"The whole proposition was, we're on the hook for the cuts and the only way to make that work is through the coverage expansion, " said John Hawkins, the Texas Hospital Association's top lobbyist.

WSJ: Hospitals Urge Medicaid Expansion

John Hawkins of Mercer, an actuarial firm, reckons that premiums have fallen by 10-20% over the past 18 months and Paternoster, a new specialist insurance company, puts the drop at about 8% in the first quarter alone (though premiums rose again by 3% in April).

ECONOMIST: Pension buy-outs

Ranking with John Coltrane and Coleman Hawkins as one of the all-time great tenor sax players, jazz legend Sonny Rollins has been recording fiery, passionate and intelligent music for nearly 60 years.

NPR: Sonny Rollins: Elder Statesman of Jazz

Years earlier Hawkins had worked with John at Ingram Micro.

FORBES: Beleaguered brother