State Highlights: Appeals Court Upholds N.Y. Vaccine Requirement; Ky. Gov. Urges Statewide Smoking Ban
A selection of health policy stories from New York, Kentucky, California, Iowa, Maryland and Georgia.
The Wall Street Journal's Metropolis:
Appeals Court Upholds Schoolchildren Vaccination Rule
A federal appeals court has affirmed New York state’s requirement that all children be vaccinated in order to attend public school, rejecting claims that the law was discriminatory and that its local applications violated the constitutional right of religious freedom. In an order released Wednesday, a three-judge panel of the Second Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals also upheld a regulation that allows school officials to temporarily exclude from school students who are not immunized during an outbreak of vaccine-preventable diseases. (O'Brien, 1/7)
The Associated Press:
Beshear Urges Lawmakers To Pass Statewide Smoking Ban
Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear used his final State of the Commonwealth address Wednesday night to urge lawmakers to pass a statewide workplace smoking ban. Beshear said in prepared text that Kentucky has one of the highest smoking rates in the country, accounting for about $2 billion in health care costs annually. He noted that two-thirds of states already have smoking bans and half of Kentuckians live in cities and counties with local smoking bans. Historically, Kentucky farmers owe much of their prosperity to the tobacco crop, which has created a strong tobacco culture in the state. Last year, a statewide smoking ban failed to get a vote in the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives. But House Speaker Greg Stumbo told reporters Wednesday the body will vote on the ban in 2015. (1/7)
Bay City News Service:
Dispute Threatens Coverage For Blue Shield, Sutter Health Customers
Hundreds of thousands of people have been told they will need to switch doctors soon due to a contract dispute between Sutter Health and Blue Shield of California. Notices sent to customers warns that as of Jan. 1 the health insurer has canceled coverage for all hospitals and medical providers affiliated with Sutter Health. (1/7)
Los Angeles Times:
Stuck Waiting For The Doctor? Check Ratings On State Physician Groups
Californians wanting to check up on doctors have new ratings from Consumer Reports on more than 170 physician groups statewide. The scores released this week are intended to help consumers see how different medical offices stack up on providing care and dealing with patients. In Southern California, doctors affiliated with Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Kaiser Permanente and HealthCare Partners earned some of the highest ratings. (Terhune, 1/7)
The Des Moines Register:
CoOportunity's Future Looks 'Tough,' Commissioner Says
CoOportunity Health's prospects look bleak, but regulators should determine soon if it can be salvaged or if it must be liquidated, Iowa's insurance commissioner said Wednesday. The fledgling company, which provided health insurance to more than 100,000 people in Iowa and Nebraska, was taken over by Iowa regulators last month amid a financial crunch. Commissioner Nick Gerhart said his staff has been going through the carrier's books since last week, trying to determine if there's a way to keep the company going. (Leys, 1/7)
The Washington Post:
Maryland Gov. O’Malley To Propose $400 Million In Cuts
According to people who have been briefed on O’Malley’s plan, the package includes reductions in spending by state agencies, colleges and universities, as well as reductions to providers participating in the state Medicaid program, which provides health insurance for the poor and disabled. (Wagner, 1/6)
Kaiser Health News:
How California Can Improve Oversight Of Home Caregivers
In California, hundreds of thousands of low-income elderly and disabled people receive daily care in their homes from relatives and others paid by the state. Yet, no overall training is required for the more than 400,000 caregivers, who are paid about $10 an hour through the $7.3 billion In-Home Supportive Services Program. And the program provides little oversight. On KPCC’s Take Two, Kaiser Health News Reporter Anna Gorman said that while the IHSS program does work for many Californians, the state needs to pay more attention to those in the program who are vulnerable. (1/7)
Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
Rural Hospitals: This Patient May Not Make It
Declining populations, fewer paying patients, rising expenses and falling incomes have doomed many of Georgia’s rural hospitals. A group of state lawmakers, hospital officials and others has spent much of the past year searching for ways to help dozens of the small institutions stay afloat. They’re still searching. (Williams, 1/7)