Virginia governor moves to keep options open on Medicaid expansion | Bristol (Va.) Herald Courier
Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe wants to reopen the door to expanding Virginia's Medicaid program by vetoing a provision of the $105 billion state budget that would ban federal funding to expand health coverage of uninsured Virginians.
Pennsylvania lags in discipline for doctors who prescribe too many pain pills | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
While other states along the Appalachian spine have been using data to bust pill-happy doctors, Pennsylvania's medical overseers depend upon complaints from patients, pharmacists and insurers, and law enforcement actions, to identify doctors who prescribe too much.
Valley hospitals spending millions to build pediatric networks | Fresno (Calif.) Bee
It's getting easier to find a doctor for a sick child in California's San Joaquin Valley. Valley Children's Hospital and Community Medical Centers—competitors for pediatric patients—are recruiting pediatricians and spending millions on buildings where they will work.
Texas Supreme Court rules for hospital in 'missing heart' case | Texas Tribune
A Houston-area widow cannot recover damages from a Texas hospital where her husband died under unusual circumstances because his autopsy—the widow's only realistic hope of determining why he died—falls under a sweeping law that protects healthcare providers from malpractice lawsuits, the Texas Supreme Court has ruled.
North Carolina drug database can save lives in 60 seconds. Why don't more doctors use it? | Charlotte (N.C.) Observer
Used correctly, North Carolina's prescription database can stop patients from inappropriately getting drugs from multiple doctors and help doctors avoid prescribing a fatal mix of medications. But most doctors in North Carolina don't take what appears to be a simple, potentially lifesaving measure.
Kansas hospital asked to pay ransomware amount twice by hackers | Network World
Kansas Heart Hospital in Witchita last week paid hackers an undisclosed amount after it gained access to the hospital's server. But the hackers refused to return full access until they were paid again. The hospital refused and has since been working with its IT team and security experts to restore the rest of the files. Patient medical information is not at risk, the hospital's president said.
