News
Sebelius calls on insurance executives to justify premium hikes -- March 8, 2010
WASHINGTON – Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has asked the CEOs of top health insurance companies to justify proposed health insurance premium hikes.
In a letter addressed to executives at the UnitedHealth Group, WellPoint, Aetna, the Healthcare Service Corporation and CIGNA HealthCare – with whom she met last week at the White House – she wrote, "...it’s time for these insurance company CEOs to do their part to make the system more transparent for the American people. If insurance companies are going to raise rates, the least they can do is tell us why.”
Navvis & Company Acquires Physician Executive Management Center -- March 8, 2010
March 8, 2010 (St. Louis, Missouri) – Navvis & Company (St. Louis Missouri), a leading consultancy in the health services industry, announced today the acquisition of Tampa-based Physician Executive Management Center (PEMC).
http://www.navvisandcompany.com/navvis-company-acquires-physician-executive-management-center
Obama takes aim at health insurers -- March 8, 2010
Renewing a populist attack on big insurers, Obama accused the companies of making a calculation with a strategy of increasing premium charges. He said the companies were aware that many people would be priced out of the market by the increases, but they believe they could make more money by raising premiums on existing customers.
Obama and other administration officials have sought to draw a link between the insurers and another political foil -- big Wall Street companies -- by emphasizing their profit-hungry culture.
AHA: New IRS Method Doesn't Show True Costs -- March 8, 2010
Schedule H, the Internal Revenue Service's new method of quantifying nonprofit hospitals' charity care and community benefit, fails to meet its goal and should be changed, the American Hospital Association said.
Instead of giving American taxpayers a view of the value of hospital contributions that individual hospitals and hospital systems provide, Schedule H on Form 990s, will tell only a portion of the story, said Melinda Reid Hatton, AHA senior vice president and general counsel.
'Meaningful use' requirements decrease physician productivity -- March 5, 2010
ENGLEWOOD, CO – The changes in practice operations necessary to meet the 25 “meaningful use” criteria proposed as part of the federal electronic health record (EHR) incentive program would lead to decreased provider productivity, according to research conducted by the Medical Group Management Association.
Respondents to MGMA’s questionnaire were asked to estimate the change in provider productivity resulting from the implementation of all 25 of the meaningful use criteria, not including the temporary decrease in productivity that occurs with any implementation of a new EHR. More than two-thirds of respondents (67.9 percent) said that physician productivity would decrease, with 31 percent stating that physician productivity would decrease more than 10 percent.
MO health system to upgrade revenue cycle management technology -- March 5, 2010
ST. LOUIS, MO – BJC HealthCare, one of the largest nonprofit healthcare organizations in the United States, intends to automate and standardize its charge description master and pricing.
The 13-hospital health system has selected chargemaster management and pricing management solutions from Atlanta-based MedAssets. The St. Louis-based health system wants to bring all of its facilities together on a corporate chargemaster.
AMA teams with UnitedHealth, Dell to push electronic health records -- March 3, 2010
The American Medical Association is making progress on its plan to be the electronic platform physicians use to upgrade their practices with the latest technology.
Chicago-based AMA has formed a partnership with UnitedHealth Group's Ingenix subsidiary to "help physicians adopt and implement electronic health records," the two groups said in a statement provided to the Tribune. As part of the deal, the AMA will offer Ingenix CareTracker, a Web-based medical record system, through its Web site.
The AMA said Ingenix will be part of a yet-to-be-named larger platform being created on its site to help physicians develop new technologies to enhance their practices and improve their day-to-day work environment. The group said multiple options will be given to doctors beyond the Ingenix technology.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-biz-0304-notebook-health--20100303,0,4203414.story
Obama gives GOP 6-week deadline -- February 26, 2010
WASHINGTON – At a White House healthcare summit held Thursday, President Barack Obama urged Republican congressional leaders to consider working on several areas of common interest in the healthcare reform package, giving them a rough 6-week deadline before Democrats may consider using alternative measures to pass the plan.
Obama named health insurance reform, the purchase of health insurance across state lines and medical liability reform among the top three areas where agreement could possibly be reached.
Republicans argued they wanted to scrap all proposals on the table and rework a set of smaller steps to reform healthcare.
Eight Health Leaders Respond to Obama's Healthcare Summit -- February 26, 2010
Over seven hours of broadcast, it became clear that very deep divisions remain. And it is unclear whether any package can conquer entrenched Republican opposition. Was it political theater or real progress toward meaningful reform?
HealthLeaders Media asked health leaders to comment on what they took away from the debate. Here's what they said.
UCLA pilot project to boost access to care for low-income patients -- February 26, 2010
VENICE, CA – A pilot project launched by UCLA Health System will provide low-income patients at Venice Family Clinic in California with better access to hospitalization or specialized medical care.
The pilot project is being funded by a three-year, $300,000 grant from Pasadena, Calif.-based public benefit corporation OneWest Foundation, which will be matched by the UCLA Health System.
Officials said the project's goal is to help patients seen at Venice Family Clinic's new Colen Family Health Center in Mar Vista who do not have private insurance or qualify for Medi-Cal or Medicare coverage, and who require specialty care and hospitalization, to secure ongoing treatment at the UCLA Health System. The Colen Family Health Center will open in March 2010 and will serve 4,000 people annually. Roughly 74 percent of the Colen Family Health Center's patients are expected to meet the criteria for this initiative.
http://www.healthcarefinancenews.com/news/ucla-pilot-project-boost-access-care-low-income-patients
