Modern Healthcare Breaking News

Cleveland’s MetroHealth System, which will pursue damages related to the opioid epidemic in Cuyahoga County, has taken on the public health crisis through a number of initiatives.

Researchers say the release of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s 2016 guideline for prescribing opioids for chronic pain was associated with an acceleration in the decline of such prescriptions.

An independent report estimates Hurricane Maria caused 2,975 excess deaths in Puerto Rico through February 2018. It also called gaps found in the island’s death surveillance capabilities a major contributor to the initial, grossly underestimated…

The CMS began searching for a company that can help develop a web portal that allows consumers to compare prices for healthcare services, weeks after creating a rule that pushes hospitals to be more transparent about what they charge patients.

As medical technology improves and payers reward doctors and hospitals for outpatient care, health systems and providers are spending millions of dollars on urgent care and larger multi-specialty ambulatory medical centers.

Erlanger Health System in Chattanooga claimed Tennessee’s Medicaid program purposefully siphoned money from hospitals that treat the neediest patients to favor insurance companies that often employ former TennCare employees.

While 59 of the eliminated positions were already vacant, Intermountain said 67 people in jobs that were cut “left Intermountain because there was not another suitable position.” The health system also created 107 new positions.

At Epic’s users group meeting, Epic leaders touted new software features, including those that further interoperability. They also warned against sharing data too freely with third parties.

HRSA has asked for more authority to manage the controversial 340B drug discount program, but top Republicans and Democrats on key House and Senate committees say the agency hasn’t done enough with the authority it already has.

A new study found that paying long-term care hospitals at the same rate as skilled-nursing facilities would save taxpayers $4.6 billion per year with no harm to patients. Providers are pushing back on that idea.