State Roundup: Massachusetts bill forces doctors to accept health plan

A MASSACHUSETTS bill debated in November would require physicians to accept a new health plan designed for small business employees, or they will lose their medical license, according to the Massachusetts Medical Society. If approved by state lawmakers, the "Affordable Health Plan" would affect businesses with 50 or fewer employees. The medical society claims the legislation "exploits physicians."

Between 2005 and 2008, the number of uninsured children in KANSAS grew from 51,000 to nearly 72,000, according to Kansas Action for Children, a Topeka-based advocacy group. But starting next year, three out of four of the children will qualify for Medicaid or the State Children's Health Insurance Program due to an income limit expansion.