Category Archives: States

Health News from other State

States Continue Moving to Expand Coverage

Posted on February 7, 2008 by

Conventional wisdom suggests an economic downturn puts the lid on state health access reform processes. Not true everywhere — from today’s Kaiser Health Policy Report: The New Mexico House on Tuesday voted 56-6 to approve a bill (HB 147) that … Continue reading →

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Progress Report on State Health Access Reform

Posted on January 29, 2008 by

My Community Catalyst colleagues, Michael Miller & Christine Barber, and I provide a “Progress Report on State Health Access Reform” as a Health Affairs web exclusive out for release today. We found that 39 states had enacted laws in 2006 … Continue reading →

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California Health Reform Plan Is Dead

Posted on January 28, 2008 by

Click here for the letter by CA Senate President Don Perata to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Assembly Speaker Fabio Nunez throwing in the towel after the Senate Health Committee voted 7-1 against with 3 abstentions. And click here for the … Continue reading →

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If You’re Going to Sa-Cra-Mento, Be Sure to Wear – A Flak Jacket and a Helmet

Posted on January 24, 2008 by

Sacramento: It was a dicey scene at California’s State Capitol on Wednesday as about 500(?) gathered at a public hearing of the State Senate’s Health Committee to testify for and against the health reform bill advanced by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger … Continue reading →

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Man Bites Dog Dept: CA Single Payer Advocate Endorses CA Health Reform

Posted on January 14, 2008 by

Check out this blog for an analysis by Stephen D. Schear, self-described longtime California activist for a Canadian-style single payer health care system. He’s come to the conclusion the Schwarzenegger/Assembly health plan now being considered by the California Senate deserves … Continue reading →

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A Surprising San Francisco Treat

Posted on January 4, 2008 by

Last week, we reported that San Francisco’s “play or pay” assessment on employers to fund part of that City’s coverage expansion was overturned by a federal judge on ERISA grounds — click here for that post. A drearily familiar pattern … Continue reading →

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Fed Court Overturns Key Part of “Healthy San Francisco” Coverage Plan — ERISA

Posted on December 27, 2007 by

Click here for San Francisco Chronicle article. Yesterday, US District Court Judge Jeffrey White overturned a key portion of the Healthy San Francisco program which is designed to provide access to health services for at least 80,000 uninsured city residents. … Continue reading →

Posted in MA Health Reform, States | 4 Comments

Patience Helps in Comprehensive Health Reform Efforts

Posted on December 26, 2007 by

NYTimes — click here – surveys the slow pace of comprehensive health reform efforts across the nation, with special focus on California, Illinois, and Pennsylvania: Though the governors of three big states — California, Illinois and Pennsylvania — proposed sweeping … Continue reading →

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A Double Dose of Prescription Drug News

Posted on December 24, 2007 by

Good news, bad news. In the holiday spirit, let’s start with the good: Front page Boston Globe coverage today of the decision by UMass Memorial Center, one of the state’s largest health systems: “…sharply limiting the close ties between many … Continue reading →

Posted in Health Care Market, States | 2 Comments

California Dreamin’ — 64% Like New Plan

Posted on December 22, 2007 by

Yes, dammit, we’re unshakable optimists here at HCFA. And we are more than heartened looking at the poll numbers of the early reactions of the California public to the health reform breakthrough approved by the Assembly this past week — … Continue reading →

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