State Info: News Across the States

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More Resources  Health Care Is Top Issue in '08 Elections NPR's "Morning Edition" covers the health reform debate. State of the States Stateline.org covers the governors' State of the State addresses.  To find contacts and information specific to your state, use the drop-down box below. Select another StateAlabamaAlaskaArizonaArkansasCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareDistrict of ColumbiaFloridaGeorgiaHawaiiIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWest VirginiaWisconsinWyoming

Expanding Access

Connecticut

• Senate Approves Two Controversial Healthcare Bills Saturday (Hartford Courant, May 30, 2009)
• Connecticut House Backs Universal Health Care Coverage (The Hartford Courant, May 21, 2009)  

Maryland

• Maryland Universal Health Care Plan Wins Backing from Black Chambers of Commerce (Washington Business Journal, May 27, 2009)
• State Sets New Rules on Free, Low-Cost Hospital Care (Baltimore Sun, May 8, 2009) 

New Mexico

• The NM Human Services Department Announces “No Waiting List” for State Coverage Insurance Program (New Mexico Human Services Department, May 29, 2009) 

Oregon

• Health Care Reform Bills Clear Oregon Legislature (The Oregonian, June 11, 2009)

Pennsylvania

• Pennsylvania Governor Signs Four Health-Care Bills that Will Reduce Costs, Improve Access and Quality (Pennsylvania Office of the Governor, June 11, 2009)

Medicaid and Children's Health

Expansions

Alabama

• Alabama Budget Provides More Coverage for Children (NBC 15, May 13, 2009) 

Florida

• KidCare Wins (Tallahassee Democrat, May 4, 2009)

Iowa

• Culver Signs Bill Expanding Kids' Health Coverage (The Associated Press, May 19, 2009)  

Kansas

• Final Budget Includes CHIP Expansion Coupled with Operation Cuts (Kansas Health Policy Authority Legislative Pulse, May 8, 2009)

South Carolina

• Cigarette Tax on Hold for Insurance Plan Questions (The Associated Press, May 6, 2009)

Wisconsin

• BadgerCare Plus Application Period Starts June 15 (Associated Press, May 25, 2009)

Cuts

Due to the current economic downturn, the Medicaid and CHIP programs in many states are in jeopardy. These cuts include actions that will erect barriers to obtaining care for current enrollees, as well as actions that will make it harder for uninsured people to get Medicaid or CHIP coverage.

California

• Latest Round of Budget Cuts Hits Home Care, Other Services (California Healthline, June 1, 2009)
• Medi-Cal Dental Benefits Expiring Soon (The Modesto Bee, May 29, 2009)
• Governor Proposes Deep Cuts, with More to Come (San Francisco Chronicle, May 27, 2009) 

Idaho

• Judge Blocks Idaho Medicaid Cuts for Disabled (Idaho Statesman, April 28, 2009) 

Louisiana

• Health Care Providers’ Reimbursement Rate Cut (Advocate Capitol News Bureau, May 2, 2009) 
  

Massachusetts

• Senate's Health Cuts Stir Outrage (Boston Globe, May 15, 2009)

Michigan

• Granholm to Order Four Percent Budget Cuts (The Detroit News, May 5, 2009)

Minnesota

• Safety Net Hospitals Face Tough Choices (Minnesota Public Radio, May 18, 2009)
• Legislature: Budget Battle over Health Care Will Be the Most Brutal (St. Paul Legal Ledger, April 30, 2009)

Washington

• State Drops Bid to Cut Drugstore MedicaidPayments (The Spokesman-Review, May 13, 2009)

Other Developments

Florida

• Reform Clause to Cost Florida $300M (Health News Florida, May 1, 2009)   

Private Market

California

• Proposal Would Combat Rescissions of Health Insurance Policies in California (Los Angeles Times, June 3, 2009)
• Blue Shield Health Insurance Rescission Case to Go to Trial (Los Angeles Times, May 17, 2009)
• Governor Gets Bill to Expand Health Aid for Those Laid Off (The Sacramento Bee, May 12, 2009)
• Bid to Stop Health Insurance Gender Rating Advances (The Sacramento Bee, May 12, 2009)  

Colorado

• Governor Quietly OKs Gay Benefits (Denver Post, May 21, 2009)
• Health Study Finds Family Budgets Bare (Denver Post, April 30, 2009)

Illinois

• Illinois Health Insurance Law Takes Effect June 1 (Daily Herald, May 29, 2009)  

Iowa

• Bill Requiring Prosthetics Coverage Signed (Des Moines Register, April 25, 2009)

Louisiana

• Health Bill Loses Consumer Protections (The Advocate, May 21, 2009)

Maryland

• Maryland Regulator Set to Consider Compulsory Broker Pay Disclosure (Business Insurance, June 14, 2009)

Massachusetts

• Age-Based Pricing for Health Insurance Has Some Consumers Cutting Back on Coverage (Boston Globe, April 26, 2009)

Michigan

• Cox Protests Blue Cross Rate Hikes (Detroit Free Press, May 22, 2009)

Missouri

• Missouri Creates Database of Insurance Complaints (News Tribune, June 16, 2009)

New York

• Governor Paterson Introduces Legislation to Make Health Insurance More Affordable and Improve Access to Health Care (State of New York, May 15, 2009)
• Governor Paterson Announces Legislation to Make Timothy’s Law Permanent (State of New York, May 5, 2009)

North Dakota

• Hamm Announces Blue Cross Blue Shield Rate Approval (North Dakota Department of Insurance, May 15, 2009)
• Hamm Advises Unemployed North Dakotans to Check into Health Insurance Subsidy and Second Chance at Mini-Cobra Coverage (ND Insurance Department, May 14, 2009)

Oklahoma

• Small Steps (OK Policy Blog, May 13, 2009)  

Pennsylvania

• Pa. Senate Backs Expansion of COBRA Health Benefits (The Philadelphia Inquirer, June 4, 2009)
• Blue Cross Seeks Rate Increases for Nongroup Policy Holders (Philadelphia Inquirer, May 22, 2009)
• Protest over Blue Cross Premium Increase (The Philadelphia Inquirer, May 22, 2009)
• State Workers’ Same-Sex Partners to Get Coverage (The Philadelphia Inquirer, May 19, 2009)
• “Mini-COBRA” Could Save Health Benefits for Many (The Philadelphia Inquirer, May 5, 2009)

Rhode Island

• Businesses Say Health-Care Hikes “Unreasonable” (The Providence Journal, June 2, 2009) 

Washington

• Cheap Health Insurance Can Be Costly (Seattle Post-Intelligencer, May 6, 2009)  

Wisconsin

• Wisconsin Is Second to Make Insurers Cover Ear Devices (Associated Press, May 21, 2009)
• Discrimination Against Sick: Private Health Insurance Out of Reach for Many (Wisconsin State Journal, May 13, 2009)

 

Racial and Ethnic Disparities

California

• California Counties Cut Health Care to Illegal Immigrants (Los Angeles Times, April 27, 2009)  

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