State Highlights: Obama Administration OKs Calif.’s Health Plan Tax Swap; N.Y. Advances Effort To Eliminate The Tampon Tax
Outlets report on health news in California, New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Wisconsin, Massachusetts and Ohio.
The Sacramento Bee:
Feds Approve California’s Health Plan Tax Swap
The Obama administration has signed off on California’s expansion of a tax on health plans that contributes hundreds of millions of dollars to Medi-Cal and other programs, with plans receiving offsetting breaks on other state taxes. (Miller, 5/17)
Kaiser Health News:
New York Aims To Become The Next State To Toss The Tampon Tax
Feminine products are having a moment. With some calling for a red wave to take the taboo out of menstruation, politicians across the country are trying to make tampons and sanitary pads as affordable and accessible as possible. Five states have eliminated sales taxes on pads and tampons: New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Maryland and Minnesota. In New York, a bill awaits the governor's signature, and other efforts to improve access to sanitary products are underway. (Mogul, 5/18)
The Philadelphia Inquirer:
Penn Strikes Deal With Biogen For Gene Therapy
Biogen Inc. announced a research collaboration on gene therapy and gene editing with the University of Pennsylvania that will pay the West Philadelphia institution $20 million upfront, with an additional $62.5 million committed over the next three to five years for research and development costs. (Brubaker, 5/17)
The Connecticut Mirror:
Can An Apartment Cut Health Care Costs Of Homeless ‘Super Users’?
Connecticut is one of four sites for a five-year demonstration program designed to identify high-cost, high-need patients – “super users,” as they’re commonly called in health care – who are also homeless, and match them with both a place to live and a team to help with things like making sure they pay rent, get a primary care doctor, and get care. (Levin Becker, 5/18)
The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel:
Milwaukee Teen Birth Rate Plummets 54.4%
Milwaukee's teen birthrate dropped 54.4% in the past decade, beating the nation average of 40%. (Stephenson, 5/17)
WBUR:
Dartmouth Study Looks At When Doctors And Patients Clash Over ‘Unnecessary’ Care
What happens when you want a test that your doctor thinks won’t help? Has a national campaign against high-cost, low-value care helped physicians have these tough conversations? And what drives doctors to provide care that they don’t think a patient needs? (Poorman, 5/18)
The Connecticut Mirror:
Malloy Signs Medical Marijuana For Minors Bill
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy on Tuesday signed a bill to open the state’s medical marijuana program to minors with certain medical conditions. The measure takes effect Oct. 1 and would apply to minors with one of five conditions: a terminal illness requiring end-of-life care; cystic fibrosis; cerebral palsy; severe epilepsy or uncontrolled intractable seizure disorder; or an irreversible spinal cord injury with objective neurological indication of intractable spasticity. (Levin Becker, 5/17)
The Columbus Dispatch:
Ohio Senate Looks To Change Medical Marijuana Proposal
The Senate is expected to make a handful of changes on Wednesday to a House-passed medical marijuana bill, including who is responsible for crafting the rules and regulations. (Siegel, 5/18)