News From Around the Web
> Investors put a total of $272 million into 47 deals in health tech last month, according to Startup Health, GigaOM reports. That amount represents a 172 percent increase from deals in January 2012. Article
> The Council for Affordable Quality Healthcare announced today the launch of a new, universal electronic funds transfer enrollment tool for providers that facilitates the use of electronic payments between payers and providers by offering a single point of entry for adopting EFT. Announcement
EMR News
> The Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT has released its first 2014 edition draft scenario, on electronic health record interoperability intake. A test scenario is a way for the Meaningful Use criteria to be tested dependently in a clinical plausible way. Article
Health Insurance News
> One-fifth of health leaders will need to cut 11 percent or more out of their operating budgets, according to a HealthLeaders Media survey. Scripps Health President and CEO Chris D. Van Gorder told the publication that many organizations will have to reduce their operating budgets by 20 percent, adding that such changes require transparency, and encourages engaging employees in the cost-reduction process. Article
> Catholic Health Initiatives will pay the federal government $4.9 million to resolve allegations that one of its hospitals overbilled Medicare and Medicaid for unnecessary hospital admissions, the Baltimore Sun reported. The settlement, announced yesterday, includes $4.6 million that will go the United States and $152,406 to the state of Maryland. Article
And Finally... This pup isn't into the paparazzi. Article