Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
State Highlights: Illinois High Court To Consider State Employee Retiree Health Benefits; In Iowa, Families Press For Vaccine Exemptions
More than 22,000 retired city workers want the Illinois Supreme Court — which decided a similar case in favor of state employees — to overturn Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s plan to save $130 million a year by completing a three-year phase-out of the city’s 55-percent subsidy for retiree health care. (Spielman, 4/19)
More Des Moines-area families are claiming religious exemptions to vaccinations this school year, even though no major organized religion forbids the shots. (Leys, 4/19)
In a downtown library in Council Bluffs, Iowa Right to Life director Jenifer Bowen says efforts underway in Iowa are one step toward widespread euthanasia of society's weak. (Clayworth and Munson, 4/19)
The Missouri Supreme Court has upheld a lower court ruling that allows caps on some damages in wrongful death lawsuits. Shannon Dodson died five years ago at Mercy Medical Center in St. Louis County after an artery was punctured during a heart catheter test. Her family received nearly $11 million in damages, including $9 million in non-economic damages. (Griffin, 4/19)
The House Select Committee on Medical Marijuana kicked off its initial hearing Tuesday with plenty of questions about a bill that seeks to create a strictly regulated system in Ohio. (Siegel, 4/20)
The Department of Veterans Affairs has closed its medical clinic at Fort Howard in eastern Baltimore County, a property that is proposed for redevelopment. (Wood, 4/19)
Noble Health Alliance, organized 2013 by Abington Health, Aria Health, Crozer-Keystone Health System and Einstein Healthcare Network, will disband in June, after three of the founding members entered into mergers or sales, the Fort Washington group said Tuesday. (Brubaker, 4/19)
On high alert due to the Zika virus, South Florida mosquito control officials are ramping up their insecticide spraying programs as the wet summer months — prime time for insect breeding — roll in. While that may be a good way to control bad bugs, what happens if you have medical conditions or allergies aggravated by these chemicals? (Lade, 4/19)
