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First Edition: January 27, 2014

Today's headlines include a report about a new Associated Press poll that found some negative views of the health law may be easing.

27 Jan 2014

Gap continues to grow between urban and rural residents in life expectancy

Reducing health inequalities and increasing life expectancy in the United States have both been primary goals of the national health initiative, Healthy People 2020. Unfortunately, according to a new study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, over a 40-year period, rural residents have experienced smaller gains in life expectancy than their urban counterparts and the gap continues to grow.

24 Jan 2014

Even as exchange enrollment numbers appear sluggish, Medicaid expansion sign-ups surge in many states

The New York Times also notes that many of these new Medicaid beneficiaries are people who have not had insurance before. Meanwhile, news outlets continue to track developments regarding how governors continue to wrestle with Medicaid decisions -- including those in Virginia, Michigan and Maine. Also in the news, a problem with Maryland's Medicaid enrollment.

21 Jan 2014

First Edition: January 21, 2014

Today's headlines include news on the health law's implementation at both the federal and state levels.

21 Jan 2014

Going barefoot contributes to hookworm infections

Going barefoot in parts of Africa, Asia and South America contributes to hookworm infections, which afflict an estimated 700 million of the world's poor. The parasitic worm lives in the soil and enters the body through the feet. By feeding on victims' blood, the worms cause anemia and, in children, stunted growth and learning problems.

20 Jan 2014

Viewpoints: Is overhaul really a 'war' on the young?; war on poverty requires spending; maternity leave in America

A long-shot lawsuit that could have damaged the effectiveness of health care reform got a well-deserved brushoff from a federal district judge on Wednesday.

20 Jan 2014

Tricky politics affecting Arkansas, Arizona Medicaid expansion

An Arkansas special election, which was held to replace a Democratic senator who was forced to step down over ethics violations, centered on questions about the state plans to expand Medicaid. It resulted in a Republican win and takes away one vote from the "private option" expansion plan lawmakers approved last year. News outlets also provide updates from Georgia, Arizona and New Hampshire.

19 Jan 2014

First Edition: January 17, 2014

Today's headlines include reports from Capitol Hill about passage of a $1.1 billion spending bill as well as testimony by an Obama administration official about healthcare.gov

17 Jan 2014

Crozer-Keystone Health System wins 2013 Foster G. McGaw Prize for Excellence in Community Service

In honor of its broad-based efforts to improve the lives of the most vulnerable members of its community, Crozer-Keystone Health System in Delaware County, Pa. is the recipient of the 2013 Foster G. McGaw Prize for Excellence in Community Service, one of the most esteemed community service honors in healthcare.

From Baxter International Inc. 16 Jan 2014

Viewpoints: 'Celebrating' enrollment numbers; Maryland's website 'debacle;' abortion battle moves again to high court

Today the federal government released the most comprehensive data yet about who signed up for Obamacare through Dec. 28. There's reason to cheer for both the law's supporters and its detractors. ... Today's numbers don't settle the question of whether the administration will hit its goals for enrollment in the exchanges, measured either in raw numbers or demographic breakdown. But they show that those goals are within reach (Christopher Flavelle, 1/13).

15 Jan 2014

For many working low-income residents, health law's promise is still unaffordable

Stateline examines the difficulty for many working families to buy insurance while KHN spends time at a California hospital to survey how some without insurance try to afford care. Other news coverage on health law outreach and enrollment looks at narrow networks in some plans and an effort in Connecticut to attract consumers.

15 Jan 2014

Medicaid expansion battles resume in state Capitols

Aided in some cases by a new cast of elected officials, groups pushing for Medicaid expansion hope to reopen the debate in state legislative sessions beginning in Maine, Virginia, Louisiana, Kansas and Georgia.

14 Jan 2014

State highlights: Calif. Governor's budget to include $670M in new Medi-Cal spending; Mass. launches new electronic health records updates

When he unveils his new budget plan Thursday, Gov. Jerry Brown will propose billions of dollars in new spending on schools, health care, social services and environmental programs as California reaps the benefits of an economic turnaround. … The proposed budget includes $670 million more for Medi-Cal, the state's public health care program, which is expanding as part of President Obama's federal overhaul. The program is expected to serve a quarter of California's residents next year.

10 Jan 2014

Teens with a history of concussions more likely to suffer from depression

Teens with a history of concussions are more than three times as likely to suffer from depression as teens who have never had a concussion, finds a new study in the Journal of Adolescent Health.

10 Jan 2014

First Edition: January 9, 2014

Today's headlines include reports about how the politics of the health law continue to play out on Capitol Hill.

9 Jan 2014

Weill Cornell Medical College received a $75M grant to expand, enhance cancer research, care programs

Weill Cornell Medical College announced today that it has received a $75 million gift from Sandra and Edward Meyer and the Sandra and Edward Meyer Foundation to expand and enhance the medical college's distinguished cancer research and care programs.

9 Jan 2014

Tanning tax, among others, kicking in

News outlets covered several elements of the tax features of the health law.

8 Jan 2014

Marriage does not lower poverty rates among poor, single mothers

As the United States marks the 50th anniversary of the War on Poverty this month, a new report suggests one recent weapon in the battle has been a disappointing failure.

7 Jan 2014

Viewpoints: Rethinking what health insurance should cover; Sen. Johnson suing over congressional health plan; Medicaid's unsung success

The proper role of health insurance should be to finance necessary and expensive medical services without the patient incurring devastating financial consequences. Over the last decade, however, Americans have come to expect their health insurance to subsidize the consumption of all medical care. ... This shift in expectation has meant that health insurance stands out as entirely different from all other types of insurance. Ask yourself: Would you use automobile insurance to buy gasoline? Would you use homeowner insurance to finance painting your house? This wrongheaded view has played an important role in contributing to rapidly rising health care costs (George P. Shultz, Scott W. Atlas and John F. Cogan, 1/5).