State Health Notes
Volume 27.  Issue 461, February 20, 2006

In-Depth:  States are adopting a wide variety of strategies to prop up their trauma care systems, which collectively lose $1 billion a year.

State News:  Idaho’s Medicaid reforms seek to control costs by improving care…States tackle the issue of piracy of electronic information, including medical records.            

Highlights:  State of the States: the nation’s governors map out their strategies for reducing meth production and consumption, as well as Medicaid costs.

Graphically Speaking:  HIV/AIDS is taking an enormous toll on the African-Americans. They make up only 12.3 percent of the U.S. population, but in 2004, they accounted for 50 percent of the new HIV/AIDS diagnoses.

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State Health Notes
Volume 27.  Issue 460, February 6, 2006

In-Depth: Congress has just given states significant new freedoms in designing their Medicaid programs. Experts are urging caution, at least when it comes to raising co-pays and premiums.

State News: States sue the feds over the Medicare Part D “clawback”…Governments get serious about paying for quality improvement.                  

Highlights: OR’s Kitzhaber has another revolutionary idea… Free-market approaches to insurance… 3 million HSAs sold… Border health Web site… Meth cooks dealt another blow… Obesity and diabetes.     

Graphically Speaking: Young people aged 18 to 24 are the most likely to engage in binge drinking. States are taking steps to limit such activity.