Eric Whitney

DaVita HealthCare Partners, a provider of kidney dialysis services, is making a move into primary care, and has announced a joint venture with a hospital company in Colorado and Kansas. Some say the firm might be trying to create a model for Medicare to follow.

A new study says there's no need to worry about hospitals using their new electronic medical records to generate bigger bills and boost their income, but the study may not be checking the right data.

A paradox of American healthcare is that hospitals are sometimes rewarded for doing things badly. Patients who are discharged, for example, shouldn't have to come right back because their conditions get worse when they go home. But if they do come back, hospitals benefit, because they can fill an empty bed and bill for more care.