News From Around the Web:
> Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Marilyn Tavenner said the federal government is prepared to respond to any glitches during next week's open enrollment for the health insurance exchanges, The Hill's Healthwatch reported. Article
> Kaiser Permanente and Inova Health System have ended their contract effective Oct. 1, leaving about 500,000 Kaiser members to pay higher out-of-network rates if they receive services from Inova providers, reported the Washington Post. Article
> Cigna wants to reduce rates for 12 employers in Connecticut and has asked the state insurance department to approve its proposed 0.6 percent drop in rates next year, according to BenefitsPro. Article
Health Provider News:
> Out-of-pocket costs are growing even though overall healthcare spending is at an all-time low, according to a new report from the Health Care Cost Institute. Article
> A federal court judge dismissed a lawsuit seeking to eliminate observation status in hospitals or at least require hospitals to inform patients when they are in observation so they can challenge Medicare coverage decisions. Article
Health IT News:
> The permanent Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act auditing program that starts next year will be narrower in scope than the 2012 auditing pilot program, according to Leon Rodriguez, director of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services' Office for Civil Rights. Article
> Despite increased participation in health information exchanges, U.S. hospitals are struggling to share patient data with each other in "meaningful ways," according to a new report from HIMSS Analytics. Article
And Finally... This monkey might be a tad chauvinistic. Article