News From Around the Web
> Republican lawmakers told hospitals they would not rely on more provider cuts to pay for a repeal of the sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula, The Hill's Healthwatch reported. Article
> Nurses in Michigan are supporting a proposed state law that would set minimum staffing levels in hospitals, according to Michigan Radio. But the state hospital association claims a shortage of trained nurses could prevent them from meeting minimum nurse-patient ratios. Report
> UPMC in Pittsburgh is dropping Community Blue members from its roster of active patients, reported the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The new version of Highmark's Community Blue plan omits most UPMC doctors and facilities. Article
> Goldman Sachs has given Louisiana's St. Bernard Parish Hospital the green light to select its own CEO, meaning it will no longer be run by a third-party manager, according to The Times-Picayune. Article
Health Finance News
> Treating seniors with severe mental illness and substance abuse issues costs the Medicare program five times what it spends to care for patients without such issues, according to data released by the SCAN Foundation. Article
> New research from the Center for Studying Health System Change highlights that scope-of-practice laws affect how nurse practitioners are paid. Article
> Although not everyone in the healthcare community is on board with healthcare reform or accountable care models, there are three certain principles that physicians practicing today will ultimately be forced to accept. Commentary
And Finally… Distractions lead to smarter choices. Article