Community Benefit
What a year! How many times have you said that as the current year winds to a close and you continue trying just to catch up (or catch your breath)? 2010 has been "one of those years" for healthcare providers and professionals, and as we reach its end I'd like to share some perspective that will take us into 2011 and some "new beginnings."
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act does a great deal to address insurance industry practices. The new health care reform law, however, has been rightly criticized as failing to directly and forcefully attack rising medical costs, the primary driver of insurance premiums.
The Marshfield Clinic is among 10 large physician groups participating in a Medicare demonstration project that reportedly indicates they can provide quality patient care while saving Medicare millions of dollars.
Barely a month after buying the Massachusetts-based six-hospital Caritas Christi Health Care system for $895 million, Steward Health Care System LLC has agreed to buy two more hospitals - 124-bed Merrimack Valley Hospital in Haverhill and 57-bed Nashoba Valley Medical Center in Ayer.
While many physicians are abandoning their independence in favor of alliances with hospitals or large healthcare providers, one Midwest health system is launching a new organization designed to preserve doctors' autonomy while helping them adapt to the new healthcare landscape.
Social media tools may prove an effective and cheap way to reduce attrition in online health programs, according to researchers at the University of Michigan Medical School.
During the recent health care debate I heard many people on both sides of the debate worry out loud about passing a heath care bill that did not enjoy broad support. I guess this question is no longer a theoretical one.
From hotel-style room service to massage therapy to magnificent views, hospitals are increasingly touting their luxury services in a bid to gain market share, especially in competitive urban markets, according to an article published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Individual health insurance policies don't stay on the books with a particular carrier for long. There's a variety of reasons for this lack of persistence, but the most common reason for a policy lapsing is that the insured has been offered coverage through their job.
To best meet the goals of optimized, coordinated patient care and also help curb costs, physicians should be at the center of accountable care organizations, the American Medical Association told the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services in a Dec. 2 letter.