News From Around the Web
> Large grocery store chain Kroger, the nation's seventh largest employer, will extend transgender health benefits to employees covered through the company's Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield health plans, the Cincinnati Enquirer reports. Article
> Baltimore-based CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield will award as much as $3 million over the next three years to programs that increase patients' access to telemedicine services. Announcement
> A woman could pay anywhere between $43 to $1,898 for a mammogram in different parts of the country, according to an analysis from Castlight Health. Announcement
Health Finance News
> The prices for procedures at hospital outpatient departments have increased in recent years at a much higher rate than ambulatory surgical centers, according to a study published in Health Affairs. Article
> St. Luke's University Health, which is headquartered in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, is providing what it calls all-inclusive procedure pricing, primarily for patients with high-deductible insurance plans. The site provides a bundled price, including the cost of the anesthesiologist and any other typical ancillary services. Article
And finally… Downside: You may never want to eat again. Article