California rescissions; MONAHRQ software;

> The California Legislature has passed legislation (AB 2470) to give some tooth to the upcoming federal ban on rescissions by requiring health insurers to obtain approval from an independent review entity prior to canceling healthcare coverage for sick patients, according to the California Medical Association. Press release

> The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality has released a free Windows-based software application, known as MONAHRQ (My Own Network Powered by AHRQ), that will help states and organizations compile, analyze and post data on hospital quality and cost for either internal quality improvement or public reporting that goes a step beyond the information offered on the Hospital Compare website. For example, MONAHRQ will provide outcome measures of quality by individual hospital, such as patient safety events and deaths. Press release

> Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan failed to win a dismissal of a lawsuit alleging that the Detroit-based health insurer wrongfully denied insurance claims for an autism spectrum disorder treatment called applied behavior analysis, reports the Healthcare Finance News. Article

> The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is seeking public comments on two data collection efforts targeting Medicare Advantage and prescription drug plans, reports National Underwriter Life and Health. First, CMS wants to create the Part C and D Complaints Resolution Performance Measures to measure plan resolution of beneficiary complaints from the beneficiary perspective. CMS also wants to revise the Medicare Health Outcomes Survey, a component of the National Committee for Quality Assurance-developed Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) data set. Article

> America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) paid out $2.7 million in its efforts to lobby federal officials during the first quarter of 2010, up 33 percent over the year-ago quarter, reports the Associated Press in Bloomberg Businessweek. Article

> UnitedHealth Group Inc. in Minnetonka, Minn., has created the AsianTreasure health plan to target Asian Americans in the Houston area, reports the Houston Business Journal. Article

And Finally... This kind of thing only happens to certain types of folks (like me). Article