Kaiser, Health Net agree to reinstate 1,200 beneficiaries

admin — Fri, 16 May 2008 06:59:58 -0400

Two of California's largest health plans have agreed to reinstate a total of roughly 1,200 patients whose policies were rescinded after they began incurring high medical expenses. Under the terms of Read more...

Serious nursing home quality problems still exist

admin — Fri, 16 May 2008 06:59:57 -0400

According to new Congressional testimony by officials from the HHS inspector general's office, care at many nursing homes is actually dangerous to patients, despite ongoing efforts by CMS to identify Read more...

AMA, SEIU ask court to stop UnitedHealth deal

admin — Fri, 16 May 2008 06:59:56 -0400

A group of opponents including the AMA and the SEIU Nevada have filed suit to stop UnitedHealth Group's planned buyout of Las Vegas-based health plan Sierra Health Services. The deal already has been Read more...

Heparin scare leads to new dosing issue

admin — Fri, 16 May 2008 06:59:55 -0400

While efforts to make dosing safer in the wake of recent heparin-related deaths make sense, such efforts have created a fresh set of safety concerns for providers who use it, observers say. For one Read more...

Case study: NY hospitals lower ICU infection rates

admin — Fri, 16 May 2008 06:59:54 -0400

In recent times, New York City's public hospitals have mounted an effort to lower the rate of infections patients acquire in in their intensive care units. The effort, by the New York City Health and Read more...

SPOTLIGHT: MA malpractice rates at near-20-year low

admin — Fri, 16 May 2008 06:59:52 -0400

As in other states, physicians in Massachusetts have said that many are leaving the state because malpractice rates are a burden. However, recent research suggests that the state's doctors pay lower Read more...

ALSO NOTED: FDA may require side-effects hotline number in DTC ads; Many uninsured could be eligible for gov't insurance; and m

admin — Fri, 16 May 2008 06:59:50 -0400

> An FDA panel is considering whether it should require direct-to-consumer advertisers to include a side-effects hotline in every commercial. Read more...

LA approves fines for patient dumping

admin — Thu, 15 May 2008 06:59:58 -0400

It looks like Los Angeles is going to approve fines for hospitals that engage in what it defines as patient dumping. The city council has given preliminary approval to a measure under which hospitals Read more...