Community Benefit

Two healthcare networks in North Carolina's competitive Research Triangle are waging a sometimes-heated battle for affiliations with local physician practices.

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has awarded $206 million in bonus payments to 15 sates that have made significant progress in increasing the number of children enrolled in Medicaid.

Blue Cross Blue Shield plans in Georgia, Missouri, New York and Virginia have reported that they donated more than a million dollars apiece to charities in 2010.

Americans' confidence in their ability to obtain and afford healthcare continued its decline in November, according to a consumer sentiment index by Thomson Reuters.

The Geisinger Health System and Highmark have reached agreement on a new four-year contract, effective Jan. 1, 2011. The current agreement had been set to expire on Dec. 31, 2010.

Walgreens has agreed to donate $10 million in vouchers for free flu shots to 350,000 eligible uninsured and underserved people in 15 markets across the country.

The Ohio Hospital Association has released its annual community benefit report, which details $2.6 billion in charity care and other benefits the state's hospitals provide to local communities.

Today, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced new requirements for State Health Insurance Assistance Programs (SHIP) grants.

Illinois hospitals contributed annual community benefits of nearly $4.9 billion in programs and services in fiscal years 2008-09, according to the fourth annual report issued by the Illinois Hospital Association.

A recent survey by the National Senior Citizens Law Center found that many Medicare Advantage plans and Medicare Part D plans are not publishing marketing materials in Spanish as required by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid under their provider contracts.