Wisconsin signs up more than expected under Medicaid expansion; Rhode Island Blues proposes 12% rate hike;

News From Around the Web:

> About 19,000 low-income Wisconsin residents have signed up for Medicaid, more than was expected, under Gov. Scott Walker's (R) expansion plan, reported the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Article

> Blue Cross Blue Shield of Rhode Island wants to raise its 2015 premiums by an average of 12 percent for individuals and 8 percent for small groups, the Providence Journal reported. Article

> Nevada has fired its exchange contractor and will direct consumers to the federal exchange for the 2015 enrollment period while it searches for a new partner to build its online marketplace for 2016, The Hill's Healthwatch reported. Article

Health Provider News:

> Top officials at the National Institutes of Health compromised a recent NIH-sponsored study by interfering in the investigative process, according to allegations made in a letter from the public advocacy group Public Citizen. Article

> A new report highlights the ways hospitals can identify and address sources of "avoidable suffering" and ultimately improve the patient experience. Article

Health IT News:

> As care standards continue to evolve, it's imperative that the Military Health System embrace telehealth because Americans won't accept anything less than an advanced standard of care. Article

> The widespread adoption of health IT offers the potential to move beyond the basics and harness emerging technologies to improve individual care and population health, according to a new issue brief from The Center for Health Affairs. Article

And Finally... Think you have cancer? Ask your dog. Article