MEDICAID: Where Each State Stands on the Medicaid Expansion
Click for an interactive map featuring more information about the decisions by states on the Medicaid expansion and type of insurance exchange.
After the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that states can effectively opt out of the Affordable Care Act’s Medicaid expansion without any effect on current funding, state officials now must decide whether to comply. Since the ruling, many governors have made statements in the media and through their press offices indicating their plans about their participation.
American Health Line has compiled available information on where the governors stand. We’ll continue to update this list as information becomes available. Please send news or feedback to: ahleditorial@advisory.com. For details about specific states, click the link below to read the rest of this entry.
[Graphic last updated: May 13, 11:28 a.m. ET // Text last updated: May 17, 11:53 a.m. ET.]
WHAT WE’RE READING: Researchers Search for Newborn Immunization
- “How to Superpower the Immune System,” Slate: Scientists at Boston Children’s Hospital are testing ways to create an immunization for newborn infants in an effort to boost children’s immunity later in life.
- “New York City’s Plan To Raise Age for Cigarette Purchases Spreads,” Wall Street Journal: A proposal to raise the age for cigarette purchases in NYC from 19 to 21 has gained traction in Chicago, as well as in New York state and New Jersey legislatures.
- “Psychiatry’s Revamped DSM Guidebook Fuels Debate,” Washington Post: Experts involved in updating the new DSM-5 said it will give improve physicians’ ability to accurately diagnose and treat patient illnesses, while others say the manual lacks scientific validity.
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POLL: Are Republican Efforts To Repeal the ACA a ‘Waste of Time’?
On Thursday, House Republicans voted 229-195 to approve legislation (HR 45) that would fully repeal the Affordable Care Act. Some media outlets reported that the vote is the 37th time that congressional Republicans have attempted to repeal, defund or dismantle the law.
For Republicans, the vote was a chance to refocus their efforts to repeal the ACA and provided more than 70 GOP freshmen with their first opportunity to officially weigh in on the issue.
Meanwhile, most Democrats criticized Republicans for wasting time on a bill that is unlikely to pass the Democrat-controlled Senate. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) called the vote “a clear waste of time and of taxpayer dollars.”
WHAT WE’RE READING: Improve Your Mood With Good Tunes
- “Listening to Upbeat Music Helps Us To Improve Our Mood,” Medical News Today: Researchers discovered that individuals can improve their mood by listening to happy, cheery music.
- “Boston Marathon Fund Releases Compensation Formula for Bombing Victims,” Washington Post: One Fund Boston announced individuals treated for physical injuries will receive some of the $30 million in donations based on the severity of their injuries.
- “Smoke-Free Hotel Rooms Aren’t, Study Finds,” MedPage Today’s “The Gupta Guide”: A new study found travelers who stayed in nonsmoking rooms were exposed to higher levels of tobacco byproduct than those who stayed at completely smoke-free hotels.
BLOGGER VS. BLOGGER: Sebelius’ Solicitations of Private Donations To Implement ACA Draws Questions
This week, the media reported that HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has been soliciting private donations for a campaign to help with the implementation and awareness about the Affordable. Sebelius’ requests to various stakeholders, including insurers, were influence by Congress’ unwillingness to adequately fund the Obama administration’s efforts to implement the ACA.
According to the New York Times, some health industry executives expressed discomfort with Sebelius’ donation requests, noting that the federal government is authorized to approve or reject health plans on federal health insurance exchanges in 30 states. In addition, Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) — ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee — said Sebelius’ fundraising efforts “should cease immediately and should be fully investigated by Congress.”
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WHAT WE’RE READING: The Benefits of Anxiety
- “A Mild Case of Nerves Can Have Benefits,” San Francisco Chronicle: A new study finds that short, sharp spikes of stress might have protective, beneficial biological effects
- “When Athletic Shoes Cause Injury,” New York Times‘ “Well”: A new study concludes that the safest athletic shoe should provide a lot of forward traction but relatively little rotational traction.
- “Getting Back at Your Ex — By Getting Surgery,” CNN: A plastic surgeon cautions against the growing trend of newly single individuals undergoing plastic surgery as a form of revenge on their former partners.
AHL’s TOP STORY: CMS Issues Proposed Rule for Disproportionate-Share Hospital Payment Reductions
CMS on Monday issued a proposed rule detailing a payment reduction mandated under the Affordable Care Act to hospitals that treat a disproportionate share of low-income patients, Modern Healthcare reports. Read the rest of this entry »
WHAT WE’RE READING: On Today’s Menu, Bugs
- “Some Salt With Your Spider? U.N. Says Bugs Good for You,” USA Today: The U.N.’s Food and Agriculture Organization says insects are a “highly nutritious and healthy food source” that are typically excluded from Western diets.
- “Hard Cases: The Traps of Treating Pain,” New York Times‘ “Well”: Abigail Zuger writes that physicians face several challenges when treating patients’ pain because it cannot be measured or monitored.
- “Readers Ask, We Answer! What Happens if You Don’t Pay Obamacare’s Tax Penalty?” Washington Post‘s “Wonkblog”: Health care experts say the IRS does not yet have a plan in place for individuals who refuse to submit an ACA coverage form with their 2013 federal tax returns.
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