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Nonprofit hospitals' financial woes detailed in report by Moody's

Income for these hospitals declines as the government and insurers change the way they pay them. Nonprofit hospitals last year had their worst financial performance since the Great Recession, according to a report released on Wednesday.

28 Aug 2014

Researcher finds income, education disparity in reasons for not vaccinating

Not all students returning to school this month will be up to date on their vaccinations. A new study conducted by Jennifer Reich, a researcher at the University of Colorado Denver, shows that the reasons why children may not be fully vaccinated depends on the class privilege of their mothers.

28 Aug 2014

Conn. exchange chief to tun Healthcare.gov

Federal officials tap Kevin Counihan, who helped launch Connecticut's successful online health insurance marketplace, to oversee the federal exchange, which is used by residents of three dozen states, and to prevent the problems that plagued it last fall.

28 Aug 2014

Ariz. GOP primary for governor won by treasurer

Doug Ducey defeated former Mesa Mayor Scott Smith. Smith had the backing of Gov. Jan Brewer after supporting her Medicaid expansion proposal. Also, other Arizona Republicans who backed the Medicaid expansion there withstand challenges from more conservative candidates. Elsewhere, former GOP Florida Gov. Charlie Crist won a Democratic primary to challenge Republican Gov. Rick Scott.

28 Aug 2014

Loyola University Medical Center redesignated as Level III Perinatal Center

Loyola University Medical Center has been redesignated as a Level III Perinatal Center by the Illinois Department of Public Health.

28 Aug 2014

Open Payments website plagued by delays, difficulties

The site, which is supposed to make transparent payments between drugmakers and physicians, is slated to be made public by Sept. 30. But as the deadline nears, the pharmaceutical industry is pressing the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to be more transparent in explaining what's going on with the database.

28 Aug 2014

Exchange roundup: 2,000 Oregonians must switch plans; Georgia Medicaid applicants still in limbo

Cover Oregon will hold a special open enrollment period for 1,400 Oregonians who were incorrectly enrolled into the low-income Oregon Health Plan by the state's troubled health insurance exchange. Starting Aug. 31, the people affected will have no coverage through the OHP, the state's version of Medicaid. However, they will have the option to sign up for coverage from private insurers and to qualify for tax credits through Cover Oregon to bring down premiums. Meanwhile, Cover Oregon is contacting at least 700 people who should have been enrolled in the Oregon Health Plan, but were incorrectly enrolled in a commercial health plan instead (Budnick, 8/26).

28 Aug 2014

VA watchdog stops short of tying deaths to delayed care

In a report released Tuesday, the VA's Office of Inspector General criticized a Phoenix VA hospital for "troubling lapses in follow-up, coordination, quality and continuity of care." Investigators said that numerous veterans died after receiving substandard care, but they could not substantiate allegations that delays had caused at least 40 deaths.

28 Aug 2014

Futile medical care crowds out other patients

Every day in intensive care units across the country, patients get aggressive, expensive treatment their caregivers know is not going to save their lives or make them better. California researchers now report this so-called "futile" care has a hidden price: It's crowding out other patients who could otherwise survive, recover and get back to living their lives.

28 Aug 2014

Receiving prescription at discharge improves outcomes in stroke patients

Stroke patients are 70 per cent more likely to continue taking their stroke prevention medications one year later if they have a prescription in hand when discharged - according to researchers at St. Michael's Hospital and the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences.

28 Aug 2014

Minn. home health care workers vote to unionize

The Service Employees International Union will represent about 27,000 home health care workers -- many of whom care for relatives -- who are paid through Medicaid.

28 Aug 2014

Three pilot programs aim to improve colorectal cancer screening, follow-up care in community setting

Three locations will each receive $100,000 in funding to launch pilot programs to improve colorectal cancer screening rates and follow-up care for patients served by community health centers. The program is the work of the National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable and is part of the group's effort to reach the goal of 80 percent of adults 50 and over receiving regular screening for colorectal cancer by 2018.

28 Aug 2014

UW researchers develop smartphone app that detects newborn jaundice within minutes

University of Washington engineers and physicians have developed a smartphone application that checks for jaundice in newborns and can deliver results to parents and pediatricians within minutes. It could serve as a screening tool to determine whether a baby needs a blood test - the gold standard for detecting high levels of bilirubin.

28 Aug 2014