Author's posts
Providers poised to pounce on midterm results for pharma beatdown
Providers can breathe a sigh of relief as a split House and Senate likely means that most of the sweeping healthcare policy changes are off the table until 2020. Plus, they may join forces with lawmakers on a common enemy: Pharma.
Leapfrog adds medication error measure to hospital patient safety grades
The barcode medication administration measure was added to the Fall 2018 edition of the Leapfrog Group’s Hospital Safety Grade report. Hospital performance on patient safety varied, with 32% of hospitals earning an “A” while 37% got a “C.”
Obamacare plans need to bill separately for ‘abortion’ surcharge, CMS proposes
The Trump administration re-opened an abortion question from the days of Obamacare’s passage, proposing that individual market insurers isolate the add-on premium for plans that cover abortion and bill enrollees separately for the surcharge.
Midterm elections buoy healthcare stocks
Insurer and hospital stocks are trading higher in the wake of the midterm elections, in which Democrats won the majority of seats in the House of Representatives and several states passed ballot initiatives to expand Medicaid.
HHS finalizes rules to deny birth control for religious reasons
HHS has finalized a pair of rules that allow more companies to opt out of covering birth control for their employees.
CMS is developing a rule that could curtail Medicaid transportation access
The CMS is drafting a rule that would make it easier for states to stop offering Medicaid beneficiaries paid transportation to medical appointments, a move that could affect providers’ revenue drastically.
First week of HealthCare.gov open enrollment is off to a slow start
During the first week of open enrollment, Americans signed up for Affordable Care Act exchange coverage at a rate slower than last year.
FDA releases open-source app to collect patient-reported data
Researchers can use the MyStudies app to collect data directly from patients. FDA hopes the app will make clinical trials, observational studies and other research more comprehensive and effective.
Rush ortho group scopes out private-equity infusion
One of Chicago’s biggest local orthopedic practices—the 50 doctors who make up Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush—is fielding proposals from multiple suitors.
Calif. health system wins local billing cap ballot battle
Stanford Health Care will not see its budget cut by rate-setting ballot initiatives after two union-backed measures failed to pass.
