West Virginia lawmakers consider repealing rate regulation; Blues Association study says standalone outpatient centers save money;

News From Around The Web

> Lawmakers in West Virginia may strip the power of state regulators to govern the prices hospitals charge for care, saying that it was a costly government intrustion, the Heartland Institute has reported. Article

> A new study by the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association has concluded that services provided at standalone outpatient centers are often far less if the facilities are not owned by hospitals. Article

> The cost of many medical devices are actually dropping, as hospital executives are apparently no longer sold on the incremental improvements being touted by some manufacturers, according to MedicalXpress. Article

Provider News

> Clear communication between caregivers and patients is essential to good healthcare, but according to The Daily Beast, the U.S. healthcare system is failing people who have little or no proficiency with the English language. Article

Healthcare IT News

> The information of hundreds of employees at Maine-based York Hospital was compromised after a recent data breach. Cybercriminals accessed the information of employees at the hospital and its four York County campuses, according to the Portland Press Herald. Information obtained includes names, addresses, Social Security numbers and wage data. Article

And finally...Macaw gets 3-d printed titanium beak. Article