ConnectiCare forms ACO with Hartford HealthCare; Louisiana might consider privatizing Medicaid expansion;

News From Around the Web:

> ConnectiCare and Hartford HealthCare, which owns Hartford Hospital, are launching a new accountable care organization aimed at improving management of patient care and lowering costs, reported the Hartford Courant. The ACO will involve about 12,000 Medicare members in the Hartford region. Article

> Despite their strong opposition to the reform law's Medicaid expansion, Louisiana officials have begun to show some interest in using private insurers to help expand the Medicaid program, reported the New Orleans Times-Picayune. Article

Provider News:

> The reform law is motivating more doctors out of private practice and into hospital employment where they can join hospital-owned accountable care organizations. Article

> Most small doctor practices lack the infrastructure to become patient-centered medical homes. Article

> Researchers from the University of Texas Medical Branch have found that risk of rehospitalization is linked to the post-discharge activity levels of elderly patients. Article

Health IT News:

> Hospitals can use social media sharing platform Pinterest to their advantage by sharing information that support their mission and driving traffic to their own websites. Blog Post

> Doctors who have electronic access to their patients' formularies, including copays, are more likely to prescribe a less-expensive drug for Type 2 diabetes and hypertension. Article

> The House Energy and Commerce Committee will hold a three-day series of hearings to help pressure the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on whether it intends to regulate smartphones, tablets and mHealth apps as medical devices. Article

And Finally… Have you experienced "delayed auditory feedback"? Article