News From Around the Web
> Members of the House Appropriations Committee voted yesterday to approve the fiscal year 2015 Financial Services and General Government Appropriations, which would prohibit the White House from using its funds to pay for a healthcare reform director position, according to LifeHealthPro. Article
> Looming climate changes mean more deaths from heat-related illness and diseases are inevitable, according to a recent report from Risky Business. Article
> Despite strong opposition, Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) continues to fight for Medicaid expansion, ultimately defying the GOP-led General Assembly, reports the Washington Post. Article
Provider News
> The U.S. healthcare system must prepare for climate change's impact, a prominent hospital official told Kaiser Health News in an interview. The effect of climate change on hospitals is often overlooked, Al Sommer, M.D., dean emeritus of the Bloomberg School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University, told KHN. In heavily populated areas, said Sommer, excessive heat will lead to situations similar to Chicago in 1995, when 700 people died in a one-week period. Article
> An agreement between Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley and Partners HealthCare System filed in court will alter the hospital's negotiating power for years to come--ending the antitrust investigation by her office and allowing the hospital to acquire South Shore Hospital, according to an announcement from Coakley's office. Article
And Finally... Go USA! Article