Policy and Legislation
In a turnaround from earlier this year when it requested rate increases of more than 59 percent for some policy holders, Blue Shield of California announced yesterday it would limit its net income to no more than 2 percent of revenue.
It seems that Medicare’s focus on reducing readmissions to hospitals is stimulating renewed attention to hospital discharge planning and communications.
Atlanta-based Gentiva Health Services, one of the country's largest providers of home health services, has agreed to pay $12.5 million to settle claims that it fraudulently billed Medicare for costs related to company sales efforts, announced the U.S. Attorney's office in Brooklyn.
The U.S. healthcare sector continued to expand even as the rest of the economy struggled, with employment increasing in May by approximately 17,400 positions.
State policymakers have more options than they may realize under the Affordable Care Act in how they create health insurance exchanges, according to a new white paper from the National Academy of Social Insurance and the Georgetown University Health Policy Institute.
A bill introduced in the House of Representatives proposes to set minimum education and certification standards for technical personnel providing, planning and delivering medical imaging exams and radiation therapy treatments in the Medicare program.
Vermont is moving closer to starting a state-run health plan that would be able to insure nearly all of its residents.
The California Assembly has passed AB 52, a bill that would give the California Insurance Commissioner the power to reject or change health insurance rate increases that are deemed excessive.
The Bipartisan Policy Center's Health Project has launched a Task Force on Delivery System Reform and Health IT. The Task Force, co-chaired by former Senate Majority Leaders Tom Daschle and Bill Frist, now co-leaders of the Health Project, includes 24 health system experts and leaders.
Hundreds of disgruntled registered nurses from 31 states, including more than 150 from Massachusetts, plan to rally in Washington D.C. next week, according to the Massachusetts Nurses Association.