News From Around the Web:
> FirstCarolinaCare Insurance, which insures about 20,000 people in North Carolina, has pulled out of the state's health insurance exchange because there are too many variables regarding how the reform law will unfold, the Triangle Business Journal reported. Article
> The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services has allocated $67 million to expand healthcare through local clinics and health centers. The funds will help improve 1,200 existing health centers while also aiding the establishment of 32 new centers, which will increase preventive and primary care to more than 130,000 people, HHS said. Statement
> Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield in Maine has been defending its proposal to switch about 9,000 members into a narrow network plan, claiming the move will cut costs by about 12 percent, reported the Portland Press Herald. Article
Health Provider News:
> Patient assessments of quality of care do not correlate closely with clinical measures of quality, according to new research. Article
> Since the physician shortage will worsen after uninsured patients enroll for coverage through healthcare reform and seek treatment for long-ignored medical conditions, many nurse practitioners are filling the void. Article
Health IT News:
> As patient care models continue to shift with an emphasis on increased provider accountability, hospital CIOs must evolve to keep pace, overcoming several hurdles in making the transition. Article
> Newly proposed legislation in the House would allow Medicare providers to treat patients electronically across state lines without having to obtain multiple state medical licenses. Aritcle
And Finally... Want a delicious birthday cake? Take this step. Article