News From Around the Web
> Idaho is the 30th state to make assault and battery of emergency nurses a felony, according to the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette. Article
> Mercy Hospital in Hot Springs, Ark., will join the Little Rock-based St. Vincent Health System in a $700 million merger, according to KUAR. Article
> New Jersey emergency departments face an influx of patients with oral health problems that dentists can better handle, according to a report from the Rutgers Center for State Health Policy. Report (.pdf)
Health Payer News
> Despite impending payment cuts, health insurance companies won't walk away from Medicare Advantage--thanks in part to a growing Medicare population and the incoming generation's comfort with managed care, Managed Healthcare Executive reported. Article
> Kaiser Permanente, Humana and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida came out on top for customer satisfaction, according to an annual survey from Insure.com. Article
And Finally… Now you see in color, now you don't. Article