Stateline Stories

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

Expanding Medicaid with Private Insurance

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Luring Primary Care Docs into Medicaid

Fearing a shortage of primary care doctors who will take Medicaid patients after the 2014 expansion of the program, Congress has passed la temporary pay raise.

Governors Ask Lawmakers to Prevent Future Shootings

The recent mass shootings in Colorado and Connecticut reshaped governors’ legislative agendas this year, and many used their once-a-year legislative addresses to ask lawmakers to take up gun control, mental health treatment and school safety.

Seizing Medicaid Expansion as a Means to Reform

Alabama aims to make its Medicaid program more efficient, before expanding it. Under consideration is a regional care plan developed in Oregon.

Kentucky Governor Calls for Public Smoking Ban

Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear has called for a ban on smoking in certain public places, an effort to improve the state’s dismal public health record and to cut down on health care costs.

Diving Deeper: Nebraska Governor’s Thinking on Tax Cuts, Medicaid

Few governors are in as enviable a position as Nebraska’s Dave Heineman. The Republican has one of the highest approval rates of any governor in the country, and his state has one of the lowest unemployment rates.

State Lawmakers Push Crackdown on Cancer-Causing Radon

Legislation filed in Iowa and Nebraska, and a proposal taking shape in Utah aim to reduce people’s exposure to radon, which kills about 21,000 people each year, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Pennsylvania Governor Wants State to Exit Liquor Business, Use Proceeds for Schools

Corbett on Wednesday unveiled a plan that would remove Pennsylvania from liquor business and funnel to schools proceeds from the sale of alcohol licenses.

As Legislatures Become More Partisan, Nebraska Holds Out

LINCOLN, Nebraska — Both in law and in practice, Nebraska has the least partisan legislature in the country. To supporters, that makes it a national model. To the state’s dominant Republican Party, however, that sometimes makes it a political obstacle.

Future of Health Law Is Largely in State Hands

The Affordable Care Act is here to stay. But in order for it to be fully effective, states have to cooperate. Many of them don’t want to.

Easiest Path to Mental Health Funding May Be Medicaid Expansion

Even after mass shootings have shed light on the inadequacy of mental health services, states are unlikely to come up with much new money. But the federal government might, through Medicaid expansion.

Old Money, New Decisions in Oregon

Almost a decade after balancing its budget with millions of dollars earned off the massive nationwide tobacco settlement reached in 1998, Oregon lawmakers have a second chance this year to put the settlement money to different use.

Brewer Endorses Medicaid Expansion Under Health Overhaul

Governor Jan Brewer will push to expand Arizona’s Medicaid program after all, she has announced, surprising many who have watched her crusade against that and other key components of President Obama’s health care overhaul.

Utah’s Health Insurance Exchange in Limbo

Utah’s attempt to preserve its health insurance exchange is testing the federal government’s flexibility on a key piece of the Affordable Care Act.

Surpluses Await Some States in 2013 Sessions

The surpluses that state lawmakers will find waiting for them this year may not go very far.

New Data Show Medicaid Spending Growth Declined in 2011

For the third year in a row, new data from the federal government shows that Medicaid, and health care spending generally, is growing slower than before the recession. Spending per beneficiary actually went down.

Following Outbreak, Massachusetts Seeks Tougher Oversight of Compounding Pharmacies

Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick has unveiled legislation aiming to plug a regulatory gap that allows compounding pharmacies to operate with little oversight.

Uncertainty from Washington Continues for States

States trying to craft their budgets for the upcoming year will have to wait until March for more details from Washington.

Big Drug Compounders Poorly Regulated

Tainted medicine made by a New England pharmacy has killed at least 39 people and triggered a debate about how best to regulate the nation’s drug supply.

Election Year Brings Big Changes in State Policy

From battles in the legislatures to battles at the polls, Stateline reporters traveled all over the country in 2012 reporting on news from the states.

Connecticut Health Agency Fights Desperation Among the Insured

The Affordable Care Act encourages states to create insurance watchdogs like Connecticut’s Office of the Healthcare Advocate.

Medicaid Trumps `Fiscal Cliff’ as Top State Budget Concern

Medicaid is still the biggest budget worry for the coming year, according to a new survey of state legislative directors to be released soon. Nowhere is the problem larger than in Texas, which faces a $4.3 billion Medicaid deficit.

Prescription Databases Weigh Public Health Against Patient Privacy

Prescription drug monitoring programs are a popular tool for states looking to combat prescription abuse, but not all databases are used the same way.

In Fiscal Cliff Talks, Governors Get White House Seat

A group of governors on Tuesday called for Washington to find a solution — any solution — to the nation’s budget woes as the federal government’s so-called ‘fiscal cliff’ grows nearer.

Nurse Practitioners Step In Where Doctors Are Scarce

Nurse practitioners, registered nurses with advanced nursing degrees, are capable of providing primary-care services such as diagnosing and treating illnesses, prescribing medication, ordering tests and referring patients to specialists. But only 18 states and the District of Columbia currently allow nurse practitioners to perform these services independently of a doctor.

Texas Cancer Agency Fights Controversy

The state’s $3 billion effort to attack cancer is under fire for the way some awards have been made.

Parity for Behavioral Health Coverage Delayed by Lack of Federal Rules

Congress passed a mental health and drug treatment parity law four years ago, but state enforcement is stymied by the Obama Administration’s failure to issue rules.

To Raise Revenue, Raise Tobacco Taxes, Kentucky Commission Says

Kentucky’s Blue Ribbon Commission on Tax Reform recommended the state increase its cigarette tax from 60 cents to $1 per pack, along with a proportional hike on other forms of tobacco.

States Get More Time to Decide If They Will Run Their Own Health Insurance Exchanges

Only a few new states have opted to build and operate their own insurance exchanges. More are taking a wait and see approach.

In Massachusetts, Mobilizing Private Investment for Public Good

Massachusetts to tap private investors who want to help pay for money-saving public programs

Obama Win Means Big Health Care Decisions for States

Many Republican states would just as soon have nothing to do with the Obama health law. But they will be swept up in it nevertheless.

Infographic: Ballot Measures Gave Voters Say on Divisive Issues

Voters in 38 states will decide 174 statewide ballot measures on Election Day. Are any on your ballot?

Oklahoma Looks for Ways to Keep Mentally Ill Ex-offenders Out of Prison

The mentally ill account for an ever-greater portion of prison populations. Oklahoma has had success in preventing former inmates with mental problems from being incarcerated again.

Tennessee Plan Would Help Medicaid Families Keep Health Coverage

Low-income families will have more health insurance options starting in 2014, but income fluctuations and other circumstances could switch their subsidized plans. Tennessee is one of a handful of states developing ways to help people maintain coverage and keep seeing the same doctors.

Accountable Care Explained: An Experiment in State Health Policy

The Affordable Care Act and state fiscal pressures have spawned an array of new Medicaid cost containment and quality improvement schemes. Among the most ambitious is a health care delivery system whose components are called accountable care organizations (ACOs).

Michigan Addresses Head Injuries in Youth Sports

Michigan is poised to join the growing list of states addressing head injuries in youth sports.

Maine Seeks to Cut Medicaid Eligibility

Maine’s Tea Party governor Paul LePage thinks the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling on healthcare gives him the opportunity to tighten Medicaid eligibility.

State Health Insurance Plans Due to Feds

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services asked states to submit their benchmark health insurance plans —or “minimum benefits” — by Monday (October 1), a major milestone in the implementation of President Obama’s health care law. Some states are expected to let the deadline pass.

N.J. Lawmaker to Replacement Refs: ‘Keep Out’

New Jersey’s Senate president plans to introduce legislation that would ban the use of replacement officials in professional sporting events played on state soil.

A New Health Care Initiative in Arkansas

Arkansas ranks near the bottom among states in health and income. But it’s much closer to the top when it comes to rising health care costs — they’ve doubled in just the past decade. Reduced benefits and lower provider fees have not halted the escalation.

Florida Law Requires Public Hospitals to Justify Their Tax-Supported Status

A scandal in one Florida public hospital puts all of them in the spotlight

A New Battleground in 'Right to Die' Debate

Advocates of physician-assisted suicide are taking on entrenched opposition as they seek a high-profile victory in Massachusetts.

Infographic: State Health Insurance Exchanges

The Affordable Care Act asks states to create health insurance exchanges to help their residents purchase coverage. Only 15 have done so. The rest risk having the federal government do the job for them.

One of Five Americans Struggling To Afford Food, Survey Finds

Despite record food stamp enrollment around the country and an economy considered to be on a modest upswing, the Great Recession is continuing to take its toll on many Americans, a Gallup survey found.

S.C. State Workers Challenge Health Insurance Hike

This year, the South Carolina legislature budgeted to give state workers, university employees and teachers their first raise in four years in exchange for increasing what they contribute to their retirement plans.

Massachusetts Tackles Health Costs

Controlling health care expenses may be even harder than covering the uninsured. Massachusetts is launching the nation’s broadest effort.

States Crack Down on Mental Health Prescriptions

Medicaid is saving substantial amounts of money by limiting access to behavioral medications. But is it fair to the patients?

Mississippi Tops List Of Fattest States — Again

For the seventh straight year, Mississippi has claimed a dubious title: the nation’s fattest state. That’s according to the latest estimates by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In 2011, nearly 35 percent of adult Mississippians were considered obese, according to data released on Monday (Augu

With VP Pick, Romney Endorses Fed-State Overhaul on Food Stamps, Medicaid

By choosing Paul Ryan as his running mate, Mitt Romney has endorsed large changes in federal-state relations, particularly in dealings with food assistance and health care.

Safety Net Hospitals Imperiled by High Court Ruling

Hospitals that serve the poor thought they would be helped by the Affordable Care Act. Now it looks as if they will be hurt by it.

Federal Court Blocks Arizona Anti-Abortion Law

A federal appeals court on Wednesday blocked the state from enforcing a new Arizona law, which prohibits most abortions from taking place after 20 weeks of pregnancy.

Health Care Ruling Casts Doubts on Billions in State-Federal Funding

By making the federal health law’s Medicaid expansion optional for states, the U.S. Supreme Court has cast doubt on decades of established state-federal programs and billions of dollars in funding tied to them.

Florida Governor Appeals Ruling On Law Barring Doctors From Asking About Guns

Governor Rick Scott has appealed a court ruling that blocked Florida from implementing a law prohibiting doctors from asking patients about guns.

As States Debate Medicaid Expansion, Maine Governor Looks to Cut Rolls

Maine Governor Paul LePage appears poised for a head-on collision with the Obama Administration over the issue of Medicaid eligibility. In the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s health care ruling last month — the federal government cannot take away existing Medicaid funds to penalize states that refuse to expan

States Find Laws Against Sports Head Injuries Tricky to Enact

Everyone wants to reduce the number of head injuries suffered by young athletes. But deciding just how to do that is more complicated than it might seem.

Health Care Ruling, Elections Dominate Governors’ Meeting

The typical low-key summer gathering of the nation’s governors was anything but subdued this year. The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision leaving it up to the states whether to expand their Medicaid programs topped headlines coming from the National Governors Association meeting in Virginia.

States Bolstered by GlaxoSmithKline Settlement

The country’s largest health-care fraud settlement will send millions of dollars back into state Medicaid programs.

For Some States, Medicaid Expansion May Be a Tough Fiscal Call

GOP governors appear poised to leave federal dollars on the table.

More GOP Officials Vow to Decline Medicaid Expansion

Republican state leaders say they’d rather forfeit federal money than dip into state coffers to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act.

Governors React Nationwide to High Court Health Ruling

Governors react to the Supreme Court's June 28 health ruling.

Court Lets States Opt Out of Medicaid Expansion

Some states are worried about the cost of the health law’s expanded Medicaid coverage. Now they can choose not to participate in it.

What Happens to Health Law Money Already in State Coffers?

If the high court overturns all or part of the health law, Congress could seek refunds of the nearly $14 billion in federal money already sent to states to implement it.

All Eyes on U.S. Supreme Court

States await key decisions this week from the U.S. Supreme Court on health care, immigration and elections.

States Seek Medicare Data to Keep Fraudulent Providers Out of Medicaid

The nation’s two giant health programs have many good reasons to share data with each other. But they aren’t doing it.

Governor Touts Massachusetts’ Success, Stumps for Obama

Americans will decide the fate of the American Dream this November, said Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick in a speech to a progressive legal society in Washington, D.C. Thursday.

States Push to Contain Health Costs

Medicaid budget numbers look a little better in some states this year. That has made states more creative about investing in long-term ways to control costs. Part five in a week-long series.

Post-Recall Wisconsin Open for Business, Governor Says

The recent recall election in Wisconsin that let Governor Scott Walker keep his job was apparently also good for businesses in the state, or so says the governor.

New Federal Grants for Aging and Disability Resource Centers

The federal government is giving states another $52 million to help elders and adults with disabilities receive the long-term care they need without abandoning their homes.

Medicaid Fraud Busters Learn From Experience

For years, it’s been relatively easy for dishonest doctors to squeeze extra money out of Medicaid programs. Now it’s getting harder.