U.S. Lowering Rates of Premature Birth, But Slowly, Kaiser Health News, November 13, 2012
Reporter Shefali S. Kulkarni writes that the United States is slowly reducing its rate of premature births, bringing the rate to 11.7 percent in 2011, but the figure is still higher than public health advocates believe it should be. The March of Dimes noted that the U.S. ranks 131 out of 184 countries — putting it close to countries such as Somalia, Thailand and Turkey.
North Carolina Teen Pregnancy Rate Falls, Raleigh News & Observer, November 13, 2012
The News & Observer reports that North Carolina’s teen pregnancy rate fell 12 percent last year – the single largest drop in state history – according to data from the N.C. State Center for Health Statistics.
Medicaid Expansion Decision Looms for Many States, Politico.com, November 12, 2012
Politico.com reporter Kyle Cheney looks at several states, including North Carolina, and where they stand on the Medicaid expansion.
Two local papers’ editorial boards take a stand on Medicaid Expansion in North Carolina:
The Asheville Citizen Times says “It’s Time to Move On Healthcare,” November 13, 2012
The Greensboro News-Record tells North Carolina to “Step Up State,” November 15, 2012
Avoiding the ‘Fiscal Cliff’ Likely Means Changes in Medicare, Kaiser Health News, November 14, 2012
Staff writer, Mary Agnes Carey looks at what’s at stake in the federal debate on how to avoid the ‘fiscal cliff.’ If Republicans make concessions on taxes, Democrats and the president say, they’ll move on entitlements, such as Medicare and Medicaid, as part of a larger deal to reduce the federal deficit.
NC Employers Continue Passing On Health Costs To Employees, Charlotte Observer, November 14, 2012
Staff writer Karen Garloch reports that as uncertainty about health reform persists, businesses in North Carolina continue to shift health insurance costs to employees, a new survey found.
Wake Forest Baptist Eliminates 950 Jobs, Winston-Salem Journal, November 14, 2012
Reporter Richard Craver writes that Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center has been warning since April that a workforce blow was coming to reflect the new economic realities of operating an academic medical center. The hammer fell when the center said it was eliminating 950 positions, including 475 held by current employees, by June 30, 2013.
The Legal Hurdles Obamacare Still Must Clear, Politico.com, November 12, 2012
Writer Joanne Kenen outlines the three legal challenges to core provisions of Obamacare — including the mandates and subsidies — that could unravel big parts of the law if they succeed.
Incredible Prices for Cancer Drugs, The New York Times, November 13, 2012
The New York Times weighs in with an editorial on doctors taking a stand against unreasonable drug prices.
