atlanta and Augusta, the county — named for the Founding Father who made history with his signature — has been marked by economic troubles for years. Its 9,400 residents have no hospital and no community physician, and roughly half the county’s children live in poverty. But Hancock recently received new medical technology that officials hope will bring health care more easily to chronically ill residents. Georgia is a leader in telemedicine, and Hancock now is at the forefront through home patient visits. (Miller, 11/2)

California Healthline: Local Drug Take-Back Programs Could Be Pre-Empted By State Regulations
In the absence of state or federal systems for proper disposal of prescription drugs, cities and counties in California are creating their own. But some local regulations may come up against new state rules being hammered out now. Last week the California State Board of Pharmacy approved a draft plan for statewide drug take-back that calls on pharmacies to voluntarily participate in the program. That approach is at odds with one county ordinance already passed that requires pharmacies to participate and could cause other counties and cities to rethink programs under consideration. (Lauer, 11/2)

The Miami Herald: Miami Lawmaker Pushes Bill To Ban Unexpected Medical Charges For ER Services
Like most patients, Robert Delfino did what his doctor told him: Go to the hospital for an outpatient cardiac procedure to determine the cause of his heart condition. Delfino, 54, was following the advice of his cardiologist, listed in his insurance company’s provider network catalog. Fortunately for Delfino, of Delray Beach, his coronary blockage was not serious enough to require a stent. The real problem came two months later, when Delfino received a bill for $15,000 from the hospital, which was not an in-network provider. (Chang, 11/3)

Stateline: States Look For Help With Bilingual Mental Health
The U.S. is grappling with a severe shortage of mental health professionals. But the situation is particularly dire for some minority communities, where barriers of language and culture can make it hard to seek and get help. Most good mental health care requires subtle, intimate conversation with patients. But too often, mental health experts say, professionals lack the language skills needed to serve those who struggle with English. “It’s difficult to trust that translation will capture nuances in the soul-baring process of mental health treatment,” said Sita Diehl, director of state policy at the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). (Henderson, 11/4)

The New Hampshire Union Leader: NH Taking Medical Pot Applications
State health officials announced Monday they have begun to accept applications from medical patients who want to use marijuana or its active ingredient to treat a host of medical conditions. The announcement was made months before any of the four medical marijuana stores are expected to open in New Hampshire. But it allows patients and their caregivers to get ahead of the paperwork the state is requiring. (Hayward, 11/3)

The Philadelphia Inquirer: UPenn Nursing School Selling Elder Care Operation To Trinity Health
The University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing has agreed to sell its operation serving low-income people 55 and older sick enough for a nursing home but want to keep living at home, to Trinity Health. Terms of the deal, which was disclosed Tuesday, were not released. Penn said it plans to continue to use the program's West Philadelphia facility for training and research. (Brubaker, 11/4)

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Employers' On-Site Health Clinics Provide Convenience And Control Costs
James Sheeran, director of corporate benefits for MillerCoors, has lost count of the number of people who have toured the company's worksite health clinic in Milwaukee over the past year. "Interest in on-site clinics" he said, "is exploding." Employers large and small increasingly see the clinics as an integral part of initiatives to encourage employees and family members to live healthier lives - and help control health care costs. (Boulton, 11/3)

The Denver Post: Colorado Study Says Patients Spend $800M A Year On Unneeded ER Visits
A new Colorado study estimates that residents rack up an extra $800 million per year in medical costs from unnecessary emergency room visits. The study, released Wednesday by the nonprofit Center for Improving Value in Health Care, used a state health care database to compare the cost of going to an ER, a doctor's office and an urgent-care clinic for the same ailment. It found what it called "staggering cost differentials" between emergency rooms and outpatient settings for treating identical ailments. (Olinger, 11/4)

The San Francisco Chronicle: Report Details Alzheimer's Huge Financial Toll In California
Aging Baby Boomers who are living longer due to medical advancements will cause Medi-Cal expenses for Californians with Alzheimer’s disease to rise nearly 59 percent to close to $4.9 billion annually, according to a report released Wednesday. The state-federal Medicaid program for the poor will take on a growing share of the burden of paying for the care of people with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia because average households will not be able to pay the high costs of having in-home caregivers, long-term nursing care and other forms of help, the Alzheimer’s Association said in its report. (Colliver, 11/4)

The Baltimore Sun: Baltimore's Behavioral Health Authority Gets New Leadership
Kathy Westcoat, a veteran of nonprofit health care services, was tapped to head Baltimore’s behavior health authority, city officials said Tuesday. Westcoat comes from HealthCare Access Maryland, one of the groups aiding people enrolling in health care through Maryland’s new online health insurance exchange. The group also has worked to expand behavioral health services for pregnant and postpartum women, immigrants, homeless people, foster care children and those with substance use disorders. (Cohn, 11/3)

Minnesota Public Radio: Hallberg's Picture Of Health: The Doctor-Patient Relationship
At some point in your life, chances are you'll need a new primary care physician. Even though that's an essential search in today's healthcare environment, it's not always easy — and is fraught with questions of etiquette and ethics .... Dr. Jon Hallberg, a doctor of family medicine at the University of Minnesota, spoke with MPR News' Steven John about the doctor-patient relationship in the current health care environment. (John, 11/3)

California Healthline: General Plan Forums Scheduled
The state's Office of Planning and Research has launched a series of public forums this month to go over its recently revised General Plan Guidelines. Some health advocates are paying close attention, according to Ruben Cantu, associate director at the California Pan-Ethnic Health Network, a health advocacy group based in Oakland. The long-awaited revised general plan guidelines include new sections on how cities and counties can promote health communities and social equity in future development," Cantu said in a written statement. "The guidelines can potentially impact health in many ways," he said. (Gorn, 11/3)

Tampa Bay Times: Black Results Matter: New Program Aims To Boost Minority Participation In Clinical Trials At USF, Moffitt
John Harrell was out of options. Diagnosed with a rare form of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in 2009, he had tried everything available. The seven drugs and two types of radiation didn't stop his cancer, nor did the bone marrow transplant. So in 2013, Harrell, 48, became one of the few African-Americans to try an experimental drug being tested in a clinical trial at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa. Those in the business of clinical trials would like to see more volunteers like Harrell, and a new local effort is trying to make that happen. (Maher, 11/3)

The Washington Post: Obamacare Marches On For The Third Year
Open enrollment for the Affordable Care Act’s third year began on Sunday amid fierce criticism from the law’s detractors. As usual, the critics vastly overstate their case — and, as usual, that is no reason for Obamacare’s allies to ignore the serious challenges it still faces. The landmark health reform is working, but it still hasn’t stabilized. (11/3)

The Oregonian: Obamacare Is Failing
For the press, the debate about Obamacare is over. There may be a few proverbial Japanese soldiers wandering on isolated islands yammering on about the failure of Obamacare, but word will eventually filter down to them, too. This assumption is so deeply embedded that it is impervious to new evidence that Obamacare is an unwieldy contraption that is sputtering badly. Yes, Obamacare has covered more people and has especially benefited those with pre-existing conditions (to be credible, Republican replacement plans have to do these things, as well), but the program is so poorly designed that, surely, even a new Democratic president will want to revisit it to try to make it more workable. (Rich Lowry, 11/3)

Bloomberg: Cost of Cheapest Obamacare Plans Is Soaring
[A] consulting company, Avalere Health, has provided at least slightly more data than we had before, supplementing the administration’s release of the information on benchmark plans by looking at the cost of the cheapest Bronze and Silver policies. It’s still far more limited than one would like, but looking at those rates does give us additional information. The biggest thing they tell us is that ... the whole bottom of the market is undergoing a fairly massive repricing. In most states, the cost of the cheapest Silver plan, relative to the cheapest one last year, rose even more than the benchmark rate. And in most states, the cost of the cheapest Bronze plan went up by more than the cost of the cheapest Silver plan. (Megan McArdle, 11/3)

Real Clear Health: 'We're Still Seeing A Fair Amount Of Price Volatility'
Sabrina Corlette is a senior research professor at the Georgetown University Center on Health Insurance Reforms. She previously worked as the director of health policy programs for the National Partnership for Women & Families. With the Affordable Care Act's insurance marketplaces beginning their third open enrollment this week, RealClearHealth talked to Corlette about what's working, what's not working, what the marketplaces' risk pools look like, and what should be on the agenda of a new administration in 2017. (11/4)

The New York Times' The Upshot: Health Insurance And The States: A Closer Look
Last week we showed how, two years into Obamacare, there are still millions of uninsured Americans. The article and maps, which showed where uninsured Americans still live, generated many comments and questions. Here, we respond to a few of them. (Quoctrung Bui and Margot Sanger-Katz, 11/3)

Great Falls Tribune: Feds’ Approval Of Montana Medicaid Expansion Welcomed
Montanans showed flexibility, creativity and persistence as they worked to provide more health care coverage to tens of thousands of Montanans, including low-wage earners. It’s good news that Montanans from both political parties came up with the state’s own version of expanding the federal Medicaid program for folks with lower incomes. There was a gap between Montanans who already have health insurance coverage, and Montanans who have so little income they qualified for Medicaid outright. (11/3)

Des Moines Register: What Is Obama Thinking On Iowa Medicaid Plan?
Hillary Clinton has denounced Gov. Terry Branstad’s plan to privatize administration of the state’s $4.2 billion Medicaid program. “I believe advocates have raised some legitimate concerns about the companies that were awarded contracts that have faced accusations of mismanagement," the Democratic presidential candidate said last month. That only scratches the surface of problems with the governor's plan, from an initial state bidding process that increasingly reeks of scandal to using precious public health dollars to pad the profits of private insurers. A presidential candidate is weighing in on a Medicaid disaster in the making here. Where is the current president? Where is his appointee, Sylvia Burwell, the director of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services? Are they paying attention to what is going on in Iowa? Do they realize the vast majority of Iowans oppose what the governor is pursuing? Are they going to stop him? (11/3)

Bloomberg: Don't Give Up On Fast-Food Calorie Labels
One of the less-noticed provisions of the Affordable Care Act requires calorie labels at all chain restaurants and similar retail food establishments, following similar efforts in New York City and elsewhere. A new study raises doubts about whether those labels will make much difference to public health. The right response isn't to abandon the effort, but to improve it, and consider new approaches. (Cass R. Sunstein, 11/3)

The Arizona Republic: Remember 'Death Panels'? These Aren't Them
This is a nation built on individual rights. But when it comes to the end of life, the lack of medical information can make it difficult to make personal decisions. Medicare’s decision to pay for end-of-life counseling for terminally ill patients is a positive step that can help people take control of their health-care choices. This is both a no-brainer and a delicate balancing act. (11/3)

Cleveland Plain Dealer: Ohio Lawmakers Can't Ignore Marijuana Legalization Even After Issue 3 Defeat
Now it's Ohio lawmakers' turn to deal with marijuana legalization. I know this might seem counterintuitive after Ohio voters just soundly rejected Issue 3, a proposed amendment to the state constitution that would have legalized marijuana for medical and recreation use. But efforts to legalize marijuana are not going away. And Tuesday's results should not be seen as a legislative victory or even an honest reflection of Ohio voters' views on legalization. (Mark Naymik, 11/3)