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SCL Health System and Univita Health jointly acquire All Care Home Health

SCL Health System, along with its joint venture partner, Univita Health, announced today the acquisition of Denver-based All Care Home Health LLC. Terms were not disclosed.

23 Jan 2014

State highlights: N.Y. hospitals wait for Medicaid waiver

A selection of health policy stories from New York, California, Washington and Georgia.

23 Jan 2014

First Edition: January 22, 2014

Today's headlines include a report that Target announced its plans to stop offering health coverage to part-time workers.

22 Jan 2014

Telestroke appears to be cost-effective for society

Researchers have found that using telemedicine to deliver stroke care, also known as telestroke, appears to be cost-effective for society. The research was recently published in the American Journal of Managed Care.

19 Jan 2014

State highlights: Some hospitals aim for wealthier patients; N.C. Medicaid changes debated; Mich. panel Oks higher health care costs for workers

A selection of health policy stories from North Carolina, California, Michigan and Missouri.

17 Jan 2014

Coalition publishes new evidence on patient impact of drug shortages in US

According to newly published results from a survey of pharmacy directors, drug shortages remain a serious problem for patient safety. Nearly half of the responding directors reported adverse events at their facilities due to drug shortages, including patient deaths.

13 Jan 2014

State highlights: Blue Shield Of Calif. rate hike called 'excessive'; Fla. Medicaid contract problems

California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones criticized Blue Shield of California for an "unreasonable" rate hike affecting about 81,000 individual policyholders. ... But he and other state officials don't have the authority to reject changes in premiums. Jones said the latest rate hike amounted to an average increase of 32 percent over a two-year period (Terhune, 1/7).

9 Jan 2014

Healthfirst invests in Infogix Cost Sharing Reduction Solution

Infogix, Inc., a developer of software that helps businesses automate the monitoring and analysis of operational data, today announced that Healthfirst, a not-for-profit managed care organization offering health insurance to individuals and families living in the New York metropolitan area, has invested in the Infogix Cost Sharing Reduction Solution to accurately forecast important financial formulas under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act legislation while also ensuring the integrity of all data involved.

8 Jan 2014

State highlights: States' troubled health law websites fall hardest on poor; Va. Sen. Deeds introduces mental health bills after son's death; state abortion battle strategies

A selection of health policy stories from Virginia, Florida, Texas, Georgia and California.

8 Jan 2014

Evaluating the rollout in the states

Media outlets track how the health law is being implemented in Texas, Iowa, Mississippi, Florida, Wisconsin, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Illinois and Minnesota.

2 Jan 2014

First Edition: Jan. 2, 2014

The early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including reports about what to expect of the health law in 2014.

2 Jan 2014

White paper outlines pitfalls of administering Medicare Part D

Compliance is a particular concern for Health Plans and Pharmacy Benefit Managers in the Medicare Advantage and Managed Medicaid markets. With regulations continually changing in response to Health Care Reform, payers can minimize the risk of sanctions and increase plan ratings (and thus, revenue) by employing automated checks and balances, a less burdened internal system and best practice enforcement, according to a new white paper published by TMG Health.

28 Dec 2013

Older adults with low back pain are interested in receiving co-managed care, shows study

The Foundation for Chiropractic Progress (F4CP), a not-for-profit organization dedicated to raising awareness about the value of chiropractic care, promotes the findings of a new study, "Perspectives of older adults on co-management of low back pain by doctors of chiropractic and family medicine physicians: a focus group study" (BMC Complementary & Alternative Medicine, 9.16.2013).

27 Dec 2013

Research roundup: ACA 'can survive' low enrollment; rural/urban differences in O.B. Care; teaching residents cost consciousness

The Health Reform Monitoring Survey (HRMS) was launched in 2013 as a mechanism to obtain timely information on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) ... HRMS data from summer 2013 show that more than 60 percent of those targeted by the health insurance exchanges struggle with understanding key health insurance concepts.

23 Dec 2013

State highlights: D.C. Charter School's Medicaid billing investigated; Va. budget: Hospital cuts, Medicaid boost

Federal investigators are looking into whether former leaders of the District's Options Public Charter School committed Medicaid fraud by, among other things, exaggerating the needs of its disabled students and paying students with gift cards to ride school buses, according to several people familiar with the criminal investigation (Brown and Marimow, 12/16).

18 Dec 2013

Viewpoints: Health law still facing major challenges; Ky. gov. questions McConnell's assessment of overhaul; Pa.'s Medicaid experiment is a 'sham'

The White House is claiming that the Healthcare.gov website is mostly fixed, that the millions of Americans whose health plans were canceled thanks to government rules may be able to keep them for another year, and that in any event these people will get better plans through ObamaCare exchanges. Whatever the truth of these assertions, those who expect better days ahead for the Affordable Care Act are in for a rude awakening. The shocks - economic and political - will get much worse next year and beyond (Michael J. Boskin, 12/15).

17 Dec 2013

HCA renews contract with Florida Blue

Florida Blue and HCA announced today a contract renewal that ensures Florida Blue members will continue to have access to high quality care at HCA's 42 hospitals and 32 surgery centers throughout Florida.

16 Dec 2013

McKesson to launch new EnterpriseRx Flexible Delivery solution at ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting

McKesson Pharmacy Systems and Automation is launching a new EnterpriseRx Flexible Delivery solution that expands the reach of outpatient and retail pharmacies beyond their local communities. The new solution will be introduced at the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists Midyear Clinical Meeting, which runs from December 8-12, 2013.

11 Dec 2013

Cenpatico, UAHN partner to deliver whole health integrated care model in Arizona

The State of Arizona has made a critical change to how it provides services to its most vulnerable populations. This approach favors a whole health integrated care model where one organization is responsible for providing both physical and behavioral health care services. To meet this best practice model, Cenpatico of Arizona and The University of Arizona Health Network have partnered to bring the behavioral and physical health systems together.

10 Dec 2013

New guide offers employers online and interactive toolkit to help support employees with cancer

A new guide developed by The National Business Group on Health and the National Comprehensive Cancer Network offers employers an online and interactive toolkit to help address the growing impact of cancer in the workplace.

6 Dec 2013