Up to the States: The onus is on the states to make the tough decisions about what treatments must be covered by individual and small-group plans under the health-care overhaul law, the WSJ reports . The Obama administration said states would be able to align coverage standards with those of popular federal- and state-employee plans, large plans offered to consumers in small-group plans or the biggest HMO in the state’s market. Some disease-advocacy groups expressed concern that treatment for their particular disease wouldn’t be uniformly covered, the paper says. Gulf War Ailments Funding: Congress has approved $10 million for research into the conditions and ailments affecting veterans of the Persian Gulf War, USA Today reports . Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who supported the funding, tells the paper that about 25% of veterans of that war have developed ailments including chronic headaches, memory and concentration problems and GI problems. Some research suggests that bug sprays, anti nerve-agent pills and sarin

gas may have caused health problems, the paper says. No More Testing of Hepatitis C Drug: Pharmasset, which said last month it was selling itself to Gilead for almost $11 billion, announced Friday it had discontinued use of a hepatitis C drug, PSI-938, in a trial due to worries about liver function, the WSJ reports . The compound was not its lead drug candidate for the disease, and Gilead says it is committed to closing the purchase, the paper says. Arrest Stats: Research published in Pediatrics suggests that almost 30% of Americans have been arrested at least once by age 23 for a non-traffic violation, Bloomberg News reports . An author of the study tells BN that risk factors in children for a subsequent arrest include poor concentration, bad relationships with parents, and a history of abuse, neglect or being bullied. Image: iStockphoto

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A.M. Vitals: States Can Decide on Essential Benefits for Health Plans