News From Around the Web:
> Aetna has launched a new accountable care organization with ProHealth Physicians Inc. in which technology will help better manage patients' medical treatments and lower costs. The agreement will cover 30,000 Medicare patients in Connecticut and then expand to another 23,000 Aetna members, reported the Hartford Courant.
> Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) is supporting insurers as he urged the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services to reduce proposed cuts to Medicare Advantage plans, according to The Hill's Healthwatch. Article
> Kaiser Permanente has the best customer satisfaction among California insurers, while Anthem Blue Cross and Health Net came in last, the Los Angeles Times reported. Article
Healthcare Provider News:
> The University of Connecticut Health Center has notified patients about a privacy breach that could affect around 1,400 patients after an employee inappropriately accessed their records. Article
> Thousands of technical workers at the University of California Patient Care Center are blasting the management of UC's five medical centers and its cost-cutting strategies. Article
Health IT News:
> EHR provider athenahealth has agreed to a new code of conduct in response to the National Coordinator for Health IT's call for vendors to do so. Its code encompasses five principles to protect patients, guard against fraud and empower HIT to finally realize its potential to revolutionize healthcare. Article
> The House Energy and Commerce Committee Continuing has been pressuring the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on whether it intends to regulate smartphones, tablets and mHealth apps as medical devices under the reform law. Article
And Finally… Dolphins wielding knives and guns? Article