The Pew Charitable Trusts - State and Consumer Initiatives about Health

Water Fluoridation: Many Still Don’t Receive Its Benefits

Millions of Americans do not have access to fluoridated water in their communities, leading to higher rates of tooth decay and greater costs to taxpayers.

Medicaid Expansion and Everything You Need to Know

Medicaid expansion is up to states. Six are still on the fence: Arizona, Maine, New Hampshire, Ohio, Michigan, and Florida.

States Prepare to Launch New Health Law

Debates over Medicaid expansion got most of the attention, but states enacted dozens of other laws that will affect how millions of Americans receive health care next year.

Front-Line Heroes Subject to Budget Cuts, Pay Disparity

EMTs who may save your life work under a mishmash of rules and their pay varies widely.

State Rankings for Health of Seniors

Rankings of states by the health of their seniors.

A Quarter-Million Uninsured Vets Will Miss Out on Medicaid Expansion

A Vietnam War veteran salutes at a war memorial in Schuylkill Haven, Penn. More than a quarter million veterans who live in Pennsylvania and 22 other states will miss out on Medicaid coverage because their states have rejected expansion of

Where You Live Matters—To Your Pets

Dog and cat longevity: what Montana, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Dakota, and Massachusetts have in common.

Despite Governors’ Opposition, Strong Southern Support for Medicaid Expansion

New poll shows Deep South politicians are out of step with their constituents on Medicaid expansion.

Medicaid Expansion by the Numbers

The ACA was expected to cover 32 million uninsured Americans by 2022. Six states are on the fence about expanding Medicaid.

Washington Post: In-Home Attention May Be Jump-Start Some Babies Need

President Obama’s plan for universal preschool calls for a major investment in home visiting programs

Dental Therapists in New Zealand: What the Evidence Shows

This brief provides an overview of New Zealand’s use of dental therapists to provide care for children, and offers insights for U.S. policymakers about how midlevel providers can expand children’s access to dental care, prevent and treat tooth decay, and improve public health.

Oklahoma’s “Life-Preserving” Law Raises Questions for Doctors

Oklahoma’s new “life-preserving” law guarantees end-of-life treatment to patients if they wish. It was inspired by the Terri Schiavo case in Florida.

Safety Net Hospitals Won’t Be Docked in States That Don’t Expand Medicaid

Hospitals in non-expansion states feared they would be hit with bigger federal funding cuts than those in expansion states. HHS says that won’t happen – at least for the first two years.

Cheers! All 50 States Embrace the Home Brew Boom

As of July 1, all 50 states will allow aspiring brewers to make their own beer at home. But states are still figuring out how to regulate the popular hobby.

Attorneys General Seek Warning Label Cautioning Pregnant Women Against Using Pain Pills

State attorneys general are hoping to protect the littlest victims of prescription drug abuse.

Cities, States Face Off on Mandatory Paid Sick Leave

Stateline - NYC and Portland will require businesses to provide paid sick leave. But many states are less than enthusiastic.

State Pharmacy Regulators Back Senate Bill on Drug Compounding

The association of state pharmacy regulators says it’s pleased with a U.S. Senate bill that would give the Food and Drug Administration authority over drug compounders.

Road Deaths Climb in 2012, Ending Six-Year Slide

New England and the Southwest top the country in highest rate of increase in traffic fatalities.

Obama Administration Poised to Approve Arkansas-style Medicaid Expansions

The Obama Administration is inviting states to apply for Arkansas-style Medicaid expansions in an effort to woo those balking at traditional Medicaid expansion.

Finish Line Fast Approaching on Medicaid Expansion

The Supreme Court gave states a choice: Medicaid expansion or not. It’s time to choose. Here’s where they stand now.

Small Businesses Seek Relief from ACA Penalties

Big fines for small businesses are among the possible unintended consequences of the Supreme Court’s decision to make the Medicaid expansion optional for states.

States That Skip Medicaid Expansion May Favor New Immigrants Over U.S. Citizens

The law of unintended consequences will strike states that decline to expand Medicaid.

New Health Exchanges Unlikely to End Insurance Monopolies in Some States

The new health insurance exchanges are supposed to lead to lower prices by spurring competition between carriers. But what if insurers stay away?

Motorcycle Deaths Climb as States Repeal Helmet Laws

With fatalities rising, safety experts say states should force motorcyclists to wear helmets. But legislators are heading in the opposite direction.

Infographic: Spending on Public Health Drops

Our public health systems are meant to be at the forefront of prevention, but state and federal investments are shrinking.

Lack of Competition Might Hamper Health Exchanges

The health insurance exchanges under the Affordable Care Act are supposed to give consumers a menu of coverage choices. But will insurers agree to participate?

Hospitals Lobby Hard for Medicaid Expansion

Hospitals stand to lose billions of dollars in states that don’t expand Medicaid. They won’t accept those cuts without a fight.

Fight Over Abortion Rules Could Reverberate Widely

Mississippi could be one step closer to becoming the first U.S. state without an abortion provider after a state hearing Thursday. But the legal fight over the state’s abortion law is far from over, and could have far-reaching implications for other states with similar laws.

After Expanding Coverage, Health Care Pioneer Seeks to Tame Costs

The Affordable Care Act will extend health care coverage to almost everybody. Now states are moving on to the next frontier in health care reform: containing costs. Once again, Massachusetts is taking the lead by putting its health care industry on an annual budget and requiring all insurers and medical providers to make detailed price lists available to the public.

Ex-Felons Are About to Get Health Coverage

Health care will be available to former prisoners through Medicaid.

Tanning-Bed Bills Burn With Controversy

Republican governors take different sides on teen tanning.

Minneapolis Star Tribune: Minnesota Dental Therapy Model Goes Nationwide

Christy Fogarty was certified Feb. 15 as the state’s first advanced dental therapist, which is reason to cheer unless you’re 7 year old Tia Seaberry. Tia, wearing pink sequined boots and bluejeans on a recent Wednesday morning, will be forgiven

Expanding Medicaid with Private Insurance

Arkansas and Ohio are pursuing a “private option” for expanding Medicaid.

Baltimore Sun: Advocates, Insurers Duel Over Cost of Child Dental Coverage

Health advocates are concerned that new guidance from the Obama administration could make it more expensive for some low- and middle-income parents to pay for dental insurance for their children once the new health care law takes effect next year.

States Tackle Mental Illness and Gun Ownership

New York’s new gun law requires mental health providers to report on dangerous patients. Will the law harm treatment?

Congress May Reverse Some of Sequester’s Cuts to WIC

An effort to keep the federal government open could also deliver relief to pregnant women, mothers and young children in need of food.

New Database Reveals Thousands of Hospital Violation Reports

For the first time, vital information on the quality and safety of the nation’s hospitals has been made available to the public online.

The News Tribune: Fluoridation: Where the Real Tax Savings Are

Our editorial today argues for restoring Medicaid dental coverage for poor adults. That would cost the state something on the order of $30 million and the federal government more, since it would be paying for a further expansion of Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act.

Stateline: Traffic Death Rates Across the States

States with high rates of traffic deaths tend to have a large network of rural roads, low seat belt usage, a high percentage of deaths caused by drunk drivers and a high number of fatal accidents involving speed. Stateline reports.

Politico: 'Dental Therapists' Spark Debate

Some state lawmakers think they've found the solution to the nation's severe dental care access problem, but so far, only two states are using the touted "dental therapists" — and dentists aren’t thrilled about the idea.

Health Care Cuts From Vaccinations to Research

Automatic cuts to federal health-care programs may make it more difficult for low-income Americans to get maternal and infant care, vaccinate their children, and receive treatment for mental illness.

Disability Prevalence Among Income-Based Government Assistance Recipients

What share of Americans on income-based government assistance are disabled in each state? The U.S. average is just over 30 percent.

Combating Medicaid Fraud and Abuse

States are targeting Medicaid fraud and abuse with an array of policies and tools. To help policy makers learn about steps taken in their state and across the country, the State Health Care Spending Project created an online database containing hundreds of practices found to be promising by state and federal Medicaid agencies.

Interview: A Southern Medicaid Director’s Perspective on Health Care Reform

North Carolina’s Medicaid chief has been around the program long enough to know that expanding the program isn’t the only way to deliver health care to the uninsured.

Concord (N.H.) Monitor: Proposal to Expand Hygienists' Role Met With Opposition From Dental Society

One year after New Hampshire lawmakers passed a bill expanding the role of some dental hygienists, another bill proposes further reform of the state’s oral health system.

Honolulu Star-Advertiser: Prior Exam Rule Hinders Prevention of Child Tooth Decay

We can improve oral health for Hawaii's children. And we should — because the numbers tell a disturbing story.

States Tackle School Safety After Sandy Hook Shootings

At least 20 states are considering bills that would allow some teachers to be armed. Others are focusing on emergency plans and mental health checks.

New York Takes the Lead on Palliative Care

New York State has enacted legislation linking all patients with advanced illness to palliative care. But even as other states look to follow suit, there is a national workforce shortage in this medical field.

State of the States 2013

Stateline's 13th annual State of the States report looks at key issues legislatures are debating this year, with a particular emphasis on the relationship between states and the federal government.

Update: Health Care Exchanges

With their deadline past, 26 states have not taken steps to establish their own health care exchanges, thereby defaulting to a federally run operation in their states.