Three big Chicago systems missing from new HIE; Is health IT marketing 'anemic'?;

News From Around the Web

> Metropolitan Chicago Healthcare Council, a hospital trade group, recently announced that it has lined up 34 hospitals to participate in MetroChicago HIE, an electronic platform where hospitals and physicians would share patient records. But at least three of the largest systems in the Chicago area haven't agreed to join: Northwestern Memorial HealthCare, University of Chicago Medicine and NorthShore University HealthSystem, according to Crain's Chicago Healthcare Daily. Those systems are among the Chicago-area leaders in adopting electronic health records. Article

> In a new commentary in Forbes, technology writer John Nosta argues that current healthcare marketing--and health IT marketing, in particular--is "anemic; boring as hell and subject to more parody than accolades." Commentary

Health Insurance News

> Debate continues about whether releasing healthcare provider payment data publicly is a good idea: Proponents say it will show taxpayers where their healthcare dollars are spent and how provider choices affect their pocketbooks. Opponents say, besides misleading the public, releasing payment data may increase healthcare costs. Since consumers seldom know how much they'll have to pay for health services before receiving them, Colorado created an all payer claims database enabling customers and employers to track healthcare costs. Article

> Caremark, LLC, the pharmacy benefits manager operated by CVS Caremark Corporation, agreed to pay the federal government and five states $4.25 million to resolve allegations that it intentionally denied Medicaid claims for payment on behalf of beneficiaries covered by both Medicaid and private insurers, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. For these dual-eligible customers, private payers are legally responsible for healthcare claims reimbursement. Article

Provider News

> Though urban legend stigmatized frequent emergency room patients as mentally ill substance users who drain the healthcare system of millions of dollars and contribute to overcrowding, most ER superusers actually have chronic diseases, according to a new study published in Health Affairs. Article

And Finally... E.T. phoning home to Congress. Article