Policy and Legislation

American Hospital Association is urging HHS to take measures to stabilize the Affordable Care Act's marketplaces, saying some insurers' decisions to exit put consumers' access at risk.

The money will help states improve data collection and analysis to better understand how to prevent opioid abuse, curb deaths and treat addiction.

Legislation also would require the nation's first minimum nurse-to patient staffing ratios in observation care units.

The Prescription Drug Monitoring Program aims to combat drug abuse in the state.

Report describes steps states can take to address a number of drug-coverage issues in the commercial insurance market.

Physicians' concern is that the new payment system will put doctors in solo or small practices at high risk of incurring payment penalties and will push thousands into larger practices and alternative payment organizations.

State officials do not quibble about where Georgia ranks and note that the numbers have risen since 2010. And they vow to do something about it.

Any premium increases would be offset by comparative shopping and tax credits, says Department Health and Human Services.

Lawmakers are imploring Mylan Pharmaceutical, the manufacturer of EpiPens, to scale back price increases that have seen the cost of the life-saving emergency allergy treatment swell from $100 to $600 per package, according to published reports.

If the poorest areas utilized healthcare at the rate of the most affluent, overall utilization and spending could be as much as 30 percent less, according to a new book published by the late Richard Cooper, MD.