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State highlights: Mass. can't ban painkiller, judge rules; Kan. and health care compact bill

A selection of health policy stories from Massachusetts, Kansas, Florida, Michigan, Connecticut, Maryland, Arizona, Hawaii, Missouri and Georgia.

17 Apr 2014

Highlights: N.Y.'s $8B Medicaid waiver; Conn. Medicaid application delays settlement; managed care overpayment in Washington state

New York and federal officials report final agreement allowing the state to reinvest $8 billion in Medicaid savings to support hospital overhauls and expand primary medical care over the next five years. The goal of the Medicaid waiver is to reduce avoidable hospital use by 25 percent while helping financially struggling hospitals shift to more primary and outpatient care (4/14).

16 Apr 2014

Highlights: Va. mental health care task force; pharmacist duties in N.C.; nurse practitioners in Conn.

A selection of health policy stories from Virginia, North Carolina, New York, Connecticut, Minnesota, Florida, Iowa and Oregon.

11 Apr 2014

More young workers decline employer health coverage

Despite the mandate that most Americans carry health insurance or pay a penalty, young workers employed by large companies signed up for job-based health plans at a lower rate than last year, according to a report by payroll services company Automatic Data Processing Inc. Meanwhile, Connecticut gets another insurer, and employers continue to shift health care costs to their workers.

7 Apr 2014

Roundup: Battles fought over Lyme disease, autism and abortion

In Texas, abortion providers file suit to block a state rule that could shut down many of the state's remaining clinics, while lawmakers in Vermont and N.Y. seek to immunize doctors who prescribe long-term antibiotics for patients with lasting symptoms attributed to Lyme disease.

3 Apr 2014

L.A. Times: More than 9 million uninsured gain coverage

The newspaper's tally draws on state and federal enrollment reports, surveys by consultants and interviews with insurance and government officials. Meanwhile, insurers and others intensify efforts to sign up young customers.

1 Apr 2014

Americans' experience with health law depends on where they live

Some states that embraced the law, like Oregon, have had difficulty enrolling residents because of glitch-ridden online marketplaces, while others like New Hampshire have seen unexpectedly strong enrollments despite prevailing critical views.

31 Mar 2014

First Edition: March 31, 2014

Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations offer assessments of the administration's campaign to get people signed up for health care and a look at the issues going forward after today's deadline for most enrollments.

31 Mar 2014

States work to clarify enrollment rules, untangle technical problems as open enrollment period moves toward its close

News outlets also report that states are still conducting outreach efforts and offering the latest tallies of people who are signing up as well as information about subsidies.

29 Mar 2014

Study: Just 1 in 5 eligible for premium subsidies seek coverage

Sign-up rates varied greatly by state, with more than half of the $10 billion allotted so far going to consumers in California, Florida, North Carolina, Texas and New York, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation study. Meanwhile, the Treasury Department allows battered spouses filing separate income taxes to claim subsidies. Also, Merck and GlaxoSmithKline hold off on helping Obamacare enrollees with copays.

28 Mar 2014

State highlights: Bad grades for 45 states on medical price posting; Kan. Planned Parenthood funds; Conn. for-profit hospitals

A selection of health policy stories from California, Kansas, Connecticut, North Carolina and Minnesota.

27 Mar 2014

State highlights: Ark. court reverses $1.2B Medicaid drug judgment; Fla. officials overhauling child welfare agency

The Arkansas Supreme Court reversed a $1.2 billion judgment against Johnson & Johnson on Thursday, finding that the state attorney general erred by suing under a law that applied to health care facilities, not drug companies. The judgment, one of the largest in history for a state fraud case, was imposed in 2012 after a jury concluded that Johnson & Johnson had improperly marketed and concealed the risks of Risperdal, an antipsychotic drug (Thomas, 3/2).

24 Mar 2014

State exchanges report stepped up activity as sign-up deadline nears

According to The Denver Post, Colorado's marketplace is seeing an acceleration in the rate of enrollment while the Los Angeles Times highlights specific outreach efforts as the clock ticks toward March 31. In Oregon, though, the countdown is on for the release of a report detailing what went wrong. And, in Connecticut, GOP state legislators want to know any of the consumers using the state's online portal were previously uninsured.

21 Mar 2014

State highlights: Wash. state cost and quality bills; Okla. privatized Medicaid; Fla. malpractice law overturned

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17 Mar 2014

Skip health coverage and the penalty may exceed expectations

The notion that, during its first year, the penalty for not getting health insurance is relatively small is not entirely accurate. News outlets also report on how the health law is affecting retiree health care, insurers' rate-setting processes, pregnant women's coverage and provider networks.

13 Mar 2014

Some states weighing enrollment extension

Several states that are running their own marketplaces and have experienced problems are considering allowing residents more time to sign up for insurance. Also, a number of local news outlets examine their states' enrollment totals released this week by HHS.

13 Mar 2014

Protein Metrics releases Byologic software to improve analytical quality

Protein Metrics, Inc., a leading provider of software for rapid and thorough protein characterization, today announced the release of Byologic. Byologic software enables easy and convenient identification and quantification of sequence variants, protein modifications, and degradants down to trace concentrations.

12 Mar 2014