Author's posts
Leapfrog to grade outpatient surgery, ambulatory care centers’ safety
Leapfrog Group is expanding its safety and quality performance ratings to hospital outpatient surgery departments and ambulatory care centers. Quality performance is opaque in outpatient settings, which have exploded in popularity.
Sicker members drive UnitedHealth revenue, profit higher
UnitedHealth Group recorded higher revenue and profit in the third quarter of 2018, as it served more people with higher acuity health conditions.
Anthem to pay $16M in record data breach settlement
In the largest HIPAA settlement ever, Anthem will pay the federal government $16 million over its 2015 data breach that affected nearly 79 million people.
Medicare Advantage riding high as new insurers flock to sell to seniors
Healthcare experts widely expected the Affordable Care Act to hobble Medicare Advantage. But Since 2010, enrollment in Medicare Advantage has doubled to more than 20 million enrollees, growing from a quarter of Medicare beneficiaries to more than a…
CMS will require drugmakers to list prices in ads
The CMS released a proposed rule that would require drugmakers to list prices for their drugs in their consumer advertising.
CMS new director of Medicaid is former Maine state official Mayhew
Maine Gov. Paul LePage’s top health official and vocal Medicaid expansion critic Mary Mayhew has been named as the director of Medicaid and CHIP at the CMS.
Ky. initiative looks to curb rise of babies in opioid withdrawal
The Kentucky Hospital Association launched a program allowing hospitals to share patient information so they can better coordinate care for babies born with withdrawal symptoms from opioids.
Four people are indicted for $931 million telemedicine fraud scheme
The four men and their companies were indicted for attempting to defraud insurers by overbilling for various prescriptions.
Tariffs add weight to healthcare construction
While healthcare construction projects haven’t been delayed or canceled yet, providers are asking construction companies how they should rethink their projects and designs to minimize costs.
4,100 more Arkansans lose Medicaid over work requirements
More than 4,100 Medicaid expansion enrollees in Arkansas will lose coverage for the rest of 2018 because they did not comply with the state’s work requirement. That’s on top of the 4,353 people who were dropped last month.
