beneficiaries
Who pays for care when errors are made?
Increasingly, health plans are beginning to follow Medicare's lead and refuse payment for at least some care related to medical errors. The most recent to take this step is WellPoint, the nation's... Read more...
MDs fight to keep Medicare pilot program
An article in The Tennessean reports that, according to Healthways, more than 300 doctors, group practices and health systems are fighting to continue a pilot program that provides support for... Read more...
Blue Cross plans push wellness
The nation's fourth largest health insurance company has kicked off an initiative that focuses on using its resources more on patient wellness. Chicago-based Health Care Service Corp., whose... Read more...
Large care intensity variations exist between hospitals
A new study has found that the amount of resources used in the care of chronically ill varies widely from hospital to hospital. To conduct the study, researchers looked at variations in care at... Read more...
CA bill requires permission for cancellations
A California legislator has introduced a bill which would require health insurers to get permission before they retroactively cancel one of their beneficiaries' coverage. Under the terms of the bill,... Read more...
Blue Cross asks MDs for info to cancel policies
Blue Cross of California has raised eyebrows around the state, and sparked protests from some physician groups, by sending medical groups applications filled out by beneficiaries and asking the... Read more...
ALSO NOTED: Medicare tests PHRs in SC; WellCare in more trouble; and much more...
> Medicare will soon begin testing personal health records with 100,000 beneficiaries in South Carolina. Read more...
ALSO NOTED: MN hospitals cut errors 20 percent; CDC funds Morgellons research; and much more...
> Minnesota hospitals made 20 percent fewer errors last year, according to a new state report. Article > Despite... Read more...
CDHPs will need to step up outreach efforts
Well, surprise, surprise. Over 2007, we learned that many employees aren't too excited about current CDHP models, which offload a fair amount of first-dollar responsibility onto them without giving... Read more...
Questions arise over "medical home" payments
At least one trade group is raising questions over the way a proposed demonstration project handles the notion of creating a "medical home." The demonstration project, which would be created by a new... Read more...
