News From Around the Web
> Connect for Health Colorado has named Kevin Patterson as the interim CEO for the state health insurance marketplace, effective May 8. Patterson currently serves as chief administrative officer to Gov. John Hickenlooper (D) and has led three other state agencies during leadership transitions. Patterson succeeds Gary Drews, who has been the exchange's CEO since August. Statement
> House Democrats plan to introduce legislation that would lift the so-called Cadillac tax on expensive health insurance premiums, according to the Hill. The tax, effective in 2018, affects individual plans worth more than $10,200 and family plans worth more than $27,500. While proponents say the tax will help drive down healthcare costs, the legislators say it unfairly targets those who live in expensive parts of the country such as the Northeast and West Coast. Article
> Legislative attempts to dismantle MNsure, the state exchange in Minnesota, failed to pass in the state's Democratic-led Senate, the Associated Press reported. Senators voted down several amendments to a larger budget bill that would make MNsure a state agency rather than an independent entity. Article
Health Finance News
> Is there a connection between one's financial and medical health? That is something an online private insurance company will explore by providing consumers with a combined financial and health score. Article
Health IT News
> Researchers have shown how easy it is to re-identify patients in de-identified data, yet de-identified data can lose its value as more identifying factors are stripped out. Article
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