News From Around the Web
> CVS Caremark's ExtraCare rewards program strips patients of privacy protection by encouraging people to allow their prescription information to be shared in exchange for store credits, according to an article published this week in the Los Angeles Times. Paul Stephens, director of policy and advocacy for the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse in San Diego, called the news "very troubling," saying that "pharmaceutical companies obviously would want to know what you're taking and get you to buy more expensive medicines." Article
> New health data is now available on the New York State Department of Health's website, according to a recent announcement. Recently published data includes information on cardiac surgeries performed, divided by hospital and by surgeon, as well as statistics about Medicaid enrollment. Announcement
Provider News
> Medicare accountable care organizations outnumber non-Medicare ACO contracts and make up more than half of the 488 ACOs nationwide, according to an August 2013 update from Leavitt Partners, a healthcare consultancy that follows ACO development. Article
> Physicians across the healthcare sector should expect a median salary increase of 2.4 percent next year, but hospital-employed physicians are likely to receive lower raises, according to consulting firm Hay Group's 2013 physician compensation survey. Article
Health Finance News
> Medicare reimburses physicians up to five times more for performing common procedures than for cognitive care, allowing specialists to generate more revenue in an hour or two than a primary care physician makes in a day, a new study published online by JAMA Internal Medicine finds. Article
And Finally… Hey, personal hygiene is important. Article