News From Around the Web
> San Francisco-based healthcare software company Castlight Health, which specializes price transparency technology, raised $178 million after its initial public offering, CNBC reported. Shares were priced at $16 a share, and opened above $40 in the first hour of trade, putting the company's market valuation at more than $3 billion. Article
> New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez, this week, signed into law a state budget that included roughly $600,000 for the Department of Health to expand telemedicine services in the state, and a $500,000 increase for Project ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes), a telemedicine model developed at the University of New Mexico. Article
Health Finance News
> The American Hospital Association wants the Internal Revenue Service to clarify the types of mistakes and omissions involving specific charitable care financial assistance policies for patients that will lead to a hospital violation. Article
> Organized labor's push for healthcare price transparency expanded to South Florida, with a union for public employees demanding more cost data from hospitals, physicians and health plans. Article
Health Insurance News
> The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) wants to overhaul its health plan accreditation program to better align with market and stakeholders needs. With that in mind, the proposed changes focus on provider networks and transparency. Article
And Finally... The elephant in the room, but for real. Article