Insurers fail to provide ER alcohol-related coverage; Medicare Advantage serves poor and minorities;

> Medicare Advantage is a vital source of coverage for minorities and low-income residents, according to a report released by America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP). Twenty-nine percent are African-American, and 36 percent are Hispanic. Forty-three percent of all Medicare beneficiaries with Medicare Advantage plans have incomes of $20,000 or less. Report (.pdf)

> Most of the health plans involved in California's transition of 1.1 million dual eligibles into managed Medi-Cal have inferior quality ratings, according to a report from the National Senior Citizens Law Center released Wednesday. Seven out of the eight health plans (Cal Optima, Care 1st, Community Health Group, L.A. Care Health Plan, Health Net and Molina Healthcare) earned a rating of 1 out of 5 stars in overall Medi-Cal performance. Article

> Laws in more than half of the states allow insurers to deny payment for emergency department services related to alcohol or drug use. Some hospitals may avoid denials by simply not testing patients' urine for alcohol, which prevents them from counseling problem drinking, Kaiser Health News reported. Article

And Finally... And then they changed her name from "Scruffy" to "Fluffy." Article