News From Around the Web
> The sustainable growth rate (SGR) permanent repeal legislation is set to get telehealth amendments, and Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) released the following statement about it: "I'm pleased to have amendments ... approved by the committee that are important to improving the underlying bill for rural health care providers and beneficiaries, but I remain concerned about how rural providers will fare under this new reimbursement model and about the lack of identified offsets for this bill. Health care spending already amounts to over 25 percent of our federal budget, and I look forward to working with my colleagues to ensure that the next step in this process is finding a way to pay for this legislation." Statement
> Missouri and Illinois are teaming up for health data exchange, according to an announcement. "Healthcare does not neatly follow state borders, so information about patients needs to follow them wherever they go, said Raul Recarey, executive director of Illinois Health Information Exchange (ILHIE), in the announcement. Many Illinois patients from the southern portion of our state are referred to Missouri hospitals. The ILHIE/MHC agreement will allow providers from either state to have access to critically important patient data, regardless of whether that data resides in Missouri or Illinois." Announcement
> Former National Coordinator of Health IT Farzad Mostashari has an article in the Wall Street Journal today about iBlueButton. Article
Health Payer News
> Support of the Affordable Care Act among Hispanics, a group crucial to its success, is waning, Florida Watchdog reported. Hispanic support for the healthcare reform is dwindling in part because of the unfinished Spanish language insurance exchange website, cuidadodesalud.gov. Article
> The Affordable Care Act may increase health insurance coverage rates for up to six million immigrants and help close the coverage gap between them and native-born adults, according to a George Washington University study. Last year, almost three times as many noncitizen immigrants were uninsured compared to native-born adults, the study noted. Article
Provider News
> A majority of hospital executives believe there is a shortage of physicians and nurses in the United States, according to a new survey from AMN Healthcare. AMN's 2013 Clinical Workforce Survey found that 78 percent of hospital execs believe there is a shortage of physicians, 66 percent believe there is a shortage of nurses and 50 percent believe there is a shortage of advanced practitioners. Article
And Finally... Google "How to perfectly embody D.C. stereotypes." Article