News From Around the Web:
> Humana has partnered with Eli Lilly to create a joint research collaboration that pools the companies' resources to identify and analyze data to help improve healthcare outcomes, according to a statement from the companies. The partnership is a multi-year agreement, under which Humana and Lilly will study different disease states, including the impact of interventions on outcomes, adherence programs, disease management and pharmacoeconomics. Statement
> Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield's proposal to transfer individual members to a limited network plan led hundreds of Maine residents to turn up for a public hearing, reported the Portland Press Herald. They criticized the plan for eliminating several hospitals from the network. Article
> The Office of Inspector General has determined the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services overpaid Alabama $88 million for its Children Health Insurance Program, according to an OIG report. Audit
Health Provider News:
> When a medical group enters into an accountable care organization contract with a payer, the benefits reach beyond just the patients covered by the ACO, according to a new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Article
> Medicare reimburses doctors up to five times more for performing common procedures than for cognitive care, allowing specialists to generate more revenue in an hour or two than a primary care physician makes in a day, finds a new study published online by JAMA Internal Medicine. Article
Health IT News:
> The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services has dropped the requirement that organizations report all data breaches involving health insurance exchanges within one hour of discovery. Article
> Healthcare IT spending will top $34.5 billion in North America in 2014, according to a new report by research firm Technology Business Research. Article
And Finally... Ouch, rhinos can bite! Article