Healthcare Town Hall

The Wall Street Journal reports on how states are looking to their own healthcare reform efforts as the nationwide effort stalls. Here is an excerpt:

Lawmakers in at least two states, California and Missouri, have introduced legislation for the current session to create government-backed coverage for state residents. In others, including Virginia and New Jersey, legislators are hoping to tweak existing state programs to include more people.

In 11 states, lawmakers have proposed bills for this year aimed at improving access to health care, said the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Spurred by continued voter discontent with the status quo, both Republicans and Democrats in state legislatures aim to advance their own proposals, particularly if a national overhaul remained stalled or was scaled back. “The ball’s back in our court,” said Melvin Neufeld, a Republican legislator in Kansas who is vice president of the state legislatures conference.

The head of the group’s health committee, Indiana Democrat Peggy Welch, said states had hit the “pause button” on many health issues, but they may soon be “back for the states to wrestle with.”

Electronic Health Records California, Missouri, New Jersey, Virginia

As the reform conversation intensifies, people are looking for lessons from various state efforts to reform their respective healthcare systems. The Chicago Tribune ran an article today comparing the Federal effort with reform attempts in Wisconsin. In March, Health Affairs looked to draw lessons from California’s attempts at reform. And of course Massachusetts is instructive.

Reform California, Massachusetts, Wisconsin