News From Around the Web
> New software from researchers at KU Leuven University in Belgium traces origins of genetic disorders 20 times more accurately than existing programs, according to announcement. " [The software], eXtasy uses advanced artificial intelligence to combine whole sets of complex data into a global score that reflects how important a certain mutation is for a certain disease. This data can consist of networks of interacting proteins, but could also include scientific publications or even scores that estimate how harmful a mutation is for the protein in question," explains Professor Yves Moreau of KU Leuven. Announcement
> Verizon has launched a patient engagement tool, "a remote patient-monitoring medical platform designed to help clinicians and patients manage patients' health in between doctor visits," according to an announcement. The Converged Health Management solution enables patients to take their own health information such as blood pressure, oxygen saturation levels, glucose levels and weight from home or on the go and passes it onto their physician through a secure cloud server. Announcement
Health Payer News
> Expanding insurance coverage through the Affordable Care Act may result in more outpatient clinic visits without reducing emergency room use, according to researchers at the University of Michigan Medical School. The national study examined the effects of the state-administered Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) as a representation of new national health insurance. Researchers analyzed patterns of emergency and routine outpatient visits by adolescents age 11 to 18 and young adults age 19 to 29. Article
> U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius will testify before the House Energy and Commerce Committee next week after previously declining to appear. The hearing will address failures and issues surrounding the federal health insurance exchanges, as well as when HHS knew the rollout was beset with problems. Article
Provider News
> It's a common problem that could become worse under the Affordable Care Act: Patients visit an in-network hospital but are charged thousands of dollars because the doctors who treated them work for the hospital but are considered out-of-network providers. Patients think when they hand over their insurance cards at the hospital registration desk that if the organization accepts the insurance they are covered for all treatment they receive. However, many doctors who work in a hospital don't work for the hospital and aren't required to join the same insurance networks as the hospital, Karen Pollitz, a senior fellow at the Kaiser Family Foundation, told The New York Times. Article
And Finally... Better check for bedbugs here. Article