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First Edition: May 22, 2013

Today's headlines include reports about how the Medicaid expansion is shaking out in Virginia and Texas, as well as a report about the role health care is playing as the House attempts to negotiate an immigration reform measure.

22 May 2013

Implementation issues: Coverage 'ping pong' among emerging concerns

The notion of how life events could cause disrupted health coverage is a focus for policy makers. In addition, news outlets also are reporting on developments related to high-risk pools, and a break between the White House and organized labor regarding how the implementation process is shaping up.

22 May 2013

State roundup: Nearly 13,000 Calif. hospital workers set to strike

Respiratory therapists, nursing aides, surgical technicians and other patient care workers plan to stage a walkout starting Tuesday morning at five University of California medical centers. More than 12,000 workers from the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees are expected to participate in the two-day strike over staffing, pay and pension reform, union officials said. An additional 3,400 workers from the University Professional and Technical Employees union plan a one-day sympathy strike (Gorman, 5/21).

22 May 2013

Marketing new health insurance options poses challenges

The Wall Street Journal explores issues surrounding the health law's "navigators," a small army of people who are supposed to help millions of Americans sign up for coverage. Meanwhile, Kaiser Health News reports on questions about how the one in five households who lack traditional bank accounts will be able to pay their insurance bills.

22 May 2013

Democrats push back against claims of health law 'rate shock'

House Energy and Commerce Committee Democrats countered GOP claims that the health law is driving up insurance premiums by analyzing initial rate filings in five states.

22 May 2013

Ground battles continue over states' Medicaid expansion

News reports from Texas, Louisiana, Iowa, Florida and Maine highlight states' continuing debates over this health law provision.

22 May 2013

First Edition: May 21, 2013

Today's headlines include stories examining how the approaching implementation of some health law provisions is highlighting key policy questions.

21 May 2013

Roundup: Okla. governor pushes funding fix to cover 9,000 on Medicaid; Texas lawmakers OK new mental health funds

Gov. Mary Fallin proposed a last-minute legislative change Friday to the state's Insure Oklahoma program that would direct $50 million in state tobacco taxes to pay for more than 9,000 people who are expected to lose their health insurance under the program.

21 May 2013

State rejections of Medicaid expansion likely to widen health disparities

The Los Angeles Times reports that states opting against expanded eligibility -- among them, some of the nation's unhealthiest -- could fall even further behind as the Affordable Care Act is implemented. News outlets also offer reports from Arizona, Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, California, Florida and Virginia.

21 May 2013

Viewpoints: Sebelius' 'ethical line'; As tricky phase of health law approaches, concerns about exchanges opening on time

One of the biggest questions hanging over the health-care system is how many young Americans will sign up for coverage once the Affordable Care Act begins to phase in this October. If too few buy insurance on the markets that the government is creating, insurance companies would be stuck covering primarily the old and the sick. They would have to pay out more per customer.

21 May 2013

Health law's insurance exchanges are not mirror image of Mass. version

Some of the state's features that advocates say helped consumers make their insurance-purchasing decisions were not included in the the federal health law.

21 May 2013

Employers eye limited plans to avoid health law penalties

The Wall Street Journal reports that "bare-bones" health plans may help some employers avoid the law's fines. Meanwhile, the Journal Sentinel explores how investors are assessing winning or losing stocks as a result of the law's implementation.

21 May 2013

First Edition: May 20, 2013

Today's headlines include reports about the policy and political issues currently surrounding the health law's implementation.

20 May 2013

PathCentral releases APLIS platform to serve the needs of community pathologist

PathCentral, a technology-enabled company dedicated to the success of the pathology community, today introduced AP Anywhere, its bundled Anatomic Pathology Laboratory Information System technology offering.

20 May 2013

Cell Therapeutics announces issuance of final benefit assessment report for PIXUVRI

Cell Therapeutics, Inc. today reported that Germany's Federal Joint Committee has issued its final benefit assessment report for PIXUVRI (pixantrone), which is indicated as a monotherapy for the treatment of adult patients with aggressive B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) who have failed two or three prior lines of therapy.

20 May 2013

Viewpoints: Health law's effect on patient safety; Angelina Jolie's surgery is the ultimate 'choice'

Much of the discussion over the Affordable Care Act has focused on whether it will bring down health care costs. Less attention has been paid to another goal of the act: improving patient safety. Each year tens of thousands of people die, and hundreds of thousands more are injured, as a result of medical error (Joanna C. Schwartz, 5/16).

18 May 2013

Liberty University's challenge to the health law has a day in appellate court

Mathew Staver, the university's lawyer, told the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel that Liberty would face millions of dollars in penalties if it refuses to provide employee health insurance that violates its religious beliefs.

18 May 2013

CMS examines interaction between Medicaid and health insurance exchanges

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has put out most of the rules to implement coverage changes under the health care law, but a top official said Thursday that the public should expect more guidance on such issues as outreach and the enrollment of lawmakers and their staffs into the new marketplaces that will start accepting people in October.

17 May 2013

GfK to deliver major presentation on personalized medicine at PBIRG Annual General Meeting

GfK will deliver a major presentation about patient perspectives' on personalized medicine at the Pharmaceutical Business and Intelligence Research Group Annual General Meeting, taking place May 19 to 22 in Naples, Florida.

17 May 2013

First Edition: May 17, 2013

Today's headlines include reports about the GOP vote to repeal the health law -- for the 37th time -- as well as how the current IRS scandal is being connected to the health law's implementation.

17 May 2013