News From Around the Web
> Though the risk of readmission or death is the highest in the month after heart surgery for patients age 65 and older, their risk remains elevated for up to a year after treatment, suggesting that physicians and hospitals should "align interventions designed to reduce adverse outcomes after hospital discharge with the highest risk periods for patients," according to a study published in the British Medical Journal. Study
> The World Health Organization's most recent committee meeting regarding the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus reported that transmission of MERS in healthcare settings continues to occur despite infection control measures, though the virus' spread does not qualify as a public health emergency. Statement
> The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention concluded its internal investigation into the incident that led a lab worker to be exposed to Ebola, finding that two main inadequate safeguards in the lab's protocol led to the mistake and noting the steps the agency has taken to improve safety. Statement
Healthcare Finance News
> Medical City Dallas is the most expensive hospital in Texas' second-largest city, and its bills are so high that even physicians practicing in the area are taken aback, according to the Dallas Morning News. Article
> The Affordable Care Act, with its individual mandate and subsidized health insurance policies, was intended to address the ongoing issue of medical debt. But it has barely made a dent in the phenomenon. Millions of Americans continue to labor to pay off bills they had accumulated as the result of medical emergencies or ongoing healthcare issues, Kaiser Health News reported. Article
And Finally… A great day for a walk. Article