California Medicaid case lands in Supreme Court (Morning Read)

Current medical news and unique business news for anyone who cares about healthcare.

Douglas v. Independent Living Center of Southern California. The U.S. Supreme Court is now weighing an important case in healthcare, in which it must decide whether health care providers had the right to sue the state of California for cutting Medicaid reimbursement that the plaintiffs say violated federal law requiring sufficient payments to assure access to healthcare. President Obama has, of course, sided with California, saying patient and providers should not be allowed to sue over the amount paid to providers by the state.

Medtech acquisitions abound. Medtech companies’ mergers and acquisitions in the U.S. and Europe doubled in value between 2009 and 2010, according to an Ernst & Young LLP report, and last year’s $36 billion in acquisitions and mergers has already been surpassed in 2011. Analysts say consolidation will continue amid uncertainty regarding regulatory approvals and insurance reimbursement.

More than 1 in10 parents don’t follow vaccination guidelines. In a national survey of 748 parents, 13 percent of them said they don’t follow the recommended guidelines for vaccinating their child, and 1 in 4 of those who said they did follow the schedule admitted they didn’t think it was the safest way to immunize children. The results reflect widespread skepticism about vaccine safety.

VC matchup: The Big Apple vs. Silicon Valley. Is NYC on its way to becoming the country’s hottest spot for tech innovation? According to NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg, the Big Apple has already surpassed Boston in venture capital funding and is on track to catch up to Silicon Valley.

Investors confident in tech companies. Cheap valuations and excess cash are attracting investors to technology companies in such a way that the sector is outperforming the stock market, according to S&P.