McAuliffe wants to expand Medicaid in VA; Voters approve bond to overhaul Jackson Health;

News From Around the Web

> Newly elected Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, a Democrat, said he would push to expand the state's Medicare program under the Affordable Care Act, the Washington Post reports. The current Republican governor had been opposed to expansion. Article

> Voters in Miami's Dade County approved an $830 million bond measure to shore up the aging infrastructure of Jackson Health System, as well as help bring the public provider back to fiscal health, according to the Miami Herald. Article

> California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones struck a deal with Blue Shield of California to delay the cancellation of some 119,000 individual policies until March 31. The insurer had planned to cancel them at the end of the year, but notification errors prompted Jones to demand more time. Article

Provider News

> Retail-based clinics, already a proven healthcare cost saver, can even further reduce costs when nurse practitioners (NPs) are allowed to practice and prescribe independently, according to a new study published in the November issue of Health Affairs. Researchers compared the two-week cost associated with a clinic visit for 9,503 patients in 27 states who visited retail and non-retail clinics between 2004 and 2007--about $704 per person when translated into 2013 dollar value. Article

Healthcare IT News

> The ECRI institute released its top 10 health technology hazards list, bringing to attention that with new innovation comes great responsibility--for training, implementation and day-to-day use. "All of the items on the list represent problems that can be avoided or risks that can be minimized through careful management of technologies," the report states. Article

And Finally... Surgeons discover new knee ligament. Article