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The death, which was ruled a homicide by the medical examiner, underscores the vulnerability of frail nursing home residents in New York State, where rates of substandard care, neglect and abuse are high, according to national studies. Advocates for elderly and disabled residents complain that state enforcement has dwindled in recent years, even as private companies have been on a buying spree, acquiring nonprofit facilities and often cutting staff to enhance profit margins. (Schlossberg and Bernstein, 12/15)

Groups that advocate for Kansans with disabilities and for frail seniors say they will file objections to proposed changes in the waivers defining the state’s approach to Medicaid-funded services that help them live in community-based settings rather than in nursing homes. (Ranney, 12/15)

The Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services has proposed allowing the managed care companies that have administered the state’s Medicaid program since February 2013 to have a say in deciding which services “best meet (a) participants needs.” (Ranney 12/15)

Gov. John Hickenlooper booted a vocal critic from Colorado’s health exchange board after the November elections and before Colorado auditors released a scathing account of financial mismanagement at Connect for Health Colorado last week. Hickenlooper had appointed Ellen Daehnick, a supporter of the Affordable Care Act and a small business owner, to the exchange board in July of 2013. Now registered independent, Daehnick said she has always voted for Democrats including Hickenlooper and President Obama. (Kerwin McCrimmon, 12/15)

The campaign aims to increase Missouri’s cigarette tax from 17 cents to 67 cents a pack. Campaign leaders estimated the increase would generate $250 million in state proceeds, which they said is about seven times more than Missouri currently spends on early childhood care and education programs. (Sherry, 12/15)