competitors

The FTC has informed Germany-based Fresenius Medical Care that it can complete its $3.5 billion acquisition of Renal Care Group, which operates 450 hemodialysis centers in the U.S. Last year the FTC took issue with the buyout, say that the combined entity would effectively become a monopoly in 66 markets around the nation. These are markets in which Fresenius and RCG had been competitors. The buyout would essentially end competition in these areas. As part of the settlement, Fresenius …

The nonprofit hospital world has been in the news lately, and this week a study of all the studies ever done on the nonprofit/for-profit contrast came out in Health Affairs. The well-known study confirmed that nonprofit hospitals offer a little more charity care and have slightly lower costs than for-profits. But then again, there are three factors that make those results a …

The majority of Americans think that the results of taxpayer-funded medical research should be made available online for free. A WSJ/Harris Interactive poll found that about 83 percent of Americans agree with the premise that government-supported research should be made available on the Internet. About the same number--80 percent--said they think that having access to such research would help people with chronic conditions manage their healthcare more effectively. The issue of …

CMS released details of a new study on information technology adoption in healthcare that show some improvement in the hospital sector. Technology use among hospitals in general is rising, the new report argues. However, smaller hospitals show signs of falling behind their larger competitors. Nearly all (88 percent) of the hospitals included in the survey were using IT for laboratory results. About half were using it for electronic images. Only 21 percent report using e-prescribing. The …

Electronic Data Systems won a $308 million contract to implement changes to the computer systems running Florida's Medicaid program. The news came despite protests from two competitors that bidding on the project was unfair. Under Governor Jeb Bush (R), Florida is experimenting with changes to the state's program for poor and disadvantaged residents, enrolling some participants in private sector managed care plans. 

- see this article from the Gainesville Tribune 

Two new reports were released assessing the impact of specialty hospitals on the healthcare market. CMS concludes that specialty hospitals "deliver efficient, high-quality services" but wonders if some providers may be avoiding their obligation to provide charity care. The GAO report notes that specialty players have a mixed impact on their general competitors, arguing that the evidence does not support the view that specialty competition encourages "existing hospitals to adopt changes that make them more efficient and better able to compete." Article

The Mayo Clinic warned that changes in healthcare usage patterns are hurting its business, suggesting that other providers in the industry may face financial turbulence over the next few years. Operating income and the number of surgeries performed at the storied facility both fell significantly in 2005. That's at least partly because the provider is getting less from Medicare these days and insurers are steering patients to local competitors willing to cut deals on prices. Mayo Clinic …

To little fanfare, the Health Insurance Marketplace and Modernization Act moved forward with a win in a key Senate committee vote. Among other things, the bill allows for the creation of Association Health Plans (AHPs), creating a new class of plans called Small Business Health Plans. The provision will allow small businesses to band together across state lines and in associations to buy health insurance, which in theory will allow them to enjoy economies of scale. Blues and other …

Wall Street has long thought Cerner will benefit from the Bush administration's plan for a national health IT infrastructure. But now some people are wondering if relations have worsened between the well-connected company and the White House. Over the weekend, Cerner CEO Neal Patterson made remarks critical of National Health IT coordinator David Brailer's performance. Speaking at a Cerner event, Patterson expressed doubts about the way in which Brailer has handled government HIT …

Johnson & Johnson announced that it will ramp up production at the Puerto Rico facility where its drug-coated stent is manufactured after a series of studies appear to give it the edge against its competitors. J&J executives say the company can only meet about half the demand for the increasingly popular stent. A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association comparing the Cypher with the Taxus, which is manufactured by rival Boston Scientific, found that …