News From Around The Web
> Hospital profits under the Affordable Care Act are not as high-flying as originally thought. Patients who aren't covering their out-of-pocket costs and many states refusing to expand Medicaid eligibility has dragged down hospital bottom lines, Marketplace Radio reported. Article
> A federal judge has denied a request by healthcare labor unions to block the privatization of three hospitals in Hawaii, according to the Associated Press. Article
> A British columnist has a warning for Americans pining for a single-payer health plan: No competiton means lower quality care, Townhall.com reported. Article
Provider News
> Hospitals may want to follow the lead of some physician practices and begin to offer patients direct-pay or concierge healthcare, according to an opinion piece from Forbes. The concierge model allows financially struggling providers to hold their ground against monetary pressures, writes contributor Russ Alan Prince, and in some cases significantly better their positions. Article
Healthcare IT News
> Big data must be coupled with rigorous observational methods to prevent grave errors in assumptions, according to an article published at the American Journal of Managed Care. Article
And Finally... President Obama star of Russian anti-smoking campaign. Article