> Pennsylvania lawmakers are considering a proposal to make the health reform law's individual mandate illegal in the state, meaning residents wouldn't be obligated to buy health insurance, reported Insurance & Financial Advisor. Article
> Although Mississippi is one of the 26 states challenging the health reform law before the Supreme Court, it still is moving forward with its own health insurance exchange, reported Mississippi Public Broadcasting. It anticipates that its exchange will be ready for operation by the 2014 deadline. "There are portions in that act that are good parts. And that part happens to be the exchange," said Mississippi Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney. "It's not a Republican idea. It is not a Democratic idea. It is a universal idea, and it has been around a long time." Article
> Medicare will stop paying for transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) for chronic low back pain, according to MedPage Today. It only will cover TENS when members participate in a randomized, controlled trial analyzing TENS effectiveness. Article
> And Finally... Loud talker? Low talker? It may be in the genes. Article