Healthcare Trends

Hospitals are pouring big bucks into expansions across the U.S., but the trend is particularly marked in Arizona, whose hospital infrastructure has fallen behind as the state has grown. Right now, the state only has two inpatient beds per 1,000 residents, compared with an average of 2.8 inpatient beds per 1,000 nationwide. In response, the state's hospitals have set plans for $3.3 billion worth of building over the next five years. The construction process will add about 2,900 beds across …

A new bill has been introduced in the Senate which could have a substantial effect on how medical malpractice claims are handled. The bill, introduced by Senators Max Baucus (D-Mont.) and Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.), would prompt states to establish "health courts" or other alternative means of resolving med mal disputes. Under the proposed legislation, 10 states or more would get up to $500,000 in …

It's a shame that such things are necessary, but there's no getting around it--malpractice liability counts when doctors speak with the families of deceased patients. Hoping to make the task just a bit easier, Hawaii has passed a bill allowing doctors to express sympathy and offer condolences without fearing that their gesture can be used against them in court. On the other hand, the new law's language specifically notes that a doctor's apology or admission of fault can indeed by used …

Hanging tough in the face of furious physician criticism, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas has kicked off a program allowing beneficiaries to compare physician ratings. The health plan is the largest in the state, with more than 40,000 participating physician and 3.4 million beneficiaries, so its decisions have a significant effect on the market as a whole, making the ratings a major issue for the state's doctors.

The BCBS quality score currently uses 38 measures, and will add …

In an effort to get physicians psyched over drugs soon to hit the market, pharmaceutical companies often give physicians advance notice about pending releases, usually well in advance of major medical trade shows. The pharmas protect the news by making physicians sign confidentiality agreements, but despite the agreements, it appears that the physicians often tattle anyway. Increasingly, regulators have noticed that biotech company stocks fluctuate wildly prior to these conferences, …

Facing climbing malpractice premiums, lower insurance payments and competition from increasingly cozy hospital maternity services, midwives and birthing centers have begun closing across the DC metro. Over the past 10 years, eight DC-area birth centers and midwifery practices have closed. The owners say that they can ill-afford the continual increase in malpractice rates, given that their profit margins are slimmer than most hospitals and medical practices. (Some centers have seen their …

National pharmacy chain Walgreen Co. has agreed to acquire retail clinic operator and partner Take Care Health Systems. The deal positions Walgreen to compete better with CVS/Caremark, which previously acquired retail clinic operator MinuteClinic. Take Care, which operates 50 clinics across the U.S., already runs some clinics at Walgreens locations. Walgreens will use the acquisition to power its upcoming retail clinic expansion. The chain plans to have more than 400 "Health Corner …

Now here's an encouraging note. Having raised rates 90 percent only three years ago, Connecticut medical mal insurer The Medical Protective Co. has set plans to cut rates an average of 24.2 percent next year, as well as insuring more physicians. The company, which is owned by Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway, needs approval from the state's insurance department to make the cut, but if it does, the change will take effect on August 1. Connecticut malpractice rates began falling two …

A California company is quickly becoming one of the leaders in a new--and some say, critically important--care delivery niche. Care Level Management, of Woodland Hills, CA, cares for chronically ill patients in their homes rather than making them come to a physician's office. The idea is to head off potentially serious and expensive complications which would otherwise put them in the hospital. Care Level's primary client is CMS, which is paying Care Level a monthly case stipend and fee …

A new study by HHS's Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality has concluded that in healthcare, the gender gap is still alive and well. While women's care has improved to the point of being essentially equal in some areas, notably heart attack care and access to primary care, women lag significantly in others. For example, women were 47 percent more likely to be hospitalized for high blood pressure. Also, women were slightly less likely to get recommended colorectal cancer screenings. …