USPS hack compromises health info for 485K individuals; Tennessee docs using telemedicine to diagnose, treat flu patients;

News From Around the Web

> Nonprofit health advocacy organization Genetic Alliance will use a $500,000 grant award from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to examine the effectiveness of a new version of a platform that allows individuals to share health information with researchers and each other. Announcement

> A 2014 hack of U.S. Postal Service servers compromised health information for roughly 485,000 current and former employees of the organization who filed for worker's compensation, according to Nextgov. USPS, however, does not face any punishment from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Nextgov reports, since the information was not part of an insurance plan. Article

> Doctors in Tennessee are turning to telemedicine technology to diagnose and treat patients with flu-like symptoms, ABC News reports. One doctor who spoke with ABC said telemedicine visits help to keep the virus from spreading, and are more cost effective. Article

Provider News

> In the wake of the Affordable Care Act, many hospitals report a rise in the number of patients seeking care in their emergency departments. Article

> With the Ebola crisis far from over as a new year begins, both this current threat to global health as well as past infectious disease outbreaks carry important lessons for critical care providers, according to an article in the American Journal of Critical Care. Article

Health Insurance News

> As of Jan. 1, the employer mandate is in effect for companies with more than 100 full-time workers. Employers must now offer insurance plans that are both "affordable" and "comprehensive." Article

And Finally... Fore! Article