News From Around the Web
> Looking to support its Telehealth Monitoring Program, Rockingham VNA & Hospice in Exeter, N.H., recently kicked off fundraising efforts, according to Foster's Daily Democrat. The facility is asking for donations to help pay for telehealth monitor units, which cost $3,650 each, according to the Democrat. Post
> South Carolina's Senate Medical Affairs Committee unanimously approved a bill last week that requires the state's employee health plan to reimburse doctors for telehealth diagnoses or treatments beginning next January, The State reports. The bill--which also creates a Telemedicine Advisory Council to review the effectiveness of such treatments--now goes to the full Senate for approval. Article
> Glens Falls (N.Y.) Hospital is facing a class-action lawsuit after accidentally releasing the names and medical records of 2,360 patients, according to the Albany Times Union. Article
Health Insurance News
> Although the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services issued a three percent increase in Medicare Advantage payment rates a few weeks ago, UnitedHealth is reassessing its outlook for the program. The chief executive of UnitedHealth, the country's largest provider of Medicare Advantage plans, said the company may have to cut benefits, change provider networks or exit some markets to ensure its Medicare Advantage plans remain profitable. Article
> Humana can pursue a lawsuit against GlaxoSmithKline after the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear the pharmaceutical giant's appeal of a lower court decision that let the insurer's suit proceed. Filing a class-action lawsuit against Glaxo, Humana sought to recover expenses it paid for members who were allegedly harmed by the controversial diabetes drug Avandia, which has been linked to increased risk of heart damage. Article
And Finally… It's a zoo out there, and animals need specialty care, too. Article