Stateline Stories about Health85899391861http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/health-care-in-america-outlook-for-change-85899391861The nation's economic outlook is bright--unemployment is at an all-time low, incomes are rising, the poverty rate has declined, interest rates have plummeted--yet the number of Americans without health insurance is rapidly increasing. In 1997, an estimated 43.4 million Americans, 16 percent of the population, had no health insurance. That is a 25 percent increase from 1990 when 34.7 million had no health insurance. Among the uninsured were 10.7 million children under 18. stateline.org looks at the situation.1999-02-11T00:00:00-05:0085899391853http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/health-care-review-infrequently-used-in-many-states-85899391853Consumer clamor for health care reform has state and federal lawmakers scrambling to enact patient protection legislation before the year is out. But in over one-third of the states, laws have already been enacted that have established an independent, impartial process for appealing denials of coverage. The programs are quick, hassle-free and inexpensive, and patients have about a 50-50 chance of getting negative decisions from their health plan overturned. But a Kaiser Family Foundation Report and stateline.org research shows that programs remain obscure and infrequently used1999-02-19T00:00:00-05:0085899391847http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/medical-marijuana-use-uncertain-despite-referenda-85899391847Nearly one person in five in this country lives in a state that exempts patients who use marijuana under a physician's supervision from prosecution for illegal drug use. But advocates say residents of Alaska, Arizona, Nevada, Oregon, Washington and California should think again if they believe their state's law assures people ready access to medical marijuana. The White House Office of Drug Control Policy says federal authorities will not sanction pot-smoking until scientific evidence establishes that medical benefits outweigh risks1999-03-01T00:00:00-05:0085899391837http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/states-congress-weigh-medical-privacy-safeguards-85899391837Personal medical information, once thought to be safely tucked away in a manila folder in your doctor's office, is increasingly stored in large, linked computer databases where insurance companies, drug manufacturers, courts, and in some instances employers can access it without your consent or knowledge. Currently, no federal law exists that protects the confidentiality of medical records. "The fact is your videotape rental record has more federal protections than your medical records," says a spokesman for the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. In this report, stateline.org looks at what the states and Congress are doing about the problem.1999-03-11T00:00:00-05:0085899391830http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/medical-marijuana-report-shows-pot-helps-some-patients-85899391830Voters who supported medical marijuana initiatives in six Western states now know that science stands behind their vote, based on a government-ordered report on the effectiveness of pot in easing unpleasant side-effects of certain illnesses. The study, conducted at the request of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, was released today by the National Academy of Science's Institute of Medicine. It says a review of all relevant scientific evidence found that marijuana's active components are potentially effective in treating pain, nausea, the anorexia of AIDS wasting, and other symptoms, and should be tested in clinical trials.1999-03-17T00:00:00-05:0085899391799http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/new-federal-organ-transplant-policy-runs-into-resistance-85899391799Current U.S. transplant policy states that body organs harvested locally are first offered to local residents awaiting a transplant. If the federal government gets its way, the system will be overhauled to increase sharing across state lines. Fighting the regulation, which is to go into effect Oct. 21, is the government contractor that oversees the current allocation system, nearly a dozen states, most organ transplant centers and many concerned doctors and patients. They say the current system works, and the effort to change it is due to heavy lobbying from large transplant centers who would gain financially from the federal changes.1999-04-26T00:00:00-04:0085899391766http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/critics-question-safety-of-hepatitis-b-vaccine-85899391766Five-week old Lyla Rose Belkin died within 16 hours of her hepatitis B vaccination in 1998. Nurse Betty Fluck has severe physical exhaustion and uses leg braces and crutches due to chronic joint and leg pain she believes is caused by the same vaccine. Lindsay Kirshner, 16, has daily headaches, nausea, joint pain, dizziness, fatigue and seizures which started the day after a hepatitis B shot she received in 1997. Critics point to tragedies like these as evidence that the vaccine is not as safe as it should be. Yet it is currently mandatory in 41 states and the District of Columbia for children entering daycare, kindergarten, sixth grade, high school or college.1999-06-01T00:00:00-04:0085899391761http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/more-states-requiring-mental-health-benefits-for-insurees-85899391761More and more states are requiring that health insurers cover the costs of mental illnesses as well as physical ailments, but so-called "mental health parity" laws are not all created equal. The laws exist in 25 states and range from measures that require coverage of all mental health and substance abuse problems -- Vermont has one of these -- to bare bones versions whose scope is limited. One of these passed the Nevada legislature last week and now awaits the signature of Gov. Kenny Guinn. For more information on mental health parity laws, click on1999-06-07T00:00:00-04:0085899391759http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/utah-boy-mows-state-capitol-lawns-grows-organ-donor-awareness-85899391759Coming to a state capitol near you soon is "Lawn Mower Boy." Fourteen-year-old Ryan Tripp from Parowan, Utah - also known as Lawn Mower Boy - is out to set a new Guinness Book World Record by cutting the grass at each state capitol. But setting records is second to his desire to increase awareness about organ and tissue donation around the country. Lawn Mower Boy started his mowing marathon June 1 in his home state accompanied by Utah Gov. Mike Leavitt. He has since mowed a portion of lawn at the capitols in Nevada, California, Oregon, Washington and Alaska. His last stop will be in Hawaii on Monday, Aug. 9. For more about Tripp's unusual odyssey, click on1999-06-09T00:00:00-04:0085899391720http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/states-forging-ahead-on-healthcare-measures-85899391720States are way ahead of the U.S. Congress when it comes to setting standards for managed care. Forty three states and the District of Columbia have passed comprehensive patients' rights legislation and three states -- Texas Georgia and Louisiana -- have given health insurance customers the right to sue their HMO. Most states have now completed their regular legislative sessions for the year. For a look at highlights of action on healthcare, click on1999-07-22T00:00:00-04:0085899391698http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/telemedicine-spans-states-but-policy-slow-to-follow-suit-85899391698A 21st Century doctor's house call might consist of a "virtual" consultation between you and your physician via computer or videoconference. Instruments that already exist such as digital gloves or electronic stethoscopes could transmit data electronically, so that medical conditions could be diagnosed without ever setting foot in a doctor's office. But the practice of such futuristic medicine is not yet the norm. Issues such as medical licensure, liability and health insurance reimbursements muddle the field of telemedicine, where technology is moving faster than the policy to support it.1999-08-19T00:00:00-04:0085899391650http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/new-mexico-gov-finds-few-takers-for-drug-stance-85899391650In a visit to Washington last week, New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson got red carpet treatment from drug policy reform advocates because of his call for drug legalization. Johnson's views are not resonating politically however, and he is the first to admit that this issue is "politically a zero for anyone holding office." Although one-third of the U.S. population lives in one of the 11 states where marijuana has been decriminalized, efforts to relax anti-drug laws have been dead in the water for more than two decades.1999-10-11T00:00:00-04:0085899391646http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/california-might-set-hmo-patients-rights-trend-85899391646California, which boasts the sixth largest economy in the world, is often a national trailblazer in making public policy. So its new laws regulating managed health care will be examined closely by other states. The patients-rights package sailed through the Golden State legislature even as the U.S. Congress in Washington remained deeply divided on HMO reform.1999-10-14T00:00:00-04:0085899391645http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/southern-western-states-lag-in-preventing-hunger-85899391645A report released this week by the U.S. Department of Agriculture draws a map of a United States rimmed along the south and west by hunger, but increasingly plump and prosperous as you look north and east. As expected of the state that recently captured the unenviable title of the nation's poorest, New Mexico claims the highest rate of hunger. The upper Midwest boasts the most success in feeding the needy.1999-10-15T00:00:00-04:0085899391638http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/states-dent-welfare-surplus-in-first-half-of-1999-85899391638After warnings from Congress to 'use it or lose it,' many states have finally begun to tap into the massive welfare surpluses that have accumulated due to the unprecedented drop in caseloads. According to their latest reports to the Department of Health and Human Services, more than half the states are on track to spend more this year than last. Still, caseloads continue to fall and the welfare money keeps coming, so many states, even though they are spending more, are also continuing to stockpile hundreds of millions of dollars.1999-10-22T00:00:00-04:0085899391641http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/ohio-politicians-merge-state-agencies-new-hampshire-tackles-school-funding-85899391641Lawmakers in Ohio spent the week grappling with issues ranging from state agency mergers to education vouchers, while New Hampshire legislators confronted a funding crisis after the state's highest court deemed a new method of funding public schools unconstitutional.1999-10-22T00:00:00-04:0085899391637http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/state-laws-allow-adoptees-to-unlock-the-past-85899391637Last month, the Tennessee Supreme Court upheld a law giving adoptees 21 and older access to their birth certificates and adoption records. In Oregon, a first-of-a kind ballot initiative guaranteeing the same right is bottled up in a state appeals court. Over the years, requests to open these records have spawned pitched battles involving adoptees, birth mothers wishing to remain anonymous and anti-abortion advocates who fear that open records laws will make more women choose abortion over adoption.1999-10-25T00:00:00-04:0085899391632http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/western-state-reporters-say-taxes-education-top-2000-agenda-85899391632Reporters from eight Western states identified tax policy, education funding, health care reforms and apportionment of the states' tobacco settlement funds as the most pressing issues likely to be addressed by their states in the next legislative year. Over 50 journalists from Arizona, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming repeatedly mentioned those topics during a recent statehouse reporters' conference in Boise, Idaho.1999-10-25T00:00:00-04:0085899391625http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/red-tape-causing-medicaid-enrollment-dip-study-finds-85899391625Enrollment in Medicaid -- the nation's health insurance program for the poor and disabled -- has declined in the wake of welfare reform because of eligibility requirements that both beneficiaries and the people who administer the program find too complex and confusing, a new report says. For the first time in almost a decade, Medicaid enrollment for children and their parents began to fall in 1996, dropping by 2 percent from 1995.1999-11-02T00:00:00-05:0085899391599http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/state-tobacco-payout-may-be-smaller-than-expected-85899391599Money from the $206 billion tobacco settlement will start flowing to the states by the middle of December, but the payout over the next 25 years may ultimately be smaller than many officials anticipated. The reason: a legal Catch 22. If states accomplish their public health goal of curbing smoking, they'll get less tobacco money -- the fine print of the settlement stipulates that payments can be cut by up to 10 percent if there's a slump in cigarette sales.1999-12-01T00:00:00-05:0085899391576http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/priorities-2000-an-arizona-view-85899391576Arizona Gov. Jane Hull has called her legislature into special session to try to get funding for a new state hospital for the mentally ill. And Hull says she will continue to pursue the issue in the coming year. More in the Arizona governor's agenda in year 2000 -- in her own words.1999-12-10T00:00:00-05:0085899392211http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/a-q-a-with-president-clinton-85899392211President Clinton says e-government via the Internet will strengthen democracy by increasing citizen participation in public affairs and save taxpayers money by making the delivery of public services more efficient. In a Q. & A., the president also said that in his State of the Union address, he will urge expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit to help the working poor. Clinton said his new budget will call for $110 billion to provide health insurance to low income families and small businesses.2000-01-26T00:00:00-05:0085899392220http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/clinton-posting-mediocre-domestic-record-scholars-say-85899392220President Clinton sent his budget for the 2001 fiscal year -- the last of his presidency -- to Capitol Hill Monday (2/7), with the expectation that lawmakers will consider a host of spending increases in his favorite domestic programs: public education, health care, middle-class tax cuts and welfare. The Clinton budget, like his State of the Union speech, is expected to be short on grand designs. Many scholars say Clinton's style of incrementalism may deprive him of an enduring legacy. For a review of Clinton's domestic policy achievements, click on2000-02-04T00:00:00-05:0085899392146http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/states-on-guard-for-west-nile-virus-85899392146This week, New York City renews its war on the West Nile virus -- the mosquito-borne disease that killed 7 New Yorkers and sickened 55 others without warning last summer. As the city gears up to ward off another outbreak, states on the Eastern Seaboard and in the southeast are putting plans into place to guard against the virus as well.2000-04-19T00:00:00-04:0085899392139http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/states-get-new-funds-to-care-for-poor-with-hiv-aids-85899392139More financial help is on the way for poor and uninsured Americans with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. As of this month, states are eligible for $794 million in new federal grants to improve primary care and access to medicine for low-income, underinsured and uninsured HIV-positive people.2000-04-25T00:00:00-04:0085899392130http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/states-inch-forward-on-patients-bill-of-rights-85899392130While patients' bill of rights legislation is stalled in a Congressional conference committee, state legislatures are creeping toward passing healthcare protection legislation with some bite. So far this year, Arizona, Oklahoma, Washington and Maine have joined Texas, California and Georgia in allowing patients to sue their managed care plans.2000-05-05T00:00:00-04:0085899391902http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/massachusetts-alaska-join-states-in-mandating-diabetes-coverage-85899391902Diabetics with insurance can now count on having their health plans cover the disease in 40 states. Massachusetts Gov. Paul Cellucci Thursday (5/4) and Alaska Gov. Tony Knowles last month signed bills that require health insurers to provide coverage for diabetes.2000-05-05T00:00:00-04:0085899392097http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/millions-to-ensure-health-coverage-for-poor-go-unspent-85899392097The states have failed to spend money set aside specifically to prevent poor children from losing their health insurance as a result of welfare reform. Even as hundreds of thousands were losing their health coverage, millions of dollars in a federal Medicaid transition fund went unused. Advocates for the uninsured have estimated that most of the poor children who lost Medicaid coverage following welfare reform were still eligible.2000-06-15T00:00:00-04:0085899392093http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/americans-concerned-about-link-between-health-and-environment-survey-85899392093A survey released Sunday shows that Americans believe the government should be monitoring chronic diseases and their links to environmental hazards. The survey was released by Health-Track, a national public health organization funded by the Pew Charitable Trusts.2000-06-19T00:00:00-04:0085899391897http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/maines-approach-to-prescription-drugs-draws-national-attention-85899391897Legislators in 20 states have announced efforts to lower prescription drug prices in present and upcoming legislative sessions. Joined by labor leaders and senior citizen activists, legislators announced plans to model their efforts after a law passed in Maine five weeks ago that established the nation's first program where the state negotiates prescription drug prices for residents.2000-06-21T00:00:00-04:0085899392086http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/many-states-set-for-influx-of-genetic-data-85899392086In an enormous breakthrough for biological research, scientists have announced completion of a rough draft of a complete map of the human genetic code. Questions about the use of such information are bound to follow. Are states ready to safeguard the privacy of an individual's genetic information? Will it be treated as part of a medical record? Or will it be protected in a category of its own with stricter safeguards?2000-06-23T00:00:00-04:0085899392041http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/model-policies-help-south-recast-image-85899392041Once regarded nationally as branches of a regional backwater with few high-paying jobs or modern conveniences, several Southern states are now seen as political trailblazers, leading the way with innovative education, healthcare and economic development policies. Florida, Texas, Georgia and North Carolina are all in the forefront of education reform; Tennessee has pioneered a new approach to health insurance coverage; and Virginia portrays itself as a model for high tech development.2000-08-16T00:00:00-04:0085899392034http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/northeast-states-combat-west-nile-virus-85899392034Wearing long-sleeve shirts and long pants, staying indoors as much as possible--these are not habits usually associated with the dog days of August. They might be something to get used to, however. Along with wearing bug spray, these suggestions are often-mentioned precautions to ward off the West Nile virus. As the summer winds down and the mosquito season reaches its peak, the mosquito-borne virus is clearly present in states along the Eastern Seaboard. And experts predict it is here to stay.2000-08-24T00:00:00-04:0085899392031http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/maine-experiments-with-rx-price-law-85899392031There is nothing small about the battle set to begin in a federal courtroom in Bangor. It pits the State of Maine against the multi-billion dollar pharmaceutical industry, and its outcome could affect the price and availability of prescription drugs nationwide. A trade organization representing about 100 of the largest drug companies is challenging Maines first-in-the-nation price-control law for prescription drugs. The "Maine Rx Program" was passed by the Legislature and signed by Independent Gov. Angus King last May.2000-08-29T00:00:00-04:0085899392023http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/bush-rx-plan-would-give-responsibility-to-states-85899392023One of the central issues of this year's presidential election campaign is how to provide prescription drug benefits for the elderly. Al Gore and George Bush both have plans to address the issue. Under Bush's plan, states would take the lead, at least for the short term. But evidence suggests states are not eager to take on this responsibility.2000-09-11T00:00:00-04:0085899392022http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/on-the-record-maine-state-sen-chellie-pingree-85899392022Over the past year, the cost of prescription drugs has become a white-hot issue in state legislatures across the country. The issue is now a focus of the presidential race. Stateline.org spoke by telephone with Maine Senate Majority Leader Chellie Pingree, a Democrat who spearheaded the effort behind the Pine Tree State's first-in-the-nation price-control law for prescription drugs, to talk about the new Maine law, about how the issue has taken off and what's likely to happen next.2000-09-12T00:00:00-04:0085899392012http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/jaunts-across-the-border-best-rx-for-high-drug-prices-85899392012Treks into Canada or Mexico to buy cheap prescription drugs have long been the norm for many U.S. citizens. However, during the 2000 campaign season new faces have been showing up for these rides: Political candidates.2000-09-26T00:00:00-04:0085899391981http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/states-benefit-from-threat-to-close-medicaid-loophole-85899391981Several states will continue to reap hundreds of millions in extra funds from a federal account despite attempts by members of Congress to stop the flow of money. Since 1991, a number of states used an accounting stratagem to elicit more money from Medicaid than they otherwise would get. Before Congress adjourns, it is poised to modify Medicaid's rules. The changes will shrink the loophole, but will not close it entirely.2000-10-31T00:00:00-05:0085899391974http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/voters-decide-initiatives-ranging-from-gambling-to-gun-control-85899391974Holding to a traditional pattern, voters appear to have rejected just over half the citizen initiatives put to them Nov. 7, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Voters in 42 states faced a total of 204 ballot measures, some written by legislators, but many -- including the most controversial -- spawned by activists and interest groups.2000-11-09T00:00:00-05:0085899391914http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/health-of-nation-measured-in-report-card-85899391914A national report card on health places New Hampshire at the top of the list of states that have healthy residents with decent access to healthcare. Mississippi ranked 50th in the study sponsored by the United Health Group of Minneapolis. Minnesota, Utah and Massachusetts also ranked high among states for all round good health and longevity. Louisiana, South Carolina and West Virginia joined Mississippi at the bottom of the list.2000-11-15T00:00:00-05:0085899391957http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/states-to-brush-up-on-childrens-oral-health-85899391957Representatives of eight states will gather in Charleston, S.C. next month for a closed-door policy workshop designed to strengthen oral health care initiatives for children.Selected from 28 states that applied for the workshop, delegations from Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Minnesota, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina and Virginia will attend the National Governors Associations Policy Academy for State Officials on Improving Oral Health Care for Children Dec. 13-15.2000-11-30T00:00:00-05:0085899391953http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/index-of-caring-puts-minnesota-on-top-85899391953Minnesota ranks as the most caring state in the nation, according to a report released last week by the United Way. In the first report of what it promises will be an annual series, the United Way of America, the national association of local non-profit service organizations, has compiled an index of factors it believes reflect Americans' "capacity to care for one another."2000-12-05T00:00:00-05:0085899391951http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/rx-costs-to-top-state-agendas-in-2001-experts-say-85899391951Access to prescription drugs will be the number one issue before state legislatures in 2001, according to participants at the fourth annual National Health Policy Conference. The conference, which took place in Charlotte, N.C. last weekend, brought together nearly 400 lawmakers, lobbyists, legislative staffers and health policy officials from more than 40 states to discuss the prescription drug cost crisis and other health issues such as maintaining rural hospitals, dealing with nursing shortages and developing policies governing the use of genetic technology.2000-12-07T00:00:00-05:0085899391929http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/colorado-legislators-spell-out-2001-priorities-85899391929Majority Republicans in the Colorado House of Representatives want to deal with growth, education and transportation, in that order, when the 2001 Legislature convenes Jan. 10. Majority Democrats in the state Senate put transportation at the top of the list, with educational improvement and attacking crime next.2000-12-27T00:00:00-05:0085899392611http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/state-medicaid-budgets-start-to-squeeze-85899392611During the last five years, policymakers expanded Medicaid with a flourish. Armed with hearty surpluses and federal funds to boot, states launched the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), pharmacy assistance programs for the elderly and community-based health services for the elderly and disabled. But budget bliss is fading fast. Numerous states, from Oregon to Tennessee, New Mexico, Kentucky, Indiana and Washington State, are now complaining about Medicaid's skyrocketing price tag.2001-01-04T00:00:00-05:0085899392570http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/states-unhappy-with-final-schip-registration-85899392570When Congress established the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) in 1997, lawmakers hoped it would cover millions of children across the country. To reach that goal, federal officials kicked in $24 billion over the first five years, and gave states flexibility to design what works best. If a state wished to expand its Medicaid program, so be it. If another state wanted to build an entirely new program, that was okay, too. Want to combine the two choices? Go for it. But all the creativity and thinking outside the box may soon come to a screeching halt, say many state officials, thanks to the Jan. 6 release of final SCHIP regulations.2001-02-06T00:00:00-05:0085899392569http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/facilities-job-conditions-blamed-for-medical-errors-85899392569Two new studies say understaffed health care facilities and poor working conditions for health care professionals are to blame for "medical errors" that annually kill more people in the United States than traffic fatalities, breast cancer and AIDS.2001-02-07T00:00:00-05:0085899392561http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/whats-behind-the-medicaid-cost-explosion-85899392561As budget talks get going in state capitols across the country, cash-strapped officials are pinpointing Medicaid spending as one of the biggest causes of budget problems cropping up in state after state. Skyrocketing prescription drug prices, increased costs for home and community-based healthcare and coverage of more disabled people are the main factors in the explosion of Medicaid spending, experts say.2001-02-16T00:00:00-05:0085899392560http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/urban-america-lags-in-birth-related-statistics-studies-say-85899392560America's large cities showed improvements on some birth-related measures during the prosperous 1990s, according to two new reports released today. With a specific focus on factors like the percentage of mothers who smoked during pregnancy and whether women received late or no prenatal care, the reports were compiled by the nonprofit and nonpartisan Child Trends rganization and KIDS COUNT, a project of the Annie E. Casey Foundation, a private charitable group that studies child welfare issues.2001-02-20T00:00:00-05:0085899392284http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/state-budget-ills-hinder-new-cancer-treatment-plan-85899392284Faced with an irony in current law that entitles low-income women to be screened but not treated for breast and cervical cancer, Congress agreed last year to let states expand Medicaid to cover these women. But fiscal constraints threaten to keep many states from moving ahead on the issue.2001-02-23T00:00:00-05:0085899392285http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/website-offers-maps-of-environmentally-linked-cancer-deaths-85899392285Want to know whether there's a link in your state between environmental hazards and diseases like cancer? A new online mapping system released February 26 offers the public, for the first time, easy access to cancer death rates that are known or suspected to have environmental causes.2001-02-26T00:00:00-05:0085899392256http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/governors-give-thumbs-up-to-medicaid-reform-85899392256The National Governors Association (NGA) on February 27 approved a groundbreaking Medicaid reform policy that may alter a program that's been in place since 1965. Forty-eight governors reached a clear consensus on the proposal while in Washington, D.C. at the association's winter meeting.2001-02-28T00:00:00-05:0085899392283http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/appeals-court-to-rule-on-maine-rx-program-85899392283In the latest round of legal sparring between prescription drug makers and state officials, Maine was back in the courtroom Monday in the First Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston, fighting to keep a new prescription drug program alive. In the opposite corner, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) maintained that the state's program is unconstitutional.2001-03-06T00:00:00-05:0085899392540http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/california-study-shows-ethnic-gaps-persist-85899392540While quality of life has improved for most racial and ethnic groups in California over the last three decades, non-Hispanic whites and most Asians are still more likely to enjoy better health care, greater education and higher-paying jobs, a study by the Public Policy Institute of California has found. African-American and Latino populations have narrowed the gap, but continue to live in poorer neighborhoods, where they are more likely to be victims of crime and have less access to health care, according to "A Portrait of Race and Ethnicity in California," the first comprehensive sourcebook comparing how different racial and ethnic groups fare in the Golden State.2001-03-12T00:00:00-05:0085899392535http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/on-the-record-maine-human-services-chief-kevin-concannon-85899392535Maine may not be seen as a state with a whole lot of political muscle, given its small population and remote location. But in the struggle to get a grip on skyrocketing prescription drug costs, it has become a modern-day Hercules. Maine has put in place programs such as its Physician Directed Drug Initiative, which encourages doctors to use lower cost medications. And with its Maine Rx program which aims to control drug prices, it has angered pharmaceutical manufacturers and sparked a lawsuit. Department of Human Services Chief Kevin Concannon, who oversees the state's Medicaid program, recently spoke with Stateline.org on what's happening in Maine.2001-03-16T00:00:00-05:0085899392530http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/consumers-lack-understanding-of-hmos-survey-finds-85899392530A majority of states allow women in health maintenance organizations -- HMOs --direct access to an OB/GYN, provide consumers with an independent appeals process and have bans on gag clauses. What does all that mean? If you're not sure, you're not alone. A mere 30 percent of almost 11,000 consumers correctly identified four basic managed care features, according to a study by the Center for Studying Health System Change (HSC), a non-partisan research group that looks at the nation's health care system.2001-03-21T00:00:00-05:0085899392525http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/on-the-record-drug-industry-lawyer-marjorie-powell-85899392525In the current debate that pits states against the prescription drug industry, pharmaceutical firms look to some like a proverbial big bad wolf--they huff and they puff and they keep raising prices. In an interview with Stateline.org, Marjorie Powell, who serves as Assistant General Counsel for the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), tells the drug company side of the story -- in the court room, laboratory and across the country.2001-03-27T00:00:00-05:0085899393051http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/special-report-states-mull-suit-against-drug-companies-85899393051In an action modeled on their 1998 class action lawsuit against the tobacco industry, at least six states are poised to go to court to try to force pharmaceutical companies to lower prescription prices, law enforcement and health care officials tell Stateline.org. "The goal is nothing less than changing the way the industry does business," says Mark Schlein, director of Florida's Medicaid Fraud Control Unit in the Attorney General's office.2001-04-02T00:00:00-04:0085899392500http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/new-research-rekindles-cigarette-tax-debate-85899392500With 3,000 kids in the U.S. becoming regular smokers each day, anti-tobacco groups want state legislators to up the cigarette tax so that smoking is soon out of the reach of kids and teens. All 50 states now impose such taxes, which range from 2.5 cents per pack in Virginia to a high of $1.11 per pack in New York. Tobacco manufacturers say that taxing the product is unfair to adults who choose to smoke. In addition, industry officials say there's no related reduction in youth smoking just because of a price increase.2001-04-30T00:00:00-04:0085899392495http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/states-womens-groups-slow-to-address-womens-smoking-85899392495Lung cancer will kill nearly one in four cancer-stricken women this year, a higher rate than deaths from breast cancer, U.S. Surgeon General David Satcher recently reported. Among additional stark findings of importance to the 22 million adult women who smoke in America, researchers say that tobacco companies have stepped up marketing efforts to women, stalling progress in programs that support those who try to stop smoking. Yet states and women's groups are slow in dealing with the problem.2001-05-03T00:00:00-04:0085899392487http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/maine-a-pacesetter-in-rights-for-disabled-85899392487In a 5-4 ruling last February, the U.S. Supreme Court held that states are exempt from the Americans With Disabilities Act, a federal law that protects handicapped citizens from job discrimination. The ruling could affect the disabled in many states, but not those who live in Maine. It acted to guarantee rights for the disabled even before Congress tackled the issue.2001-05-10T00:00:00-04:0085899392484http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/on-the-record-colorado-medicaid-chief-richard-allen-85899392484Colorado's Richard Allen has had a pretty tough year. Like most Medicaid directors, he's had to cut numerous budget items to keep spending low. On top of that, the division he runs-- the Department of Health Policy and Financing-- was sued by several HMOs who claim they weren't paid enough to care for people on Medicaid. Despite those headaches and after more than 23 years in the state's Medicaid program, Allen still relishes his job. He recently sat down with Stateline.org to discuss the budget crunch, what's next for Colorado on prescription drugs and other issues.2001-05-15T00:00:00-04:0085899392480http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/maine-rx-program-buoyed-by-court-decision-85899392480Maine is moving to implement a prescription drug cost control program following a U.S. appeals court ruling against the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), which had sued to block Maine Rx. Kevin Concannon, commissioner of the Maine Department of Human Services, called Wednesday's decision by a three-judge panel to lift an injunction that had put the controversial program on hold "unambiguously a grand slam."2001-05-18T00:00:00-04:0085899392277http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/nursing-profession-isnt-diverse-enough-study-finds-85899392277As troubling as the nursing shortage is for the country, experts say the profession also has another problem -- it isn't diverse enough. According to researchers at the University of California's Center for the Health Professions, nursing seriously lags in reflecting racial differences of the patients being served..2001-05-22T00:00:00-04:0085899392477http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/states-out-in-front-of-feds-on-key-issues-85899392477When Oklahoma State Senator Angela Monson testified before Congress on March 15 on a proposed federal Patients' Bill of Rights, she threw her support behind legislation that has long languished in Washington, D.C., Monson noted that the states "have taken the lead in providing needed regulation of managed care." Health care is but one of the areas where states are taking action in the absence of action at the federal level. To cite a few others, many states require employers to pay a higher minimum wage than federal law mandates, and many states have greater privacy safeguards.2001-05-23T00:00:00-04:0085899392273http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/ftc-moves-forward-on-rx-industry-probe-85899392273As the states and U.S. government agencies increasingly scrutinize pharmaceutical manufacturers' business practices, the Federal Trade Commission is stepping up a probe of alleged agreements that brand-name companies have made to either delay or stop the sale of generic drugs. The FTC has dedicated a "very substantial portion of resources" to a study of the industry, says Rich Feinstein, assistant director of the agency's Bureau of Competition.2001-06-04T00:00:00-04:0085899392467http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/state-health-officials-concerned-about-vaccine-shortage-85899392467On the surface, a nationwide tetanus and diphtheria vaccine shortage may not seem like such a big deal. How many people will step on a rusty nail this year? Doctors in states such as Wisconsin say the shortage is serious due to flooding in the state and related accidents, but in Kentucky, Oregon, Tennessee and Washington, health experts say it's not yet a problem. But the shortfall is resulting in higher prices for states and potential problems for patients.2001-06-11T00:00:00-04:0085899392466http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/seniors-drug-costs-sky-rocketing-advocacy-group-says-85899392466Eighty-six year old Montana resident Joan Stroup spends a lot of money on prescription drugs each month. A retired teacher and administrator, Stroup suffers from macular degeneration, eczema and psoriasis, allergies, asthma, hypertension and migraine headaches. Her total monthly bill is more than $1,300 a month for medications-- and that's when she buys at the Butte pharmacy with the cheapest rates.2001-06-12T00:00:00-04:0085899392463http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/states-fall-short-on-tobacco-prevention-efforts-85899392463States are making little progress this year on anti-smoking prevention programs, say researchers from the American Lung Association. Though there are a few bright spots in Maine and Mississippi, in other parts of the country, lawmakers have backed measures that cap civil suits against the tobacco industry. Numerous states are also opting to use tobacco settlement money to help fill in budget deficits during tight economic times.2001-06-21T00:00:00-04:0085899392453http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/state-health-programs-largely-spared-in-budget-cutting-85899392453State budgets are tight this year, but most health programs have escaped cutbacks. Arizona has agreed to hefty increases for the mentally ill, Oregon is considering a new voluntary screening program for newborns and Maine just okayed a small cigarette tax increase to expand health insurance for adults without kids.2001-06-27T00:00:00-04:0085899392445http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/texas-others-tackle-managed-care-complaints-via-appeals-not-lawsuits-85899392445President George W. Bush and members of Congress have been trading barbs on the right-to-sue provision in a federal patient's bill of rights. Will patients truly flood the courts if such a bill is enacted? State officials from California, Maryland and Texas say the answer is no.2001-07-10T00:00:00-04:0085899392443http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/health-care-data-website-unveiled-85899392443Did you know Arizona, New Mexico and Texas have the largest percentages of people without health insurance or that Connecticut, New Hampshire and New York spend the most Medicaid money per person of all the states? If you didn't know those bits of trivia, the Kaiser Family Foundation can help you track that information and more. Check out the group's new website known as State Health Facts Online.2001-07-17T00:00:00-04:0085899393049http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/states-take-closer-look-at-drug-discount-brokers-85899393049President Bush's new drug discount plan for older Americans would be administered by profit-making companies known as Pharmacy Benefits Managers, or PBMs. But many states have reservations about how much of a price break these firms really provide their customers, and are striking out on their own to negotiate lower drug prices. Moreover, practices of PBMs are being examined by state auditors in West Virginia and a federal prosecutor in Pennsylvania and are the basis for a set of class action lawsuits in New York.2001-07-31T00:00:00-04:0085899392424http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/tobacco-settlement-pits-health-advocates-against-states-85899392424State lawmakers are spending tobacco settlement dollars wisely and health programs are raking in a hearty amount of the money, says a new analysis from the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL). Legislatures have dedicated a full 46 percent of tobacco money for programs that aim to stop people from smoking and to shore up Medicaid, prescription drug programs for older Americans, children's health insurance plans and biomedical research. But if you look a little closer at the numbers, the percent of money being spent to stop smoking is measly and has dropped significantly from last year, anti-tobacco advocates say.2001-08-15T00:00:00-04:0085899393047http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/nine-million-kids-still-uninsured-85899393047Illinois resident Kendall Watters was eight years old when he was diagnosed with a brain tumor. His family didn't have insurance, so his mother Nora did what any Mom would do. She desperately tried to find someone, anyone who could help her son. Thanks to a federal-state healthcare program that most parents don't even know about, Kendall finally got the care he needed. Today he's a healthy 11-year-old who loves to dance.2001-08-20T00:00:00-04:0085899392406http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/washingtons-eileen-cody-mixes-nursing-politics-85899392406The title "union leader" evokes an image of a big, beefy man building cars in Detroit or driving a truck across the country. Eileen Cody, a member of the Washington state House of Representatives, doesn't fit that stereotype. A tall, scholarly-looking woman with short brown hair, Cody, a Democrat, is co-founder of a health care union in Seattle, where she works as a registered nurse.2001-09-06T00:00:00-04:0085899392403http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/bush-out-to-polish-federalism-image-with-pending-order-85899392403President George W. Bush is in the process of drafting an executive order on federalism that might help defuse criticism that he has betrayed his roots by overriding state authority on patients rights, taxes, education, energy, the environment, and the faith-based initiative. Bush, a former Texas governor, called in his campaign and early in his administration for a more even balance of power between Washington, D.C. and the states, but state officials say he has not practiced what he preached.2001-09-11T00:00:00-04:0085899392616http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/state-health-officials-trade-ideas-on-preparedness-85899392616Days before a hijacked plane slammed into the Pentagon, Virginia emergency medical personnel completed massage training. This turned out to be invaluable in caring for rescue workers with aching muscles from heavy lifting, and has emerged as a lesson learned from the terrorist attacks, Virginia Health Commissioner Anne Peterson said.2001-09-24T00:00:00-04:0085899392315http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/on-the-record-maryland-health-secretary-georges-benjamin-md-85899392315While federal officials disagree over the readiness of the nation's public health system to respond to a terrorist attack involving biological or chemical weapons, Maryland Health Secretary Georges C. Benjamin, a physician appointed by Gov. Parris N. Glendening two years ago to oversee the state's 10,000 public health employees, says the discussion is no longer theoretical: His department is already working to defend the public. Benjamin, the new president of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, says states are in a better position to respond to an act of bioterrorism than they were even three weeks ago, but much more needs to be done.2001-10-01T00:00:00-04:0085899392329http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/iowa-official-puts-114m-price-tag-on-preparedness-85899392329The cost of an official assessment of Iowas anti-terrorism needs? At least $750,000. The estimated cost per resident of fully equipping Iowas public health system to deal with a terrorist attack using biological or chemical weapons? $3.91. The peace of mind that would come to state residents from knowing that Iowa's health system is ready to help them in a crisis? Priceless. State epidemiologist Dr. Patricia Quinlisk estimated the costs of preparing her state to counter a chemical or biological attack in testimony before a U.S. Senate panel last week.2001-10-09T00:00:00-04:0085899392328http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/federal-officials-call-for-rx-pricing-reforms-85899392328After years of investigations that show physicians can buy pharmaceuticals at a tenth of what the government pays, Congress is considering cutting reimbursement rates for some prescription drugs under Medicare and Medicaid.2001-10-09T00:00:00-04:0085899392302http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/state-lawmakers-to-discuss-rx-issues-85899392302Lawmakers and state officials from Oregon to Maine will converge on Vermont today (10/19) to advance plans for multi-state buying pools aimed at cutting the cost of prescription drug prices.2001-10-15T00:00:00-04:0085899392303http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/states-continue-to-endorse-patients-rights-85899392303North Carolina Gov. Mike Easley signed a patient's bill of rights bill into law today (10/18), making his state the 46th to give more legal power to health care consumers. State officials say the new measure is the toughest in the country. Even so, without congressional action on the issue, up to one-third of Americans are not helped by state managed care laws.2001-10-15T00:00:00-04:0085899392379http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/states-move-to-cover-cancer-treatment-for-poor-women-85899392379Even though states are struggling to make financial ends meet, an overwhelming majority of them have added a new program that will provide breast and cervical cancer treatment for poor women.2001-10-25T00:00:00-04:0085899392371http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/medicaid-budget-woes-get-worse-85899392371State officials have been singing the blues about Medicaid budgets since the start of the year. The Sept. 11 attacks have only worsened a bad situation, says a new 20-state survey from the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured, a nonprofit health policy group backed by the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation.2001-10-29T00:00:00-05:0085899392376http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/states-health-plans-address-anthrax-related-rx-issues-85899392376In the wake of October's anthrax attacks in Florida, New York and Washington, D.C., states and insurers have seen an increased request for antibiotics like Ciprofloxacin or Cipro, as it's known. Maine and Virginia have now stepped up education for doctors on antibiotic use, while Georgia officials are asking doctors to justify why they are prescribing the drug.2001-10-31T00:00:00-05:0085899392366http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/governors-sound-off-on-medicaid-budget-fix-85899392366The National Governors Association is pushing for an economic stimulus plan that would dole out more federal dollars to state Medicaid programs2001-11-09T00:00:00-05:0085899392342http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/lawmakers-press-solicitor-general-on-maine-rx-case-85899392342An eight-state coalition wants the U.S. Solicitor General to support Maine in a controversial prescription drug case pending before the U.S. Supreme Court. The group, known as the Northeast Legislative Association on Prescription Drug Prices, wants the federal government's chief lawyer to weigh in heavily on behalf of states trying to curb prescription costs.2001-11-12T00:00:00-05:0085899392321http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/state-health-experts-cite-budget-woes-as-major-concern-85899392321Prescription drugs, tobacco prevention, rising health care costs and Medicaid are high priority areas for health officials across the country. But revenue shortfalls remain the over-arching concern, policymakers from five states said Sunday (11/18) at a forum in Seattle, Washington. The forum, sponsored by the National Conference of State Legislatures, featured health-related officials from Arizona, Connecticut, Maryland, Oregon and Washington State.2001-11-20T00:00:00-05:0085899392326http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/lawmakers-not-keen-on-model-public-health-law-85899392326State legislators have rejected a "model public health law" crafted by researchers at Johns Hopkins and Georgetown Universities with help from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).2001-12-06T00:00:00-05:0085899392255http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/states-sue-bristol-myers-85899392255Twenty-nine states and Puerto Rico filed a lawsuit against pharmaceutical giant Bristol-Myers Squibb Wednesday in a New York U.S. district court.2001-12-12T00:00:00-05:0085899393043http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/states-share-latest-on-rx-programs-85899393043Officials from Florida, Maine, Michigan, Pennsylvania and West Virginia will provide updates on their Medicaid and state employee prescription drug programs at a forum in Pittsburgh Friday (1/11).2002-01-07T00:00:00-05:0085899393038http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/rx-aid-medicaid-woes-top-health-policy-concerns-85899393038In our "State of the States 2001" report, Stateline.org catalogs significant state-level developments on such key issues as healthcare, education, tax and budget policy, the environment, election reform and post-9/11 anti-terrorisms programs. For an excerpt from the healthcare section, click on2002-01-10T00:00:00-05:0085899393012http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/states-support-nursing-mothers-85899393012Nobody seriously doubts the value of breast-feeding, but until recently the connection between nursing and employment hasnt been on policymakers radar screens. Now, in what appears to be a trend, lawmakers in 31 states have approved breast-feeding legislation within the last eight years.2002-02-04T00:00:00-05:0085899393010http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/public-health-rx-bills-top-state-agendas-85899393010Bioterrorism and public health measures arising from the threat of further terrorist attacks loom as high priority issues for states to address this year. They come to the forefront at a time when there may not be enough money in state coffers to support other new healthcare programs or expansions.2002-02-05T00:00:00-05:0085899392992http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/states-start-shaping-up-schools-kids-85899392992Obesity is not just a problem of personal appearance for young people but a very serious health risk, the US Surgeon General says -- and at least two states are adopting policies to deal with it.2002-02-22T00:00:00-05:0085899392988http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/states-laud-maine-court-decision-85899392988In a ruling heard from Maine to Hawaii, a federal judge on Monday (2/25) gave a boost to states looking to curb rising prescription drug costs. More specifically, U.S District Judge Ricardo Urbina said Maine could continue with a project which offers prescription drugs to poor people, shutting down for the moment a challenge from the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America.2002-02-26T00:00:00-05:0085899392982http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/cigarette-taxes-public-health-show-little-correlation-85899392982Twenty-one states are mulling cigarette tax increases to help ease the pain of massive budget shortages. New York and Connecticut governors have already okayed such taxes, with increases of 39 and 61 cents per pack respectively. Proponents of higher tobacco taxes say upping the rates will improve the health of citizens. But health experts say the tax must be coupled with prevention programs that help people quit smoking and make sure young people don't start.2002-03-07T00:00:00-05:0085899392961http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/states-grapple-with-malpractice-crisis-85899392961When the St. Paul Insurance Company announced last December it would quit selling medical malpractice policies to improve profitability, it wasn't too long before states started to see the fallout.2002-04-03T00:00:00-05:0085899392950http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/state-officials-challenge-rx-study-85899392950Headlines in major newspapers across the country last week revealed grim news about state Medicaid programs. One in Four Medicaid Beneficiaries Unable to Fill Prescriptions, papers reported. But some state officials question the claim.2002-04-15T00:00:00-04:00