Regional coverage

The West 2008

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

• Montana court OKs doctor-assisted suicide - Dec. 29
• Laws bolster penalties for privacy breaches in California - Dec. 1
• Tourniquet designed for fingers and toes - Nov. 24
• Doctors fight balance-billing ban on out-of-network costs - Nov. 17
• California law mandates discussing end-of-life options - Nov. 10
• Court upholds San Francisco employer insurance mandate - Oct. 27
• Polls show Washington voters favor physician-assisted suicide - Oct. 27
• California court rejects how hospital applied privileges rule - Oct. 13
• Employer health insurance mandate on Colorado ballot - Sept. 22/29
• Doctor's magnetic invention raises cane - Sept. 22/29
• Surgical plates make a fashion statement - Sept. 8
• Nevada ruling may compound end-of-life care decisions - Sept. 1
• California courts to sort out balance-billing issues - Aug. 18
• Blues plans settle rescission cases in California - Aug. 11
• Suit aims to block Hawaii's plan to shift blind, elderly, disabled on Medicaid into managed care - July 21
• Report details how much insurers spend on care in California - July 21
• California bill would mandate discussions of end-of-life options - July 14
• Colorado adopts doctor rating standards, health system reforms - July 7
• Minorities underrepresented in California doctor work force - June 23/30
• Organized medicine calls on court to block Nevada health plan merger - June 9
• California doctors sue to block Medicaid cuts - June 9
• 2 California insurers agree to cover members with rescinded policies - June 2
• Oregon still stands alone: Ten years of physician-assisted suicide - May 12
• Colorado moves to regulate tiered networks - May 5
• Walk-ins welcome, but only if they're healthy - April 28
• Federal court rejects challenge of abortion-refusal law - April 14
• Keeping an eye on United - Editorial April 7
• Colorado Senate OKs increase, changes to state's liability cap - March 24/31
• Insurers feel backlash over policy cancellations - March 17
• California medical students to get court-ordered tuition refunds - March 17
• United-Sierra merger in Nevada approved -- with conditions - March 17
• California reverses course, adopts 10% physician Medicaid pay cut - March 10
• Program helps Hispanic IMGs qualify for U.S. residencies - March 3
• Blues stops asking doctors for rescission help - March 3
• Growing pains for UnitedHealth Group - Editorial March 3
• Dual-doctor family in progress: Son follows mom to med school - Feb. 25
• Medical staff members help end problems at California hospital - Feb. 25
• California regulatory actions shadow United's pursuit of Sierra - Feb. 25
• Health system reform stumbles in California - Feb. 18
• Going to extremes: Doctoring desert runners - Feb. 18
• UnitedHealth faces stiff fines in California - Feb. 18
• California appeals court rules against insurer's rescission practices - Feb. 11
• Court gives temporary OK to San Francisco "pay or play" law - Feb. 4
• California court rules against insurer over policy cancellations - Jan. 21
• California law extends whistle-blower protections - Jan. 14
• California medical schools tailor programs for diverse populations - Jan. 14

Last year's index - Back to top

Health workers' hand hygiene compliance rates are 40% to 50% nationally. Read more

The Midwest 2008

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

• Patient privacy at stake in Ohio abortion case - Dec. 29
• Helping students, residents find or sell a home - Dec. 29
• Illinois high court hears challenge to state medical liability cap - Dec. 15
• Michigan medical society to launch health IT exchange - Nov. 24
• Board settlement can't be used in Minnesota liability trial - Nov. 3
• Doctors' punch line: biopsies made easier - Nov. 3
• Illinois court rejects plan for expanding health coverage - Oct. 20
• Certificate-of-need law in Illinois slammed by feds, AMA - Oct. 6
• Hospital loses latest fight over tax-exempt status - Sept. 22/29
• Doctors must accept arbitration in Missouri price-fixing case - Sept. 15
• Ruling puts South Dakota abortion consent law into effect - Aug. 18
• Missouri court says midwives can continue to practice - Aug. 11
• Setting the pace: A case study of how the Indiana Health Information Exchange works - Aug. 11
• Kansas court enforces noncompete clause - Aug. 4
• Marshfield Clinic puts its EHR on the market - July 21
• IMGs, other visa holders in Michigan free to drive again - June 23/30
• Illinois Medicaid paid physicians too slowly, state audit says - June 16
• Minnesota adopts bill creating medical homes - June 16
• Newest doctor on the Hill hopes to boost focus on the uninsured - May 26
• Ohio hospital pays patients for bills from competing facilities - May 19
• Ohio lifts the veil on insurer contracts - Editorial May 5
• Minnesota physician can sue doctors critical of courtroom testimony - April 21
• Ohio mandates clarity in health plan contracts - April 14
• Online tool allows Minnesota patients to weigh cost, perks - April 14
• Missouri Supreme Court: Doctors can sue if hospitals ignore bylaws in privileging issues - April 7
• Google lifts veil on its personal health record - March 17
• Michigan patient safety study gets HHS approval to resume - March 10
• Illinois bill says stores can't have both clinics and tobacco - March 10
• Charting your patients' insurance: It's all in a simple grid - Feb. 25
• Michigan law bars some IMGs from driving - Feb. 18
• Break it down: Drop guns, wear condoms - Feb. 11
• HHS shuts down Michigan patient safety study - Feb. 4
• CMS denials of state Medicaid expansions fuel confusion - Jan. 28
• Pfizer donates "Great Moments in Medicine" art series to Michigan medical school - Jan. 14

Last year's index - Back to top

Genetics contribute to at least 40% of obesity cases. Read more

The Northeast 2008

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

• Defensive medicine widespread among Massachusetts doctors - Dec. 29
• Federal court dismisses New Jersey suit over SCHIP limits - Dec. 22
• Illness interrupts (book excerpt: Life in the Balance) - Dec. 22
• New Hampshire ban on sale of prescribing data upheld - Dec. 22
• Doctors want further scrutiny of Horizon for-profit conversion - Dec. 8
• Rhode Island seeks Medicaid overhaul, cap on spending - Nov. 17
• Pennsylvania health system reform hits snag over coverage, liability help - Nov. 10
• Pennsylvania ponders final comments on proposed insurance deal - Nov. 3
• New waiver continues Massachusetts health insurance pools - Oct. 20
• Studies produce no consensus on Pa. Blues merger - Oct. 6
• Will New Jersey Blues filing prompt for-profit rush? - Sept. 22/29
• Massachusetts law requires drug firm gift details, uniform billing codes - Sept. 1
• Pennsylvania Blues merger could hinge on definition of market - Sept. 1
• More New Jersey parents eligible for SCHIP - Aug. 4
• Massachusetts doctors challenge liability insurance analysis - July 28
• Massachusetts doctors sue, saying ranking program is flawed - July 7
• Most in Massachusetts met individual insurance mandate - June 23/30
• Connecticut puts restrictions on silent PPOs - June 9
• Individual health insurance: Are mandates ready for prime time? - June 2
• New York awards $105 million in health IT projects - April 28
• Foiling a fake (book excerpt: Charlatan) - April 28
• Pennsylvania House bill expands subsidized plans, phases out liability fund - April 14
• Massachusetts hikes premiums for state-subsidized health plans by 10% - April 7
• Subpoenas issued to insurers in New York rate-setting probe - March 24/31
• Insurer finds EMRs won't pay off for its doctors - March 10
• Informed consent at heart of New York lawsuit - In the Courts March 10
• Cuomo's reasonable investigation into health plan pricing - Editorial March 10
• New York takes on United over tactics as industry arbiter of physician pay - March 3
• Web site helps doctors find office mates - March 3
• Finding one's place (book excerpt: Intern: A Doctor's Initiation) - Feb. 25
• Can the Massachusetts Blues revive capitation? New twist includes quality bonus - Feb. 11
• Massachusetts health system reform feeling the pinch - Feb. 11
• Massachusetts society evaluates health plans' doctor-rating programs - Feb. 11
• Massachusetts sets new rules for health clinics in retail stores - Jan. 28
• Pennsylvania liability fund may be used to cover uninsured - Jan. 14
• New Jersey court sends blow to doctor-owned surgery centers - Jan. 14

Last year's index - Back to top

A medical resident at an Ohio hospital exposed 166 people to the H1N1 virus. Read more

The South 2008

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

• Medical homes get boost in Louisiana Medicaid reform effort - Dec. 15
• Illinois high court hears challenge to state medical liability cap - Dec. 15
• Maryland doctors warn about Blues' pay cuts - Dec. 1
• Washington becomes 2nd state to allow physician-assisted suicide - Nov. 24
• When incentives lack appeal: Medicaid reform meets confusion, skepticism - Nov. 3
• Doctor faces tight congressional race in attempt to keep Maryland's Eastern Shore red - Oct. 27
• Court dismisses Arkansas specialty hospital's lawsuit - Oct. 13
• Tenn. Blues reboots physician rating program - Oct. 13
• Lawnwood ruling preserves medical staff role - Editorial Oct. 13
• Florida high court rejects curb on medical staff rights - Oct. 6
• Florida law takes on overpayment claims, assignment of benefits - Sept. 22/29
• 2,700 apply for Florida medical school's tuition-free offer - Sept. 15
• 5 years of tort reform: Lone Star success story - Editorial Sept. 15
• Texas liability reforms spur plunge in premiums and lawsuits - Sept. 8
• Georgia Medicaid program challenged in courts - Sept. 1
• Unexpected connections (book excerpt: The Light Within) - Aug. 25
• Georgia doctors sue for access to United's contracts with state plan - Aug. 11
• Former CareFirst CEO's severance package cut in half - Aug. 4
• Medicare launches personal health records for South Carolina residents - July 21
• Exception to statute of limitations upheld in Georgia - July 21
• Texas IPA's contract talks are price-fixing, appeals court rules - June 23/30
• D.C. hospital starts all-inclusive HIV screening - June 23/30
• Blues HMO ordered to pay hospital pathologists - June 9
• Florida passes bill to boost private health coverage for uninsured - June 2
• Louisiana Senate passes liability protections for disaster responders - June 2
• Cap on noneconomic damages is unconstitutional, Georgia judge says - June 2
• Kentucky measure calls for clearer contracts for doctors, plans - May 12
• Texas court finds board exceeded its authority and podiatrists' scope - May 5
• Hospital told to check bylaws on exclusive deals - April 28
• Court blocks broad subpoena of patient records - April 21
• Florida Supreme Court lifts past peer review confidentiality - April 7
• Lawsuit hits medical access post-Katrina - March 3
• Washington state doctors, physical therapists battle over referrals - March 3
• Georgia Blues plan sued under any-willing-provider law - Feb. 18
• New plan would require D.C. drug detailers to be licensed - Feb. 11
• Georgia exempts general surgery centers from CON rules - Feb. 4
• CMS denials of state Medicaid expansions fuel confusion - Jan. 28
• Maryland to issue report cards on PPO plans - Jan. 21
• It's doctor vs. doctor in race to represent Florida in U.S. House - Jan. 14
• High case rates make D.C. the nation's HIV/AIDS capital - Jan. 7

Last year's index - Back to top

More than 72 million Americans are obese. Read more

State Roundups 2008

(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.)

• Model law banning silent PPOs could serve as draft for state legislatures - Dec. 29
• Put the tobacco settlement money in smoking cessation - Editorial Dec. 29
• Federal court dismisses New Jersey suit over SCHIP limits - Dec. 22
• State societies warn of primary care shortages - Dec. 22
• Courts in 2 states rule on reach of HIPAA in medical liability cases - Dec. 15
• Medical homes get boost in Louisiana Medicaid reform effort - Dec. 15
• Medicaid pay delays found to squeeze access - Dec. 8
• Finding the right floor: How much should insurers spend on medical care? - Nov. 24
• Rhode Island seeks Medicaid overhaul, cap on spending - Nov. 17
• When incentives lack appeal: Medicaid reform meets confusion, skepticism - Nov. 3
• Trend of Medicaid pay increases is expected to end as states struggle - Oct. 20
• Illinois court rejects plan for expanding health coverage - Oct. 20
• Certificate-of-need law in Illinois slammed by feds, AMA - Oct. 6
• Hospital loses latest fight over tax-exempt status - Sept. 22/29
• Oct. 1 deadline looms for 3 Medicaid prescription security features - Sept. 15
• CMS delays enforcing limits on SCHIP funding - Sept. 15
• Time to get tough? States increasingly offer ways to opt out of vaccine mandates - Sept. 8
• Georgia Medicaid program challenged in courts - Sept. 1
• Medicare is bad, but Medicaid has even more problems - Sept. 1
• Most states said to have good rules on pain medicines - Aug. 25
• SCHIP eligibility limits to take effect - Aug. 11
• More New Jersey parents eligible for SCHIP - Aug. 4
• Settlement proposed in Medicaid/Part D case - July 21
• Suit aims to block Hawaii's plan to shift blind, elderly, disabled on Medicaid into managed care - July 21
• 6 rules cutting Medicaid delayed until 2009 - July 21
• Teaching hospitals, residencies win reprieve on Medicaid cuts - July 14
• States rapped for lax regulation of individual insurance market - July 14
• Illinois Medicaid paid physicians too slowly, state audit says - June 16
• California doctors sue to block Medicaid cuts - June 9
• 2 California insurers agree to cover members with rescinded policies - June 2
• Doctor disciplinary actions down for 3rd year - May 12
• GAO: CMS violated law with SCHIP eligibility directive - May 5
• House panel OKs bill to delay Medicaid cuts - April 28
• Advanced-practice nurses seek wider scope in 24 states - April 21
• Court blocks broad subpoena of patient records - April 21
• Most states working toward implementing e-health programs - April 14
• Employer mandates hit legal snag, states continue to search for options - April 7
• Physicians face Medicaid's April 1 deadline for tamper-proof Rx pads - March 24/31
• States battle obesity epidemic with new laws - March 24/31
• Health reform update: Transparency hot, state mandates not - March 10
• California reverses course, adopts 10% physician Medicaid pay cut - March 10
• Survey: Patients harmed by anemia drug policy - Feb. 25
• UnitedHealth faces stiff fines in California - Feb. 18
• New plan would require D.C. drug detailers to be licensed - Feb. 11
• Court gives temporary OK to San Francisco "pay or play" law - Feb. 4
• CMS denials of state Medicaid expansions fuel confusion - Jan. 28
• Time tight in Medicare fight to defend some pay provisions, block add-ons - Jan. 21
• Congress OKs temporary reprieve on Medicare pay cut, renews SCHIP - Jan. 7

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