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News from the » West - Midwest - Northeast - South - States - 2003 - 2005

The West 2004

(Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming)

Oregon doctors want more in-state students - Dec. 20
Database to aid quality efforts - Dec. 13
Northern California physicians flock to Kaiser Permanente - Dec. 13
Utah high court upholds liability damage cap - Dec. 6
California backs Anthem-WellPoint merger, but hurdle remains - Dec. 6
California rejects access measures; funding concerns cited - Nov. 22/29
Voters weigh in on issues of marijuana use - Nov. 22/29
Urologist finds success with forming a business on paper - Nov. 15
Blues plan sues physicians who won't join network - Nov. 8
MICRAscope: RAND's methodical inspection of California's tort reform law - Nov. 8
Law protects physicians with patient safety plans - Nov. 8
Voters hold fate of California health insurance mandate - Oct. 25
Colorado death ruling chills transplant community - Oct. 25
Washington state nurses sue hospital over mandatory flu vaccination rule - Oct. 18
Really solo: California physician opens one-person shop - Oct. 11
Oregon physician makes wood work - Oct. 11
Doctor banks on success with colleagues - Oct. 4
Colorado hospitalists' deal raises exclusivity issue - Sept. 20
California law eases threat to pain medication prescribers - Sept. 13
Nevada tort reform ballot fight now brewing - Sept. 13
New Mexico court asked to weigh tort ruling - Sept. 13
California deal reaffirms medical staff autonomy - Sept. 6
Physician-assisted suicide lives on - Sept. 6
Premera Blues appeals for-profit conversion denial - Sept. 6
Wyoming moves toward tort referendum - Aug. 16
Physician groups save hospitals in Pennsylvania, Oregon - Aug. 16
California doctors fight back: Medicaid pay cut goes to court - Editorial Aug. 9
U.S. appellate court weighs legality of Medi-Cal cuts - Aug. 2
Case against assisted-suicide law continues - Aug. 2
Washington Blues plan loses its bid to go for-profit - Aug. 2
Pennsylvania physicians' efforts on liability reform hit a roadblock - July 26
California bill calls for physician review of prescribing patterns - July 19
California oral surgeons want to expand scope - July 19
Only California stands between Anthem, WellPoint joining forces - July 19
California medical group back from bankruptcy - June 14
CalPERS cuts 38 "high-cost" hospitals from its network - June 14
Alaska physician wins case on ignored medical advice - June 7
California tort reform shaken by abuse laws as court creates inpatient loophole - May 17
California launches plan to crack down on Medi-Cal fraud - May 17
California eyes licenses of sex offenders - April 26
A Willy Wonka turn leads family physician to sweet spot - April 19
Cost of seismic regulations leaves California hospitals shaking - April 12
Assisted-suicide numbers up in Oregon - April 5
Alaska bill offers immunity when advice is ignored - March 22/29
Blues execs to get bonus in conversion - March 15
California could ban foreign outsourcing of patient files - March 15
Revisiting the crisis in Nevada: Tort reform in need of reform - Feb. 23
Mile-high ambitions: Divergent success stories - Feb. 23
California damage cap protects medical groups, too - Feb. 16
California court says experts shouldn't speculate - Feb. 16
Doctors show bad example in chowing down - Feb. 9
Pain group not eligible to certify members - Jan. 26
Medicare law aims to bring Alaska physicians in from the cold - Jan. 19
Tenet to sell hospital besieged by fraud charges - Jan. 12

Last year's index - Back to top

Most breaches of medical records result from loss or theft of computers, memory sticks or hand-held devices. Read more

The Midwest 2004

(Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin)

Faith in healing: A Chicago physician is as at home in the pulpit as he is in the exam room - Dec. 27
Center will offer place to practice procedures - Dec. 6
Wisconsin patients can check hospital fees - Nov. 22/29
Illinois hospital, staff go to court in fight over liability coverage - Nov. 8
Minnesota insurer won't pay hospitals for "never events" - Nov. 8
Challenges in state courts: New tort reforms under fire - Nov. 1
Indiana hospital to close 4 months after doctor takeover - Sept. 20
Illinois: No corporate certificate, no pay - In the Courts Sept. 13
States challenge FDA in fight over drug reimportation - Sept. 6
Chicago physician creates company out of informed consent - Aug. 23/30
Wyoming moves toward tort referendum - Aug. 16
Physician groups save hospitals in Pennsylvania, Oregon - Aug. 16
Two Illinois towns take tort reform into their own hands - Aug. 9
Kansas City doctor opens a meaty enterprise - Aug. 9
Ohio physical therapists getting direct patient access - Aug. 2
Show and tell: Letting outsiders see into the OR - July 26
Minnesota looks for statewide "best practices" - June 28
Wisconsin safety-driven hospital under construction - June 28
Doctors can know accusers; ruling doesn't set precedent - June 7
Connecticut doctors push for tort reform veto - May 24/31
Tort reform gives Texas doctors some relief - May 17
Liability crisis ends century of deliveries - May 3
Iowa governor might not sign tort reform bill - May 3
Best practices legislation moving forward in Minnesota - May 3
Court upholds Michigan Medicaid drug limits - April 26
Treating the neighborhood: A family physician serves an underserved community - April 26
Wisconsin doctors not forced to be expert witnesses - April 19
Minnesota hospital bill rewritten - April 19
Grassroots advocacy: Doctors keep up the fight for tort reform - April 12
Tort crisis gamble: Physicians weigh odds of going bare - April 5
Wisconsin bill lets advance directives be ignored - April 5
One physician's malpractice battle: Dr. Diakos on trial - March 22/29
Minnesota considers tighter restrictions on surgery centers - March 8
Suit over late-term abortion ban sparks privacy debate - March 1
Transplant team works on one of its own - March 1
States boosting doctor oversight - Feb. 23
Capitation tossed as HMO market dries up - Feb. 23
Ohio physicians fight back: Panel documents frivolous lawsuits - Feb. 16
Wisconsin ENT's nose for business nothing to sneeze at - Feb. 16
Wisconsin gets pitch for flexibility in health benefits - Feb. 2
Doctors shop for space, move to big box - Jan. 26
Appeals court upholds Ohio "partial-birth abortion" law - Jan. 19
Michigan PPO asks frequent ED users to phone plan first - Jan. 12
Doctor-investors could lose Ohio hospital privileges - Jan. 12

Last year's index - Back to top

From 1994 to 2006, heart attack mortality rates for women dropped 53%. For men, rates decreased 33%. Read more

The Northeast 2004

(Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont)

Out-of-the-box approach to breakfast champions heart health - Dec. 6
Lawsuits against health plans crumble in wake of Supreme Court ruling - Nov. 15
Health commissioner slams Connecticut medical board - Nov. 15
Pennsylvania House extends liability fund relief - Nov. 8
Turning theory into practice: When cutting-edge doesn't always cut it - Nov. 8
Proposed Massachusetts e-health network gets $50 million boost - Oct. 18
Will Massachusetts court allow expert to be sued? - Oct. 4
HMO incentives cited in Massachusetts lawsuit - Sept. 27
United-Oxford merger still facing legal challenge - Sept. 27
Connecticut obstetrician-gynecologists scrap plan of raising fees - Sept. 20
New taxes in New Jersey target doctor services - Sept. 13
States challenge FDA in fight over drug reimportation - Sept. 6
CareFirst reforms not crossing to Delaware - Aug. 16
Physician groups save hospitals in Pennsylvania, Oregon - Aug. 16
Pennsylvania physicians' efforts on liability reform hit a roadblock - July 26
Court tells New York to delete unfounded charges - July 26
Hospital publicly supports doctor - July 26
A New Jersey ob-gyn hopes cart is ticket to riches - July 19
Shuttle service a hit for New York family doctor - July 12
Massachusetts health plans post prices on the Web - July 12
New York HMO buys for-profit insurer in Connecticut - July 12
Boston groups choose nonprofit route to growth - June 21
Connecticut ob-gyn group delivers surcharge to offset liability pain - June 14
Massachusetts physicians brace for another liability rate jump - June 14
Doctor makes dough teaching bread baking - June 14
Rhode Island Blues plan ups reimbursements - June 7
Connecticut doctors push for tort reform veto - May 24/31
Physicians cheer Rhode Island Blues president's exit, want more change - May 24/31
New Jersey law expands reporting of medical errors - May 17
New Jersey court derails Medicare incentive pay project - May 10
Maine program offers new option for paying hospital bill - May 3
Maine's health reform plan is met with cautious optimism - April 26
New York court expands liability in miscarriage and stillborn cases - April 26
New York, New Jersey hoping for big payoffs from health plan conversions - March 22/29
New Jersey squelches lawsuit for advertising fraud - In the Courts March 8
Massachusetts doctors advocate needle exchange - Feb. 23
States boosting doctor oversight - Feb. 23
Discount Rx program finally launched in Maine - Feb. 9
Pennsylvania Blues plans get surplus limits - Feb. 9
New Jersey to allow embryonic stem cell research - Jan. 26
Pennsylvania tort crisis: Lawmakers fiddle, doctors burn - Jan. 12
New Jersey obstetrician-gynecologist wins informed consent case - Jan. 5

Last year's index - Back to top

People age 45 to 64 spent an annual average $3,446 on health care in 1996 but $4,863 in 2006. Read more

The South 2004

(Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia)

Tort reform alive and well in West Virginia - Dec. 27
Baseball deal strikes out with physicians in District of Columbia - Dec. 20
Tennessee Medicaid may be headed for a fall - Dec. 13
Medical expert barred from Georgia court forever - In the Courts Dec. 13
California backs Anthem-WellPoint merger, but hurdle remains - Dec. 6
Lawsuits against health plans crumble in wake of Supreme Court ruling - Nov. 15
Medicaid vouchers could get new life in Louisiana - Nov. 15
PPO offers patient, physician incentives - Nov. 15
Challenges in state courts: New tort reforms under fire - Nov. 1
North Carolina Blues covers medical visits related to obesity - Nov. 1
Oklahoma optometrists gain right to use scalpel - Oct. 25
Doctors an untapped market for small tech firms - Oct. 25
Florida launches minority physician mentoring program - Oct. 11
PacifiCare ordered to pay $6.9 million to bankrupt IPA - Oct. 11
Doctors take on designing, operating their own hospitals - Oct. 11
South Carolina insurers halt bariatric surgery reimbursement - Oct. 11
Defamation award could chill peer review - Oct. 4
D.C. surgeon touts own ideas for reform, gifts - Sept. 20
Texas Supreme Court avoids redefining "person" in ruling - Sept. 20
Doctors leery about Tennessee plan to overhaul Medicaid - Sept. 13
Virginia obstetricians welcome promised Medicaid pay hike - Sept. 13
Texas sees results from tort reform - Sept. 13
Ballot battle: Two professions square off over attorney fees and quality of care. - Sept. 6
Texas SCHIP cuts seen as harbinger - Aug. 23/30
Mississippi hospital agrees to lower charges for uninsured patients - Aug. 23/30
CareFirst reforms not crossing to Delaware - Aug. 16
$1,000 licensing fee hard to swallow - Aug. 9
Physician wants suit against West Virginia lawyers reinstated - June 14
Louisiana psychologists can prescribe meds - June 7
North Carolina doctors sue UnitedHealthcare - June 7
Tort reform gives Texas doctors some relief - May 17
Tort crisis gamble: Physicians weigh odds of going bare - April 5
West Virginia doctor's retainer practice under investigation - April 5
Ousted HealthSouth chief launches local TV talk show in Alabama - March 22/29
Physician's sideline extends 6 feet under - March 15
Injunction lifted against any-willing-provider law - March 15
Photo-taking doctor has shot at Pulitzer - March 15
Blues execs to get bonus in conversion - March 15
North Carolina board claims boost in doctor discipline - March 8
Florida puts limits on office plastic surgery after 8 deaths - March 1
Florida, Kentucky officials envision state e-health networks - Feb. 23
Web site rates quality of care at Texas hospitals - Feb. 16
Texas schools ponder race role in admissions - Feb. 9
Texas fetus abuse law could spell legal trouble for doctors - Feb. 2
Tennessee doctors to get paid for "doing the right thing" - Feb. 2
Frustrated and fighting back: Ob-gyn sues West Virginia trial lawyers - Jan. 26
States get a little Medicaid help, but picture still bleak - Jan. 26
North Carolina Blues sued over pay methods - Jan. 26
Doctors fight for enforcement of staff bylaws - Jan. 19
Houston doctors' group settles antitrust charges - Jan. 12
First HealthSouth sentences handed down - Jan. 5

Last year's index - Back to top

The average annual premium for non-group health insurance is $2,985 for a single person, $6,328 for a family of 3. Read more

State Roundups 2004

(Our coverage of trends in state legislatures and regulatory bodies is also a good source of information about developments in different parts of the country.)

Criminal checks increasingly a fact of life for physicians - Dec. 20
Tennessee Medicaid may be headed for a fall - Dec. 13
Blues pledge nationwide expansion of HSAs - Dec. 13
Tracking database for narcotic prescriptions debated - Dec. 6
State tort reform ballot wins set stage for further battles - Nov. 22/29
Voters weigh in on issues of marijuana use - Nov. 22/29
Medicaid vouchers could get new life in Louisiana - Nov. 15
Several states reconsidering Anthem-WellPoint merger - Nov. 15
Medicaid budget woes expected to persist - Nov. 8
Health plans subpoenaed in fraud probe - Nov. 8
3 states face marijuana votes on decriminalization, medical treatment - Nov. 1
States get feds' help with Rx monitoring - Nov. 1
Voters hold fate of California health insurance mandate - Oct. 25
Colorado death ruling chills transplant community - Oct. 25
Number of pertussis cases spiking in several states - Oct. 18
Doctors leery about Tennessee plan to overhaul Medicaid - Sept. 13
Virginia obstetricians welcome promised Medicaid pay hike - Sept. 13
States challenge FDA in fight over drug reimportation - Sept. 6
No state immune to liability stress - Aug. 23/30
Texas SCHIP cuts seen as harbinger - Aug. 23/30
The politics of progress: How to continue stem cell research despite limitations - Aug. 9
California doctors fight back: Medicaid pay cut goes to court - Editorial Aug. 9
Pharmacy benefit managers a growing force in Medicare - Aug. 2
U.S. appellate court weighs legality of Medi-Cal cuts - Aug. 2
Washington Blues plan loses its bid to go for-profit - Aug. 2
Low pay hurts Medicaid access to specialists - July 26
States moving ahead on patient safety front - July 26
West Nile virus makes new inroads in the West - July 26
Congressional task force ready to tackle Medicaid reform - July 19
Legislators focus on keeping health insurance costs down - July 12
AMA to help states on programs for uninsured - July 5
3 states pass tort reform; others still waiting - June 14
Assisted suicide a decision for the states - June 14
Federation to review foreign schools after educational standards are questioned - June 7
California tort reform shaken by abuse laws as court creates inpatient loophole - May 17
Drive to reimport drugs outpacing U.S. effort to study safety - May 10
Medicaid short list: Prescribing a hassle factor - May 3
More doctors disciplined as states bolster medical boards - April 26
Court upholds Michigan Medicaid drug limits - April 26
Measles cases trigger actions in 9 states - April 26
Grassroots advocacy: Doctors keep up the fight for tort reform - April 12
States likely to see little help with Medicaid funding - April 12
Judging and being judged: The thankless job of doctor discipline - April 12
New York, New Jersey hoping for big payoffs from health plan conversions - March 22/29
Professionalism starts in med school - March 15
States, scientists seek alternate funding for stem cell research - March 15
California could ban foreign outsourcing of patient files - March 15
Senate bill aims to boost seat-belt use - March 8
States ask drug firms to report gifts to individual physicians - March 1
Medicaid facing financial crisis, hard choices in cuts - Feb. 23
States boosting doctor oversight - Feb. 23
Despite years of warnings, smoking still has draw - Feb. 16
Empowered by insurers and states, nonphysicians push practice limits - Feb. 9
Texas schools ponder race role in admissions - Feb. 9
States get a little Medicaid help, but picture still bleak - Jan. 26

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Space invader The exam room where a meteorite hit a Virginia doctors' office has become the most requested room among patients, who joke about wearing hard hats to appointments. Story