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State Health Notes
April 2005 Issues
Volume 26, Number 442: April 18, 2005
Cover Story - "Wal-Mart" Bills Seek to Gather Information, Expand Coverage
States traditionally have encouraged low-wage workers to enroll themselves and their children in Medicaid and other publicly funded health-care programs. But now the soaring costs of those programs are making lawmakers question: should we be asking businesses to do more? Some states are going so far as to consider “play or pay” legislation, which would mandate that employers provide coverage or pay into a public fund.
Primary Care News - Community Health Centers: How Secure is the Safety Net?
Community health centers and public hospitals are crucial sources of care for millions of Americans. But they’re in critical condition, due to cutbacks in funding and increases in need.
Highlights
MO pares Medicaid … IGTs in IA … 56 million uninsured in 2013 … SC caps damages … Kansas City tax … CA liens … RI disparities … IL morning-after pills … MA smoking ban … MA stem cells … VT assisted suicide.
Graphically Speaking - "Largest-Ever" Report on Health-Care Quality Finds Improvement and Decline
The “largest-ever” report on health-care quality finds that, overall, quality in the U.S. health system is improving. But some measures show deterioration.
FYI - Health Disparities: New Jersey Enacts a Law on Cultural Competency
In an effort to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in health status, New Jersey enacts a law requiring that all its physicians receive training in cultural competency.
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Volume 26, Number 441: April 4, 2005
Cover Story - Modernizing Medicaid: The Florida Experiment
Florida Gov. Jeb Bush blazes a trail to Medicaid reform by introducing a plan to would move Medicaid into the private market. Proponents say his plan would bolster competition, give beneficiaries more choice and make the Medicaid budget predictable. But critics fear the proposal would deny needed services to some beneficiaries and, in the long run, cost the state a lot more.
Focus On - States Requiring Reporting of Hospital-Acquired Infections
A growing number of states are seeking to lower health-care costs and improve patient safety by requiring hospitals to report the occurrence of “hospital-acquired infections.” Every year, about 90,000 patients die from a nosocomial infection. Pennsylvania is the trailblazer in reporting on hospital safety.
Highlights
OH Medicaid spending...Medical malpractice crisis?...Hospital pricing more transparent...Covering contraceptives...Trading providers for savings...IA, TN tough meth laws...Mental illness and poverty...School-based smoking prevention programs..."Safer" cigarettes?
Graphically Speaking - New Report Portrays the Uninsured; Offers Suggestions for Expanding Coverage
A new report from the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association points to mounting health-care costs as the number one factor behind the high number of uninsured.
FYI - Helping Foster Kids Become Self-Supporting Adults
The Casey foundations seek to help foster-care kids become successful adults by teaching them financial and other skills. Some states pass tuition waivers to enable these kids to go to universities.
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