Regulators
The policy cancellations standoff--who wins?
Increasingly, it's looking like some major California health plans are settling in for a war with the state over cancellations of individual policies. Despite facing angry regulators--including the... Read more...
Another NY health insurer agrees to doctor-ranking rules
Yet another health plan has agreed to adopt New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo's model for ranking physicians. Independent Health, which has 360,000 members in the state, signed an agreement to... Read more...
ASCs get boost in Georgia
Just yesterday, we got news of a decision which could endanger the future of ambulatory surgery centers in New Jersey. Today, meanwhile, we learn that things might get a lot easier for ASCs in... Read more...
CA seeks $12.6 million fine for Blue Shield
The state of California's insurance chief is seeking a $12.6 million fine against Blue Shield of California, accusing it of 1,262 claims-handling law violations and regs and more than 200 improper... Read more...
CA court says retroactive policy cancellations "prohibited"
A new legal ruling has dealt a blow to some California health plans, who have contended until now that canceling policies for unintentional application mistakes is acceptable under California law. A... Read more...
NY accuses ASCs of collecting overpayments
According to a new state audit, four large New York ASCs have been playing some inappropriate financial games. The ASCs are accused of waiving out-of-pocket fees for members of the state-employee... Read more...
Trend: Nursing homes big users of antipsychotic meds
In recent times, nursing homes' use of antipsychotic drugs for patients without psychosis has gone up significantly--a trend which is beginning to catch the eye of regulators, consumer groups and... Read more...
Avandia gets black-box warning
The following isn't a big shock, but it's still an important development--blockbuster diabetes drug Avandia will now carry a black-box warning. In addition to posting the warning on Avandia... Read more...
Community Health discloses further federal scrutiny
Community Health Systems (CHS) has disclosed in securities filings that the U.S. Department of Justice is investigating three of its hospitals on charges that the New Mexico facilities caused the... Read more...
Universal Health faces wider federal investigation
Universal Health Services (UHS) has revealed that an ongoing federal investigation of one of the company's properties has expanded. The hospital operator said that federal officials are now looking... Read more...
