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Public access to regulatory records broadened Thursday after the California Supreme Court ruled that state health officials must provide more information about actions against care facilities found to be lax in treating developmentally disabled and mentally ill people. (Walsh, 2/19)

In a victory for public access to government information, the state Supreme Court ruled unanimously Thursday that California health officials must release complete records of violations of patients’ rights at institutions for the mentally ill and developmentally disabled. Only the patients’ names would be deleted from the records. (Egelko, 2/19)

A growing number of states are considering legislation to allow terminally ill patients to gain access to experimental drugs, before the U.S. Food and Drug Administration deems them market-ready. "Right-to-try" laws were passed in five states last year — Arizona, Colorado, Louisiana, Michigan and Missouri, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Twenty-five more have proposed similar legislation. (Monir, 2/19)

A total hip replacement costs $9,000 to $11,000 more on average in the Milwaukee area than in Minneapolis, Boston, Cleveland or St. Louis. Placing a coronary stent in a patient costs $10,000 to $13,000 more than in Minneapolis, St. Louis, Cincinnati, Cleveland or Columbus, Ohio. And a laparoscopic appendectomy costs $7,000 to $9,000 more than in Denver, Knoxville, Tenn., or Albany, N.Y. — and twice as much as in St. Louis. For all three episodes of care, Milwaukee is among the seven most expensive metropolitan areas in the country. So, too, is Madison. (Boulton, 2/20)

The Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee on Wednesday passed a bill that would allow KanCare, the state’s privatized Medicaid program, to regulate mental health patients’ access to antipsychotic medications. Although the measure, Senate Bill 123, passed on a 6-3 vote, two of its backers — Republican Sens. Mitch Holmes of St. John and Jim Denning of Overland Park — said their support was “cautious” due to the committee’s uncertainty about how the Kansas Department of Health and Environment intended to regulate the prescription processes. (Ranney, 2/19)

A House subcommittee advanced a bill Thursday that would help regulate the state’s telemedicine industry. Physicians increasingly are using videoconferencing and other technology to speak with patients who are not physically present in their offices. It’s a practice particularly useful for rural areas of the state that don’t have high concentrations of specialized practitioners. (Pfannenstiel, 2/19)

Nursing home beds have been in short supply in Florida for more than a decade. But the Agency for Health Care Administration on Friday will authorize its top picks to add another 3,100 spots across the state. (Aboraya, 2/19)

California Atty. Gen. Kamala D. Harris said she is nearing a decision on the hotly debated proposed sale of a chain of struggling Catholic hospitals to a for-profit company in Ontario. “We’re going to be looking at it and making a decision based on protecting access to healthcare services and maintaining the continuity of care -- that's a big concern and a big issue -- and then protecting workers," Harris said. ... Harris is facing a Friday deadline to decide whether to sign off on Prime Healthcare Services Inc.'s proposed purchase of six California hospitals operated by the Daughters of Charity Health System. (Pfeifer and Mehta, 2/19)