News From Around the Web
> Pre-existing condition insurance plans(PCIP) in 18 states will be turned over to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services after the agency said PCIP programs must either accept a fixed, lower-than-expected budget or shut down, the Associated Press reported. Article
> Humana is opening a mail-order prescription service facility in Irving, Texas that will receive and review prescriptions from its members nationwide. To staff the facility, Humana is expected to hire more than 600 employees within three years, reported the Ft. Worth Star-Telegram. Article
Health Provider News
> States that are embroiled in legislative fights over whether they will expand their Medicaid programs fear even a one-year delay could mean they'll lose hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funds to cover low-income residents. Article
> Parkland Memorial Hospital has agreed to pay a $1.4 million settlement over Medicare and Medicaid fraud allegations stemming from a 2010 whistleblower lawsuit that claimed the hospital and UT Southwestern Medical Center physicians falsely submitted billing claims for rehabilitation consultations that weren't ordered by patients' primary care physicians. Article
Health IT News
> Analytics are the key to population health management and accountable care organizations, a new report concludes. The Institute of Health Technology Transformation said that analytics are akin to "a nervous system and solid infrastructure foundation that leverages storage, processing, analysis, and data management to make better, evidence-based business and clinical decisions." Article
> The adoption of electronic health record systems has increased "dramatically," more than doubling since 2012, according to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services' latest figures. Article
And Finally… You can't cough up this 400 pound hairball. Article