News From Around The Web
> Dallas-area hospitals have seen patient volume decrease moderately during 2011, but they remain highly profitable nonetheless, according to the Star-Telegram. Article
> Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer has said she does not want to see the U.S. House of Representatives succeed in defunding the Affordable Care Act. Although a conservative Republican, Brewer is one of the few GOP governors who has embraced the expansion of Medicaid under the healthcare reform law, the East Valley Tribune reports. Article
> In contrast to Jan Brewer, Maine Gov. Paul LePage has said that the recent government shutdown is a good reason for his state not to expand Medicaid coverage, since he argues it puts funding for the program into jeopardy, State & Capitol reports. Article
Provider News
> Septicemia tops the list of most expensive inpatient conditions to treat, costing $20.3 billion in 2011, according to the latest statistical brief from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Care and treatment for septicemia represented 5.2 percent of total inpatient hospital costs, which reached $387 billion in 2011, the AHRQ reports. Article
Healthcare IT News
> Software developers have concluded the requirement that users sign up at HealthCare.gov before looking at information on health insurance "choked" the website, which already was hobbled by limited server capacity, the Washington Post reported. They also said the site freezes for users if a step in the sign-up process isn't completed right away. Article
And finally...An Ohio man erroneously declared dead is told by judge he must remain that way. Article