News From Around The Web
> Medicare's five-star rating system for nursing homes has come under scrutiny as many of the facilities self-report the data that leads to the highest scores, the New York Times reported. Article
> Despite the mandate under the Affordable Care Act that most insurers cover contraception for women, many insurers refuse to comply, Kaiser Health News reported. Article
> Emergency room visits at public hospitals in Los Angeles County--the nation's most populous--dropped three months after the primary implementation of the Affordable Care Act earlier this year, placing at odds with some other parts of the country, such as Oregon, the Los Angeles Times reported. Article
Provider News
> Several California healthcare professionals have formed a Coalition for Quality Hospital Care in response to Tenet Healthcare Corp.'s plan to cancel contracts with independent physicians, according to an announcement from the coalition. One Tenet hospital has already protested, calling the statement inaccurate. Article
Healthcare IT News
> Accountable care organizations (ACOs) have made little progress in improving their health IT capabilities in the past year, according to a new survey by the eHealth Initiative. Despite their dependence on data to improve care, most ACOs--76 percent--do not participate in a health information exchange at an enterprise, community or state level. Article
And Finally...An extreme weight-loss program. Article