KHN ORIGINAL REPORTING & GUEST OPINION
- Survey: 'Super Committee' Has Yet To Earn Americans' Trust
- Video: GOP Candidates Push State Role In Health Care
- Political Cartoon: 'No Telling?'
HEALTH REFORM
- Health Law Legal Action Moves To D.C. Circuit Court Of Appeals
- CLASS Act Future In Doubt
- Consumer Groups Reap HHS Rate Review Grants
- State, Private Exchange Developments Attract Attention
- Funds Awarded To Improve Maternal And Child Health With Home Visits
CAMPAIGN 2012
- For Romney And Perry, Health Reform Among Debate Flash Points
- Bachmann, Perry Wrestle Over HPV Issue
CAPITOL HILL WATCH
HEALTH CARE MARKETPLACE
STATE WATCH
EDITORIALS AND OPINIONS
KHN ORIGINAL REPORTING & GUEST OPINION
Survey: 'Super Committee' Has Yet To Earn Americans' Trust
Kaiser Health News staff writer Phil Galewitz reports: "Americans have little faith the bipartisan congressional 'super committee' will reduce the federal deficit, according to a survey released Friday. Sixty-two percent of respondents said they either trust the super committee 'just a little' or 'not at all' to make the right recommendations to cut the deficit, according to the poll by the Kaiser Family Foundation (KHN is an editorially-independent program of the foundation). Just 5 percent of respondents said they had 'a great deal' of trust in the committee. More people believe the right recommendations would be made by President Barack Obama (23 percent), Democrats in Congress (13 percent) and Republicans (8 percent)" (Galewitz, 9/22). Check out what else is on Capsules, the blog.
Video: GOP Candidates Push State Role In Health Care
Kaiser Health News provides video highlights from Thursday night's GOP presidential primary debate. Although exchanges on health policy issues were limited, Texas Gov. Rick Perry and former Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney once again lashed out at each other on the role of states in health care and Rep. Michele Bachmann renewed her criticism of Perry's efforts to get Texas children vaccinated against HPV. There is also a partial transcript of the debate's health care points. Watch the video.
Political Cartoon: 'No Telling?'
Kaiser Health News provides a fresh take on health policy issues with "No Telling?" by Steve Kelley.HEALTH REFORM
Health Law Legal Action Moves To D.C. Circuit Court Of Appeals
Politico Pro reports that, although this case is unlikely to be the "one" that goes to the Supreme Court, both sides have a lot at stake in the outcome: "the potential to chalk up another appeals court victory and maybe 'flip' a prominent appeals judge."
ABC News: Health Care Law: Obama Administration Returns To Court
Lawyers for the Obama administration will once again head to court to defend the health care reform law, this time from challengers who argue it violates their religious freedom. … The challenge in the D.C. circuit, Susan Seven-Sky v. Eric Holder, is brought by a conservative religious group representing four citizens. ... The religious group's members and lawyers at the American Center for Law and Justice argue in briefs, "The individual mandate substantially burdens their religious exercise by requiring them to either indefinitely maintain health insurance, which they sincerely believe would violate their religious belief that God will protect them from illness or injury, or pay annual penalties for declining to violate their faith" (DeVogue, 9/23).
Politico Pro: D.C. Court May Impact Legal Views Of Mandate
The health reform lawsuit before the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday is unlikely to be the "one" that goes to the Supreme Court, but opponents and proponents of the law do have a lot at stake: the potential to chalk up another appeals court victory and maybe "flip" a prominent appeals judge. The D.C. Circuit is the fourth federal appeals court to review the constitutionality of the health care reform law's requirement that nearly all Americans buy insurance. So far, one has struck the mandate, one has upheld it and one has said it can't rule until at least 2014. With two exceptions, judges have ruled along the party lines of the president that appointed them (Haberkorn, 9/23).
And in a different kind of challenge to the law, Ohio voters will on Nov. 8 consider an amendment to the state constitution aimed at undermining the health law, placing them in the ranks of voters in a number of other states with similar measures on the ballot.
Bloomberg: Ohio Joins States Letting Voters Weigh In On Obama's Health-Care Overhaul
As legal challenges to President Barack Obama's health care overhaul proceed to a decisive U.S. Supreme Court battle, state ballot boxes are becoming skirmishing grounds in efforts to impede the law. Ohio voters on Nov. 8 will decide an amendment to their constitution aimed at undercutting the federal Affordable Care Act, joining four states that considered similar measures last year and four slated to vote next year, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. ... The votes aimed at Obama's plan are "purely symbolic" because federal laws have supremacy over conflicting state measures, said Elizabeth Price Foley, a professor of constitutional and health-care law at Florida International University. A high court ruling upholding the law would trump state laws and amendments, she said (Niquette, 9/23).
CLASS Act Future In Doubt
The health law's long-term care program, which has faced concerns about its fiscal sustainability, appears at risk following reports that the HHS office overseeing it faces a key staff reduction.The Wall Street Journal: Long-Term Care Program In Doubt
The Obama administration said it may not enact a long-term-care insurance program included in last year's legislation that overhauled health care. The initiative, known as the Class Act, was designed to help Americans cover the cost of aid for daily living needs such as bathing and using the toilet should they become too old or sick to care for themselves. It became law when President Barack Obama signed the health-care overhaul in 2010, though the program hasn't begun operating. Amid mounting concerns about its fiscal sustainability, officials at the Department of Health and Human Services on Thursday said they may not go forward with the program. "It is an open question whether the program will be implemented," the agency said (Adamy, 9/23).
Modern Healthcare: Lawmakers Question Sebelius About CLASS Act In Wake Of Plans To Close Office
More than a dozen members of Congress representing both chambers on Thursday sent a letter to HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius (PDF) demanding more information on the Community Living Assistance Services and Support (CLASS) Act after noting they learned HHS plans to shut down the CLASS office. ... In a blog posting Thursday, the Senate Republican Policy Committee cited part of an e-mail message from Bob Yee, actuary of the CLASS office, that said Yee would be leaving his position because "HHS has decided to close down the CLASS office effective tomorrow." HHS—which did not confirm or deny Yee's pending departure—issued the following statement, which also highlighted the agency's ambivalence about the program's future: "While the staff of the CLASS office has been reduced, reports that the CLASS office is closing are not accurate," the statement said (Zigmond, 9/22).
CQ HealthBeat: HHS Shrinking Long-Term Care Program Office, Denies Shutdown Is Imminent
The Department of Health and Human Services is shrinking the office charged with implementing a controversial long-term care insurance program, and said the program may not get off the ground at all. But the department disputed rumors that it was shutting down the entire office. If the voluntary program were scuttled, it would be one of the biggest casualties of President Obama’s signature health law (Ethridge, 9/22).
In other coverage related to long-term care -
MarketWatch: Long-Term-Care Insurance: Most Still Don't Buy In
A growing number of people are aware they may face steep nursing-home and other long-term-care costs as they age, but few are willing to purchase long-term-care insurance, according to a new survey of California residents. Consumers are twice as likely now, compared with 17 years ago when the survey was first fielded, to say they know that typical health-insurance plans don't pay for long-term care, according to a Field Poll of 950 adults for the California Partnership for Long-Term Care, a program of the state's Department of Health Care Services that partners with insurers to certify policies that meet specific consumer-protection requirements (Coombes, 9/22).
Consumer Groups Reap HHS Rate Review Grants
HHS this week awarded $109 million to states to strengthen the review process for proposed increases in health insurance premiums. Politico reports that some of the funding also went to consumer advocacy groups that often take on insurers. Meanwhile, California Healthline details what funding its home state secured.
Politico: Consumer Groups Grab Health Grants
A portion of federal grants to help states monitor rate hikes will be going to consumer advocacy groups that regularly pick fights with insurers — and the insurance industry is calling foul. Earlier this week, the Department of Health and Human Services awarded $109 million in grants to 28 states and Washington, D.C., to strengthen their review process of proposed hikes. It marked the second round of rate review funds under the health care reform law, after HHS sent out $46 million to 45 states and the District of Columbia (Nocera and Millman, 9/23).
California Healthline: California Lands HHS Rate Review Grants, But No Bonuses
In its second round of Affordable Care Act grants aimed at beefing up state oversight of health insurers, HHS handed out $109 million to 28 states and the District of Columbia. California, because of its bifurcated insurance oversight, got two grants, each worth $2.16 million ... In the Cycle II grants, HHS officials essentially created two tiers -- one for states with prior approval authority and one for those without. Of the 29 grants awarded this week, 20 included a bonus for states with the authority to accept or reject premium hikes before they take effect. California is not among those states (Lauer, 9/22).
CQ HealthBeat: Official Says Rate Review Rule Does Makes A Difference
An administration official Thursday defended a regulation that requires insurers to justify double-digit rate increases, saying that consumers "will see some mitigation" of rate increases this year because of the rule. Under the health care law, plans that have a proposed rate increase of more than 10 percent this year must notify the public and justify the increase. Next September, federal officials will set a specific level for each state that will trigger additional scrutiny instead of using the uniform 10 percent threshold, said Gary Cohen, the acting director of oversight in the Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight (OCIIO) (Adams, 9/22).
State, Private Exchange Developments Attract Attention
In Oregon, the Senate confirmed Gov. John Kitzhaber's recommendations for the Oregon Insurance Exchange Board. On the private side, Bloom Health, a Minneapolis startup, is continuing its efforts to create a national health insurance exchange.
The Lund Report: Senate Confirms Governor's Nominees to the Insurance Exchange Board
The Senate unanimously confirmed the nine people Governor John Kitzhaber recommended to be on Oregon's Insurance Exchange Board this afternoon. ... Rocky King, the exchange's interim executive director, told a joint meeting of the House and Senate Health Care Committees that the board will first establish its governing structure and bylaws, and draft a business plan. It will then begin designing the specific parameters of health plans available under the exchange--including the cost of co-pays and deductibles and the benefit structure (Waldroupe, 9/22).
MinnPost: Health Insurance Exchange Startup Sells Majority Stake To Three Insurers
Minneapolis startup Bloom Health is working on creating a national health insurance exchange, and the sale of a majority stake to insurers Wellpoint Inc., Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and Health Care Service Corporation will help pave the way, the company announced Tuesday (Grauer, 9/22).
Funds Awarded To Improve Maternal And Child Health With Home Visits
In another round of grants funded by the 2010 health law, the Department of Health and Human Services provided resources to support efforts by nurses, social workers, or other health care professionals to make home visits to low-income families that agree to meet with them in their homes. Also, Kansas Health Institute News reports on the funds awarded to Kansas.
CQ HealthBeat: HHS Announces Grants For Home Visits
The Department of Health and Human Services on Thursday announced an effort to improve maternal and child health through $224 million in grants for states and territories to help families get home visits from nurses and social workers. The grants are funded by the 2010 health care law. They are part of the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) Program. The grants included $124 million in formula grants to 55 government agencies including 49 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. territories. Another $100 million in competitive funding was awarded to states that showed the ability to expand home visiting efforts already in place. Both programs provide money for nurses, social workers, or other health care professionals to see low-income families that agree to meet with them in their homes (Adams, 9/22).
Kansas Health Institute News: Another Affordable Care Act Grant Comes To Kansas
The $1.1 million award is designated to help pay for social workers and nurses to visit the homes of "at-risk" families with the goal of improving maternal and child health. ... This latest ACA grant to Kansas is part of $224 million being awarded to states across the country (9/22).
CAMPAIGN 2012
For Romney And Perry, Health Reform Among Debate Flash Points
GOP hopefuls across-the-board criticized President Obama's policies while Mitt Romney and Rick Perry accused each other of flip-flopping on health care issues.
The Washington Post: Rick Perry, Mitt Romney Spar In Republican Presidential Debate
Texas Gov. Rick Perry and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney tangled over Social Security, health care and other issues here Thursday in a debate in which the Republican presidential candidates sharply criticized the policies of President Obama and joined in an assault on the federal government (Balz and Bacon, 9/22).
The Associated Press/NPR: Romney, Perry Go After Each Other In GOP Debate
Side by side in confrontational debate, Republican presidential hopefuls Mitt Romney and Rick Perry sarcastically accused each other Thursday night of flip-flopping on Social Security and health care, flashpoints in their intense struggle for the party nomination (9/22).
Los Angeles Times: GOP Debate: Perry Seems To Muff Chance to Hit 'Romneycare'
Mitt Romney knew that questions about his Massachusetts health care plan would keep coming — but again the kill-shot seemed elusive. Rick Perry was given a chance to fire at point-blank range in the Fox News/Google debate Thursday when Romney was asked about Perry's remarks a day earlier that labeled him "Obama-lite" and likened his Massachusetts plan to "socialized medicine" (Oliphant, 9/22).
The Associated Press/Washington Post: Analysis: Records Give Govs. Perry, Romney Credibility, But Open Them To Attack In GOP Forums
As governors of Texas and Massachusetts, respectively, Perry and Romney made high-profile decisions about health care, immigration and other issues that many people praised as pragmatic and sensible. But in ideology-driven candidates' forums, they fail the test of conservative orthodoxy (9/23).
Bloomberg: Romney-Perry Sparring At Republican Candidate Debate Shapes Race
Rick Perry and Mitt Romney intensified their attacks on each other during a televised debate last night, sparring over Social Security and health care in the escalating two-man battle dominating the Republican presidential contest. Perry, the Texas governor, and Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, accused the other of retreating from controversial stances as they vied at the nine-candidate faceoff in Florida, a state whose primary could heavily influence the party’s nominating race. … In seeking to turn the tables on Romney, Perry charged that his rival had flip-flopped on issues including health care, gun control, abortion rights and education (Davis and Lerer, 9/23).
The Dallas Morning News: Perry and Romney Go Back-And-Forth On Health Care
Rick Perry finally went on the attack against Mitt Romney, trying to corner him on the health care plan he implemented as Massachusetts governor. Perry said the plan was the basis for President Obama's health care plan and that a former Romney adviser said the plan was a bust. The Texas governor even said Romney changed parts of his book to erase a phrase about making the Massachusetts plan national (Benning, 9/22).
Kaiser Health News provides video highlights from Thursday night's GOP presidential primary debate.
Bachmann, Perry Wrestle Over HPV Issue
During the last debate, Michele Bachmann and Rick Perry clashed over their positions on the HPV vaccine. During Thursday night's Orlando debate, the issue again emerged.
Politico: Michele Bachmann, Rick Perry Struggle On HPV Question
There's no winner on the HPV vaccine issue anymore. Michele Bachmann and Rick Perry both struggled to explain their views on the vaccine in Orlando Thursday night, revisiting an issue that the two collided over in the last presidential debate (Burns, 9/22).
Meanwhile, though the deadline has passed for a challenge to Bachmann from bioethicist Arthur Caplan regarding statements she made linking the vaccine to mental retardation, Caplan says the damage has been done.
NPR Shots Blog: Silence From Rep. Bachmann As Vaccine Challenge Expires
The high noon deadline for bioethicist Arthur Caplan's $10,000 challenge to Rep. Michele Bachmann has come and gone without a peep from the Republican presidential hopeful. But damage from her statement linking the HPV vaccine with mental retardation has already been done, Caplan says (Husted, 9/22).
Bloomberg: Bioethicist HPV Bet Ends Without Bachmann Acknowledgement
Bioethicist Art Caplan said his challenge to Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann for evidence that a vaccine to prevent cervical cancer caused mental retardation ended without Bachmann acknowledging it. Caplan, director of the center for bioethics at the University of Pennsylvania, offered to pay $10,000 to a charity of Bachmann's choice if she could find such a patient by noon today. Bachman claimed in television interviews on Sept. 13 that a woman told her that the shot, usually given at age 12, triggered mental retardation in the woman’s daughter (Lopatto, 9/22).
CAPITOL HILL WATCH
Poll Reveals Confusion About Health Law, Little Faith In Debt Panel
A KFF tracking poll finds big gaps in American's understanding of the health law as well as little faith in the congressional "super committee." Another survey, this one from National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, found that public opinion opposes cutting Medicare and Social Security to reduce the deficit, and that this view cuts across partisan lines.
Politico Pro: Another Poll, Another Confused Public
The Kaiser Family Foundation is out Friday with another tracking poll illustrating the big gaps in Americans' knowledge of the health reform law enacted 18 months ago — including the very people who stand to benefit from some of its key components. This month's poll zeroed in on the half of the population who reported that they or a family member have pre-existing conditions such as heart disease or diabetes. Not only did the survey find that significant numbers of people who fell into this category were unaware of provisions designed specifically to help them get coverage — high risk pools, guaranteed issue, a ban on lifetime coverage limits — but the people surveyed knew even less about these relevant aspects of the law than Kaiser had found in previous polls. For instance, 61 percent of those with pre-existing conditions knew that insurers would no longer be able to deny coverage to people on the basis of their medical history, down from 70 percent of all Americans who knew that in June 2010. Similarly, 56 percent knew about the high risk pools, which have now been up and running for more than a year, but back in June 2010, 65 percent of those polled knew the law created them (Kenen, 9/23).
Kaiser Health News: Capsules: Survey: 'Super Committee' Has Yet To Earn Americans' Trust
Kaiser Health News staff writer Phil Galewitz reports: "Americans have little faith the bipartisan congressional 'super committee' will reduce the federal deficit, according to a survey released Friday. Sixty-two percent of respondents said they either trust the super committee 'just a little' or 'not at all' to make the right recommendations to cut the deficit, according to the poll by the Kaiser Family Foundation (KHN is an editorially-independent program of the foundation). Just 5 percent of respondents said they had 'a great deal' of trust in the committee. More people believe the right recommendations would be made by President Barack Obama (23 percent), Democrats in Congress (13 percent) and Republicans (8 percent)" (Galewitz, 9/22). Check out what else is on Capsules, the blog.
CQ HealthBeat: Poll: Opposition To Medicare, Social Security Cuts Is Bipartisan
Public opinion continues to come down against cutting Medicare and Social Security to reduce the deficit. The latest evidence comes from a new national poll that shows this view cuts across partisan lines. The poll was done for the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare and conducted by Democratic pollster Celinda Lake and Republican Bob Carpenter. Although a majority of Democrats, independents and Republicans opposed cuts to the two entitlement programs and favored raising taxes on the wealthy to deal with the deficit issue, the GOP respondents held those views by smaller margins (9/22).
'Super Committee' Hears Pleas To Protect Health Programs
Some say the recession's toll could be even greater if Medicaid funding for mental health services hits the deficit panel's chopping block. Meanwhile, provider groups continue to make their cases to the committee.
The Fiscal Times: The Recession's 'Silent Mental Health Epidemic'
As bleak as things are for many of the unemployed, it could get even worse if Medicaid funding of mental health services is put on the chopping block this fall, as a congressional "Super Committee" hunts for spending cuts to help reduce the federal budget deficit. Medicaid is the most important source of funding of public mental health services for young people and adults, accounting for nearly half of state mental health budgets, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (Hirsch and Pianin, 9/23).
CQ HealthBeat: Health Groups Make Their Case To The Super Committee
When it comes to Medicare and Medicaid, the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction is getting plenty of advice, warnings and pleas to avoid harming enrollees and providers. On Thursday, radiologists said that the so-called super committee should turn aside an Obama administration proposal to reduce payments to the imaging industry by $1.3 billion over five years. The American College of Radiology said that those cuts would come on top of $5 billion in reimbursement reductions during the past five years (Norman, 9/22).
Los Angeles Times: Obama Alienating Some Democratic Moderates With Fiscal Stance
Staking out fiscally conservative positions, Democrats over the last several elections have managed to steal voters from Republicans in some unlikely places, such as Montana and Virginia. But many moderates lost their seats in 2010, and those who remain are nervous about the campaign and aren't eager to embrace the president's call for tax hikes, even increases aimed at the wealthiest Americans (Hennessey, 9/22).
HEALTH CARE MARKETPLACE
Drug Shortages Fuel Increases In Cost Of Care, Poor Outcomes
The Associated Press: AP Impact: Drug Shortages Endanger Patients, Disrupt Hospital Operations, Raise Cost Of Care
A severe shortage of drugs for chemotherapy, infections and other serious ailments is endangering patients and forcing hospitals to buy life-saving medications from secondary suppliers at huge markups because they can't get them any other way. An Associated Press review of industry reports and interviews with nearly two dozen experts found at least 15 deaths in the past 15 months blamed on the shortages, either because the right drug wasn't available or because of dosing errors or other problems in administering or preparing alternative medications (Johnson, 9/23).
STATE WATCH
State Roundup: Texas House Dems Ask CMS To Reject Medicaid Waiver
News outlets report on a variety of state health policy issues.
CQ HealthBeat: Texas Democrats Ask CMS To Deny State Medicaid Waiver
The nine House Democrats from Texas want the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services to reject their state's request that Medicaid beneficiaries get their prescription drugs through managed care plans. In a letter to Cindy Mann, director of the Center for Medicaid, CHIP and Survey & Certification, the delegation said approving Texas' proposal "could force small Texas pharmacies to close and seriously endanger patient access to vital prescription drugs" (Bunis, 9/22).
The Arizona Republic: Side Effect Of Mental-Health Cuts: Job Losses
As much as the state's behavioral-health system has suffered cutbacks over the past year, it's about to suffer more. Agencies that treat Arizona's mentally ill and provide substance-abuse treatment face a double whammy. The state's Medicaid program soon will again reduce the amount it pays for services. And a 30-year-old class-action lawsuit that ensured state-funded treatment for the seriously mentally ill may be nearing its demise. The latest round of payment reductions, spurred by a need to balance the state budget, has forced care providers to lay off hundreds of mental-health workers statewide (Reinhart, 9/23).
The Dallas Morning News: Dallas Smokers Say They Feel Targeted By New Rules, Higher Costs
Smokers know that it's tougher lighting up these days, navigating bans and paying more out of their pockets. But eliminating them from job consideration because they use nicotine? "I think that’s ridiculous," said Christy Caveny after hearing about the new hiring policy that will begin Jan. 1 at Baylor Health (Boardman, 9/22).
The California Report/KQED: California Nurses On Strike
Organizers say it's the biggest nurses' strike in U.S. history: involving two hospital chains -- Kaiser Permanente and Sutter Health -- and two unions -- the National Union of Healthcare Workers and the California Nurses Association. ... Ironic though it may be -- that a healthcare worker is worried about her own health care benefits -- it's an issue that's erupting in contract negotiations at hospitals across California. Employers are pushing to raise co-pays and employee contributions. Another issue driving the strikes is staffing levels (Clark, 9/22).
WBUR's CommonHealth Blog: Twenty-Three Hospitals Face Financial Penalties For Preventable Readmissions
At least 23 hospitals across the state are facing financial penalties because their so-called "potentially preventable readmissions rates," are too high, according to MassHealth administrators. The penalties, slated to take effect Oct. 1, are part of the new, 2012 rate contracts between the state and the 65 hospitals who care for MassHealth patients. Hospitals deemed by the state to have too many re-admitted patients will be hit with a 2.2 percent reduction in their standard payment amount per discharge (Zimmerman, 9/22).
WBUR's CommonHealth Blog: New Partners Option Aims To Keep Employees In-House For Care
Partners HealthCare, the state's largest employer, is in the process of notifying its 60,000-plus employees of a new option in their health insurance: a plan that charges them more out-of-pocket for non-Partners care. ... Now, this is nothing new, for a hospital network to aim to keep employees in-house for care. But when Partners does it, it raises an obvious question: Partners — which includes Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, as well as community hospitals and health centers — has repeatedly been cited by state authorities as a key driver of high medical costs. If more people from among its multitudinous employees get care at Partners, won't that drive costs still higher? (Goldberg, 9/22).
Georgia Health News: Budget Squeeze Dooms Public Health Clinic
Public health officials are closing a primary care clinic at the Lowndes County Health Department on Sept. 30 because of budget problems. The Valdosta clinic has been serving patients for more than a decade. The 400 to 500 low-income people who regularly get free services there are mostly middle-aged, and roughly 80 percent of them have diabetes or hypertension, says Dr. William Grow, who is district health director. They don't qualify for Medicaid or Medicare, he says. ... What's happening in Lowndes County has played out in other areas of the state after years of tight budgets (Miller, 9/22).
California Healthline: New Law Allows Physicians To Move Children From Acute Care
Physicians in California are not allowed to transfer children who are under care of the state and in acute care facilities, even if moving them to a subacute facility would be a better option for them. Assembly member Holly Mitchell (D-Los Angeles) wanted to change that with AB 667. Yesterday, Gov. Jerry Brown (D) agreed and signed that bill into law (Gorn, 9/22).
Kansas Health Institute News: Small-Biz Health Insurance Legislation To Be Revived
A health insurance bill from the 2010 legislative session that pitted the state's small-business lobby against the Kansas Insurance Department will be revived in the 2012 session. ... The measure, if approved, would allow small-business owners to buy or subsidize an employee's purchase of an individual health insurance policy and get a tax credit, as do employers who offer coverage through a group plan (9/22).
EDITORIALS AND OPINIONS
Viewpoints: Concerns That AIDS Fight Is Losing Steam; Pharmacy Choice Bill Is Praised; Texas Sex-Ed Policies Questioned
The Wall Street Journal: Rethinking The Fight Against AIDS
The considerable progress in recent years—including the 22-fold increase in the number of people receiving anti-retroviral drugs between 2001-2010—has been due to scientific breakthroughs and to civil society's efforts to keep AIDS on the political agenda. This is now changing. Yet according to the World Health Organization, AIDS-related illnesses are still the biggest killer of women world-wide, and only two out of five people requiring treatment are currently receiving anti-retroviral drugs. UNAIDS's commitment to universal access by 2015 is in serious jeopardy (Bjorn Lomborg and Peter Piot, 9/22).
Roll Call: FTC Should Block The Express Scripts-Medco Merger To Promote Pharmacy Choice, Competition
A key House Judiciary subcommittee rightly convened a hearing recently to examine a pharmaceutical megamerger that carries enormous risks for patients, the government and other health plan sponsors. Unless the Federal Trade Commission rejects the union of giant pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) Express Scripts and Medco, it will almost certainly harm patients by reducing choice, increasing prescription drug costs and decreasing access to high-quality pharmacy services (B. Douglas Hoey, 9/22).
The New York Times: Mom-And-Pop Pharmacy Bill
Legislation approved by both houses of the New York State Legislature purports to be a benefit to consumers but looks more like a favor to retail drug lobbyists that could actually drive up costs for consumers. Gov. Andrew Cuomo would be wise to veto it (9/22).
The Houston Chronicle: Let's Reconsider Abstinence-Only Sex Ed
Texans have much to be proud of. But a glance at our statistics on teen pregnancy gives one little to cheer about. They are abysmal…. A number of our state lawmakers have tried to pass bills requiring medically accurate sex education in school programs. It's past time for their colleagues, who have lavishly funded abstinence-only programs, to support the majority of their taxpayers who favor more effective programs in our schools (9/22).
EDITOR:
Stephanie Stapleton
WRITERS:
Jennifer Evans
Jenny Gold
Jessica Marcy
Andrew Villegas
Christopher Weaver
The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published by Kaiser Health News, an operating program of the Kaiser Family Foundation. (c) 2011 Kaiser Health News. All rights reserved.
This article was reprinted from kaiserhealthnews.org with permission from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. Kaiser Health News, an editorially independent news service, is a program of the Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonpartisan health care policy research organization unaffiliated with Kaiser Permanente.
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