Reimbursement

Based on its model of managing chronic illness and proactive health management, Healthstat has been selected by Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield to manage an on-site health clinic for employees and dependents covered under its health benefit plan.

Aetna and P4 Healthcare, a division of Cardinal Health, have announced an expansion of its evidence-based program to improve care by identifying and promoting best practices in the treatment of certain types of cancer.

Health insurance has long been a state affair in the USA. Insurance companies were even exempt from many aspects of federal anti-trust law to better enable state regulators to oversee their activities. Yes, there were federal laws that standardized certain aspects of the business--think HIPAA and COBRA. Think about Medicaid, Medicare and SCHIP while you're at it. But when it came to health insurance regulation the states reigned supreme.

Quest Diagnostics announced a $241 million settlement with California's Medicaid program, Medi-Cal, to settle a civil lawsuit that alleged overbilling of the program.

I often hear from hospitals that they’re being squeezed greatly on cost and not getting paid enough by government and private payers. I have some sympathy for this argument, but on the other hand somehow this country outspends every other country by at least two to one, and hospitals are a big part of the reason.

Republicans have had an easy time of criticizing the Administration’s healthcare overhaul plan, but when it comes to creating their own, the way has been politically treacherous.

Presidential candidates have begun lining up in the past month, as more Republicans declare their intentions of running. Several of them have strong ties to healthcare IT.

Community Health Systems has reportedly received a subpoena from the Securities and Exchange Commission seeking documents related to its emergency room admissions and observations practices at its hospitals.

Federal officials have announced three new accountable care organization initiatives that they say could save Medicare $430 million over the next three years.