News From Around The Web
> Primary care physicians participating in the Medicaid program face steep cuts in their payments starting Jan. 1, as a funding provision in the Affordable Care Act is set to expire, the Associated Press reported. Article
> Boston Medical Center and Tufts Medical Center are in merger talks, and a deal between the two would create a potential powerhouse safety-net provider for the city of Boston, the Boston Globe reported. Article
> Some 1.4 million Americans had signed up for commercial coverage during the current enrollment period, likely meeting Obama administration projections of 9 million insured by 2015, Kaiser Health News reported. Article
Provider News
> Hospitals have improved on 17 care quality measures, and provide better and more equitable care for blacks and Hispanics for acute myocardial infarction, heart failure, and pneumonia, according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Article
Healthcare IT News
> U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Chief Technology Officer Bryan Sivak believes that, despite all of the strides made in health IT over the last few years, data collection efforts have hit a lull. Article
And finally... Swastika-patterned Hanukkah gift wrap. Article