News From Around the Web
> Overall hospital prices rose 0.1 percent in November and 1.1 percent compared to a year ago, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, AHA News Now reported. Article
> North Carolina's decision not to expand Medicaid coverage has pushed many residents on the edge of poverty to decide not to obtain coverage, concerned they would lose both their insurance and subsidized premiums with no fallback position, the Charlotte Observer has reported. Article
> Gov. Robert Bentley of Alabama may be leaning toward expanding Medicaid eligibility and may ask the Obama administration for a block grant to pursue expansion without rigid guidelines. Article
Provider News
> Climate change is "an issue that will affect everyone in the world," and healthcare leaders must be at the forefront of action against it, according to Healthcare Without Harm President Gary Cohen and Gundersen Health System CEO Jeffrey Thompson. Article
Healthcare IT News
> House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-Mich.) and House Rules Committee Chairman Pete Sessions (R-Texas) called ICD-10 "an important milestone in the future of healthcare technologies," in a statement this week on implementation of the coding set. The congressmen say they'll continue to work closely with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to "ensure that the deadline can successfully be met by stakeholders." Article
And Finally... Hacking of Sony's computer system leads to exposure of employee medical records. Article