BCBS looks to improve in-hospital maternity care; Alabama to receive $328M for Medicaid transition

News From Around the Web

> Blue Cross Blue Shield announced a new national designation to help prospective parents find hospitals that deliver quality, affordable maternity care. Since childbirth is the most common reason for hospitalization in the U.S., approved hospitals must meet requirements that align with principles that support evidence-based practices of care. Announcement

> Alabama will receive $328 million in federal funding over the next three years as part of a plan to transition its Medicaid program from a fee-for-service model to one that provides managed care. The state plans to contract with regional care organizations to provide care and case management services for patients, The News Courier reports. Article

> There have been gains in access to medical help and millions of dollars lost by insurers since the Affordable Care Act was signed into law, the president of Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon said Monday.  Even though Oregon's uninsured rate is 8.8 percent, market dynamics have created financial losses for healthcare firms, according to the Mail Tribune. Article

AntiFraud News

> A week after authorities raided compounding pharmacies in four states, federal investigators now believe compounding creams are the source of half a billion dollars in healthcare fraud. Article

> The CEO of a small Georgia hospital was arrested last week along with two physicians and three others who allegedly ran a long-standing prescription drug scam. Article

And finally… "And the Oscar goes to..." Article