HIV patients should look beyond premium costs when choosing plans; California pays $387M to cover hepatitis C treatments;

News From Around the Web

> A new Kaiser Family Foundation analysis finds that people living with HIV could benefit from looking beyond premium costs when shopping for a health plan in the individual marketplace--as plans with the lowest premiums are often not the most cost-effective option. Analysis

> Private health plans charged the state of California $387.5 million to cover high-cost hepatitis C treatments in Medi-Cal between July 2014 and November 2015, when just 3,624 patients received the treatments, NPR reports. Article

> Looking at a chart that tracks Americans' support for a "government insurance plan which would cover all medical and hospital expenses" reveals support dropped considerably between the 2008 election and 2012, according to Vox, results that could mean the Affordable Care reduced public interest in creating a government-run healthcare system. Article

Health IT News

> The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services recently investigated Theranos, and the results are that "the deficient practices of the laboratory pose immediate jeopardy to patient health and safety." In order for a lab to do testing, there are requirements that must be met, and CMS said Theranos fell short in many areas. Article

Health Finance News

> A new report from the American Hospital Association said that hospitals must cut down on paperwork and other bureaucratic exercises that can cause healthcare costs to rise. Article

And finally… Every little bit helps. Article