Highlights of state: Only 1/3 chose Medicaid in Florida. Calif. Prop 46 money -
A selection of Florida's health policy stories, Oregon, California, New York, Missouri, Iowa, Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota and New Jersey.
The Associated Press: one third in selected Florida Medicaid
Only about a third of Medicaid beneficiaries in managed care transition state chose their own health insurance plans. Registration for the general population began in May and ended in August Consumers received a letter in the mail two months before enrollment and received at least 30 days to choose an insurance plan. Those who choose a plan were automatically enrolled in a plan by the health authorities of the state (Kennedy, 8/21)
The Oregonian :. Oregon health reforms threatened by Directive Federal New, officials say
Federal officials have thrown a wrench in the high-stakes state reforms to the health plan in Oregon, threatening a program that serves about four Oregonians. A new directive could possibly even force the state to return hundreds of millions of dollars received from the federal government - money which is already largely spent. The federal agency that holds the purse strings for the care of nearly 1 million low-income members of the Oregon Health Plan recently severely criticized the state system for distributing money to regional organizations care coordinated through reforms (Budnick, 8/21).
The Washington Post, one of the most expensive ballot campaigns in the nation warms
California is the location of which ... may become more expensive both campaigns voting this election cycle and one of them is heating up this week. Proposition 46 pits doctors against trial lawyers in a battle over raising the ceiling on malpractice payments, a fight that has already raised $ 61.5 million on both sides. The vast majority of the money - about $ 56 million, according to Ballotpedia - was raised by groups opposed to the measure, sponsored by professional associations and major insurance companies. This week, the group has raised more than 99 percent of this money is launching its first TV and radio spots in English and Spanish (Chokshi, 8/21)
The Associated Press. NY City Council Passes Bill on Rikers transparency
City Council on Thursday passed a bill that would force correction officials to publish information on Rikers Island inmates in solitary confinement prison, including injuries behind bars and the state of their mental health. The law awaits the signature of Mayor Bill de Blasio, who supports it (8/21).
St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Hospital errors get harder for patients to find Missouri
Medicare has stopped providing information about the eight serious medical errors in hospitals, including bad blood type transfusion, patient falls and foreign objects left in patients' bodies after surgery. The number of medical errors for each hospital was recently removed from the hospital Compare website of the federal agency, in part because the data were considered incorrect. The agency is working on new ways to gather and present information, according to a spokesman for Medicare. Other poor outcomes, including bed sores, blood clots and catheter infections, are still included on the website (Bernhard, 8/21)
Des Moines Register. Cancer Society: Iowa should target tanning beds, smoking
The American Cancer Society wants legislators Iowa to take stronger measures against tobacco and tanning beds. The national group on Thursday issued an annual report, which said the Iowa met only three of 12 benchmarks for the fight against cancer.The report noted that Iowa lawmakers have increased their spending on anti Programs -Tabac $ 100,000 to $ 5.1 million. But he said that the level is only 17 per cent of what federal experts recommend. "It certainly does not close to what the tobacco companies spend to market their products," Jen Schulte, Iowa director of government relations for the group Action Network of Cancer, said in a prepared statement (Leys, 8/21) .
ProPublica: In California, some efforts to toughen surveillance Assisted Living Falter
legislators and activists say California attempts to reform the troubled assisted living industry of the state are blocked - ; and they place much of the blame on the administration of Democratic Governor Jerry Brown. Earlier this year, lawmakers have begun developing more than a dozen bills to strengthen oversight of about 7,700 assisted living facilities in the state that provide housing and daily assistance to elderly and disabled people (Thompson, 8/21) California.
Chicago Sun Times: Hours Cubs Grounds Crew Cut To avoid health benefits
Thank you very much for Obama. Add the Affordable Care Act - or, more precisely, the largest business Cubs the response to it - the causes of tarpaulin Tuesday night fiasco and rarely successful protest by the San Francisco Giants. Staffing issues slanting grounds crew Tuesday at a crazy ride with the tarp under a sudden rain were created in part by a major reorganization last winter game-day staff, job descriptions and boundaries working to maintain seasonal workers - including much of the crew of reasons - less than 130 hours per month, according to many sources with direct knowledge. That's the definition of worker full time under "Obamacare," which requires health care benefits provided by the employer for "big business" as a major league team (Wittenmyer, 8/21)
The Boston Globe :. Concierge medicine department, "said Rival Monopoly
Two companies are fighting in court on the Boston market for high quality health care services known as" medical concierge, "a lucrative business that develops nationally even as the broader industry comes under pressure to control costs. concierge practices charge patients an annual fee - usually around $ 1500 to $ 1800 - for quick access, and more time with their doctors. The national leader in concierge medicine, MDVIP Inc. of Florida, overlooking the Boston market. Its smaller competitor, SIGNATURETM Inc. of California, continued to break the hold of MDVIP in Boston and other metropolitan areas (McCluskey, 8/22)
The Boston Globe :. The Forum of health care, Coakley Partners Defends Deal
Under attack from rivals for governor at a forum Wednesday night, Attorney General Martha Coakley has defended its decision to allow Partners HealthCare to acquire South Shore hospital and Hallmark health system instead of filing a lawsuit to stop the merger. She said that the agreement - which must still be approved by a judge -. Would help "put a net on the size of the partners" and reduce rising health care costs (Miller, 8/21)
Minnesota Public Radio: Health Care Success Cuts Revenue for Uptown Clinic, forcing close to
a clinic in Minneapolis that provides medical care to thousands of uninsured and under close its doors next week, largely because more people get health insurance through the affordable care Act and seek care elsewhere. When the Neighborhood involvement program stop August 29, 3000 patients visiting his Uptown clinic will be without medical provider. But clinical dental and mental health, as well as its senior programs and youth, will continue to operate in Uptown (Sepic, 8/22)
Politico Pro :. Study examines the impact of Massachusetts individual mandate
the individual mandate requiring people to buy health insurance although if it actually leads to lower uninsured rates remains uncertain. Yet researchers are increasingly able to isolate areas where it makes a difference, by learning from the experience of Massachusetts under Romneycare. The latest figures were discussed Thursday at a webinar sponsored by the University of State Health Access Data Center Assistance Minnesota (Wheaton, 8/21)
CFO Journal The Wall Street Journal :. A focus on the CFO health care patients
In the industry of health care, CFOs must maintain or improve patient care while meeting financial goals. Robert Glenning, CFO of Hackensack University Network of Health, which manages the largest hospital in New Jersey with 10,000 employees, spoke of CFO Journal John Kester on how it prioritizes save patients over save money and of how the affordable care Act is affecting the company hospital (Kester, 8/22)
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