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Obesity before pregnancy can lead to preterm births

Women who are obese before they become pregnant face an increased risk of delivering a very premature baby, according to a new study of nearly 1 million California births.

25 Jun 2014

First Edition: June 25, 2014

Today's headlines include a report about a recent analysis that finds new health plan enrollees are showing high rates of serious health conditions.

25 Jun 2014

Viewpoints: Overlooked costs for insurers; Medicaid disparities; dropping doctors from Medicare Advantage

In a Think Tank post Thursday, I wrote about how insurers deciding to participate next year in the health exchanges established under Obamacare could be expecting funds that the federal government may not have legal authority to disburse. But that's not the only potential pitfall for carriers: They could also end up on the hook for payment reductions caused by sequestration (Chris Jacobs, 6/23).

25 Jun 2014

SEC sues after House Resists insider trading probe

The Securities and Exchange Commission has sued a House committee and its staff director in federal court to enforce subpoenas for documents and testimony about possible tipping of confidential government information about a planned change in Medicare reimbursement rates that reached investors and sent health insurance stocks soaring.

25 Jun 2014

Nearly 4% of U.S. babies are born before full-term without medical indication, study finds

A large new study, covering millions of U.S. births over 15 years, finds that substantial numbers of babies, nearly one in 25, are born earlier than medically justified, through elective cesarean sections and elective induced labor. The study reinforces long-standing recommendations by professional medical and public health organizations against early-term deliveries without appropriate medical reasons.

24 Jun 2014

State highlights: Ohio managed care plans launch; Bluecross Blueshield plan faces Ore. lawsuit; N.Y. policy on unvaccinated children upheld

A selection of health policy stories from Ohio, Oregon, New York, Colorado, Iowa, New Jersey, North Carolina, Georgia, California and Minnesota.

24 Jun 2014

Viewpoints: Concerns about ACOs; problems in Va. gov.'s strategy; Medicaid 'black hole'

Although Obamacare's health insurance expansion has directly provided coverage to only about 4 percent of Americans, changes embedded in the Affordable Care Act could affect many more people, and not always in good ways.

24 Jun 2014

Still waiting... as High Court nears the end of its term, decision on birth control mandate challenge still pending

A decision could be issued any day. Also still in the mix is the court's ruling on a First Amendment challenge to a Massachusetts law that established a 35-foot buffer zone to restrict demonstrators outside of abortion clinics.

24 Jun 2014

Chicago hospitals see little change in ER visits; Calif. probes Anthem's provider lists

The Chicago Sun-Times examines the health law's effect on local emergency rooms, while the Los Angeles Times reports that state officials are investigating whether Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of California violated state law by posting inaccurate provider lists.

24 Jun 2014

Virginia Gov. signs budget, vetos Medicaid amendment

Gov. Terry McAuliffe will try to bypass the Republican-controlled legislature to expand health coverage for hundreds of thousands of uninsured residents. Medicaid expansion developments in Wisconsin, California and Pennsylvania are also tracked.

23 Jun 2014

HHS Sec. Burwell makes management changes to Healthcare.gov

The steps are being taken in an effort to prevent a repeat of the difficulties that took place during last year's launch of the federal online insurance marketplace.

23 Jun 2014

States, tech companies wrestle over efforts to fix troubled state marketplace sites

States seek to recoup funds from technology companies that were involved in creating the online insurance portals that malfunctioned.

23 Jun 2014

First Edition: June 23, 2014

Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including news stories about healthcare.gov management changes.

23 Jun 2014

Long-term care for soaring numbers of people with dementia need to be improved, says new RAND study

As millions of Americans struggle to help loved ones with dementia, policymakers should consider more ways to improve long-term services and supports for the soaring numbers of people with the debilitating condition and their caregivers, a new RAND Corporation study says -- and it offers possible ways to do so.

23 Jun 2014

Calif. marketplace officials raise concerns about initiative's effects on rate regulation

Backers of the ballot measure say it will not disrupt how the exchange works in the state but allow the insurance commissioner more authority over premium increases.

21 Jun 2014

Research roundup: Improving colon cancer screening; disparities in heart care; Medicaid expansion's effect on cities

This report estimated the effect of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) on 14 large and diverse cities: Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Indianapolis, Columbus, Charlotte, Detroit, Memphis, Seattle, Denver, Atlanta, and Miami.

21 Jun 2014

State highlights: N.Y. lawmakers deal on heroin abuse; N.Y. birth control discrimination bill; nursing home costs in Mich.

A selection of health policy stories from New York, Michigan, New Jersey, Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, California, Texas, Washington state, Missouri, Massachusetts and Colorado.

20 Jun 2014

First Edition: June 20, 2014

Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including reports about a new poll of showing a majority of those signing up for marketplace plans had been uninsured before and the Obama administration's decision to extend marriage benefits, including family leave, to same-sex couples.

20 Jun 2014

Lack of federal funding and Medicaid expansions can impact community health centers

A special federal fund to support community health centers expires after September 2015, creating a funding cliff for primary care clinics located in medically underserved areas.

20 Jun 2014

Insurers' 2015 rate filings set stage for consumer decisions

The Wall Street Journal notes that, as rates for the upcoming season shake out, consumers will make choices between paying higher premiums to stay on their current plans or switching coverage to save cash. Meanwhile, news outlets detail recent reports that analyze these costs, as well as the impact of federal subsidies, and offer regional takes on the rates.

20 Jun 2014

Health Insurance News and Research

Obesity before pregnancy can lead to preterm births

First Edition: June 25, 2014

Viewpoints: Overlooked costs for insurers; Medicaid disparities; dropping doctors from Medicare Advantage

SEC sues after House Resists insider trading probe

Nearly 4% of U.S. babies are born before full-term without medical indication, study finds

State highlights: Ohio managed care plans launch; Bluecross Blueshield plan faces Ore. lawsuit; N.Y. policy on unvaccinated children upheld

Viewpoints: Concerns about ACOs; problems in Va. gov.'s strategy; Medicaid 'black hole'

Still waiting... as High Court nears the end of its term, decision on birth control mandate challenge still pending

Chicago hospitals see little change in ER visits; Calif. probes Anthem's provider lists

Virginia Gov. signs budget, vetos Medicaid amendment

HHS Sec. Burwell makes management changes to Healthcare.gov

States, tech companies wrestle over efforts to fix troubled state marketplace sites

First Edition: June 23, 2014

Long-term care for soaring numbers of people with dementia need to be improved, says new RAND study

Calif. marketplace officials raise concerns about initiative's effects on rate regulation

Research roundup: Improving colon cancer screening; disparities in heart care; Medicaid expansion's effect on cities

State highlights: N.Y. lawmakers deal on heroin abuse; N.Y. birth control discrimination bill; nursing home costs in Mich.

First Edition: June 20, 2014

Lack of federal funding and Medicaid expansions can impact community health centers

Insurers' 2015 rate filings set stage for consumer decisions

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Bringing real-time analytics to downstream bioprocess monitoring

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