News From Around the Web
> When shopping for plans on health insurance exchanges, consumers often choose coverage that isn't cost-effective. In fact, more than 80 percent of consumers may unknowingly choose a higher cost plan than they need, according to a new study out of Columbia University. Article
> Twenty-three states received more than $307 million in performance bonuses for successfully enrolling eligible children in Medicaid, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced Monday. Announcement
> Alabama Blue Cross Blue Shield has started itemizing reform taxes on bills sent to their members. By including the taxes on its invoices, Alabama Blues could be attempting to bring the public into the fight against the fees, which the insurance industry strongly opposes, noted Kaiser Health News. Article
Health IT News
> The extensions amending the Stark Law exception and the Anti-Kickback Statute safe harbor for donations and subsidies paid for adopting electronic health records go into effect Dec. 31, when the old guidelines were due to expire. Article
> Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City is expanding a successful sepsis-reduction program hospital wide in January after a test program using alerts generated by electronic medical records cut sepsis rates by 40 percent, the Canadian Medical Association Journal reported. Article
And Finally... Murder most fowl in Taiwan. Article