spokesman news from FierceHealthcare
NewsALSO NOTED: Google testing medical data storage; Jarvik defends pulled Lipitor ads; and much more...
> Google has officially begun storing medical information on individual patients, working in partnership with the Cleveland Clinic. Right now it's a pilot project, but Google intends to roll out Read more...
NY officials demand halt to doctor-rating plan
As consumer-driven healthcare keeps evolving, rating physician quality and making those ratings public is only natural, right? Not in New York, it isn't. The state AG's office has issued a warning Read more...
AMA tackles out-of-network fines by health plansThe AMA has decided to go to war against insurers who impose fines on doctors if patients use out-of-network labs. While the dispute began with UnitedHealth Group, which has set plans in motion to impose such fines, the AMA is concerned enough about the trend that it is instituting a broader campaign opposing the institution of such fines by any insurer. The group is supporting … Read more...Bill forbids coverage denial during clinical trialsMedical centers specializing in cancer care say that health plans are denying coverage for routine care to patients who have enrolled in clinical trials. And now, they're backing a new bill which would make this practice illegal. According to Rep. Deborah Pryce (R-OH), who sponsored the measure, only 36,000 of 1.4 million Americans diagnosed with cancer each year agree to participate clinical trials--because, providers say, insurers will cut off payment for routine clinical services if … Read more...Employees to own Delta Medical, MemphisDelta Medical Center in Memphis is set to become possibly the only employee-owned hospital in the country. The 243-bed facility's owners had considered selling it to a for-profit chain, but instead have transferred all of their stock into a leveraged Employee Stock Ownership Plan, which serves as the hospital's pension plan. A local bank put up $21.5 million in loans to finance the plan, while the former owners took a promissory note for the other $10 million. The ESOP will pay off the … Read more...EMR privacy debate heats upThe debate over privacy rights and electronic medical records (EMRs) is heating up. After changes made this week, the Johnson-Deal bill looks as though it will probably not include protections designed to limit the ability of insurers and others to access patient records. That's led to controversy in Washington, where privacy rights groups are clashing with lobbyists representing health plans and other groups. A spokesman for America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) said that consumers … Read more...Ingenix buys NWH for $52.4MUnitedHealth subsidiary Ingenix has signed a deal to acquire NWH, a New York-based company specializing in "real-time Internet connections" between healthcare companies, for $52.4 million. NWH reported $18.9 million in revenue and net income of $942,000 last year. A UnitedHealth spokesman said the merger will increase efficiency, and allow the insurer to reimburse physicians more quickly. The move comes on the same week that a report listed the insurer as among the slowest to respond to … Read more...Questions build over Medicare Part D claimsPharmacists and insurers groups clashed in Washington over payment for Medicare Part D claims. Critics say many of the companies that offer drug plans under the new benefit are taking too long to resolve claims, putting financial pressure on pharmacies. Administration officials had initally argued that the numbers showed that insurers were making payments within 21-25 days. On Wednesday, a CMS spokesman admitted that the agency has no data backing that claim. - see this article from The Hill Future uncertain for Tenet HealthcareA day after Tenet Healthcare announced a settlement in its federal kickback case, a spokesman for the company said it is already looking for potential buyers for Alvarado Medical Center in San Diego. Wall Street was ready to welcome Tenet back into the fold with the company's shares among the hottest on the market yesterday, rising more than 8 percent, to $8.03, before cooling today. Sanofi sells out of 2007 flu vaccineLast week, Sanofi-Pasteur sold out of flu vaccine for next year's flu season within a matter of hours. The company began accepting orders on Tuesday and was quickly overwhelmed by a deluge of calls. A Sanofi spokesman said the company received 40,000 calls in the first 30 minutes after its lines opened. The company plans to produce 50 million doses of its seasonal flu vaccine next year and expects to double production capacity by 2008. - see this article from the Pocono Record Read more... |
