Community Health Systems to pay $98M for false claims allegations; Low-income diabetes patients see higher amputation rates;

News From Around the Web

> Tennessee-based Community Health Systems will pay more than $98 million to settle claims the company billed government healthcare programs for impatient services that should have been billed as outpatient or observation services, acccording to the Department of Justice. Announcement

> California residents with diabetes living in low-income neighborhoods are two-times more likely to have a leg or foot amputated compared to those living in wealthier areas, according to a Health Affairs study. Study abstract

Health Finance News

> Despite the ever-increasing growth in the U.S. jobs market in recent months, there's little upward movement in positions at hospitals, with a variety of factors coming into play, Forbes reported. Article

> Price transparency initiatives are taking hold slowly in the U.S., and are now active in 35 states and a variety of hospitals, according to an American Hospital Association white paper. Article

> Hospitals and health systems in Illinois banded together to form an engagement network and saved more than $132 million by improving the quality of care, according to an announcement from the Illinois Hospital Association. Article

And Finally… Wine with your treatment? Article