News From Around the Web
> Hawaii's attorney general has filed a motion in federal court asking that a judge lift a stay against Kaiser Permanente's takeover of three state-owned hospitals, Maui Now has reported. Article
> Western Connecticut Health Network has laid off dozens of managerial employees due to cuts in state funding and the general condition of the healthcare sector, according to the Danbury News-Times. Article
> New Jersey's highest court has declined to hear a case brought by eight hospitals claiming the unsuitable levels of state funding for indigent patients was the constitution equivalent of a "takings" of their property, the Associated Press reported. Article
Provider News
> A bipartisan bill introduced in Congress this week would amend the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' readmissions program to factor in patients' socioeconomic status to prevent hospitals from receiving penalties for circumstances beyond their control. Under the legislation, CMS would compare hospitals with similar patient populations when applying bonuses and penalties under the program, with more concrete adjustment mechanisms to come after further research was complete. Article
Healthcare IT News
> As the end of the first year under ICD-10 fast approaches, physicians who file claims under the Medicare Part B physician fee schedule must be mindful that the end of the one-year grace period for post-payment reviews also looms. The grace period, which applies to code specificity, was announced last July in a joint statement from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the American Medical Association, and was a key factor to ensuring the long-awaited transition would not be delayed, yet again. Article
And Finally... Smart toothbrush allows streaming of video from inside mouth. Article