Month: February 2012

The four Democrats in Wisconsin's congressional delegation have sent a letter urging Republican Gov. Scott Walker to lift the enrollment cap on the state's Family Care program that helps keep the elderly and disabled out of nursing homes. (AP, 2/8)

Centene Corp., the parent of Managed Health Services in West Allis, reported today that its fourth-quarter profit rose 18.6 percent to $30.1 million, compared with a profit of $25.4 million in the prior-year's quarter. (BUSINESS JOURNAL, 2/8)

A decade ago, Thomas Murphy was a college dropout who used alcohol and drugs to deal with undiagnosed depression. Now he's back at UW-Madison, where he co-leads a chapter of Active Minds, a national student-run group promoting open conversations about mental illness. (CAPITAL TIMES, 2/7)

Tobacco use could become more expensive for Brown County employees, as part of an effort to reduce overall health insurance costs. A proposal working its way to the Brown County Board would add a $50-per-month surcharge to health insurance for employees who use tobacco. A health care coverage surcharge also could be implemented for dependents of employees who smoke if they're covered by the county's insurance. (GREEN BAY PRESS GAZETTE, 2/7)

A decision about the future of Aurora Sinai Medical Center in Milwaukee will be made within 60 days, according to Dr. Nick Turkal, president and chief executive officer of Aurora Health Care. Turkal sent out a letter to community members Thursday night saying the plan will fulfill Aurora's pledge to balance "sound clinical practice, patient and community needs and what we can afford as a single health care system among several serving Milwaukee." (MILWAUKEE BUSINESS JOURNAL, 2/6)

The National Football League, the Green Bay Packers and a host of medical groups plan to make a public push in the next few weeks to gain final legislative approval for a youth concussion bill. The bill, which passed easily in the Assembly last year, has been stalled in the Senate. (JOURNAL SENTINEL, 2/6)