News From Around the Web
> In light of the Department of Health and Human Services' recent announcement to propose a funding cut for Medicare Advantage health plans, Humana said this proposal would mean a 1.25 percent to a 1.75 percent cut for the managed care company in 2016, reported Reuters. Article
> Come July 1, some health insurers in Massachusetts will begin covering methadone treatment for opioid addiction, reported the Worcester Telegram & Gazette. Opioid overdoses increases 90 percent in the state between 2000 and 2012. Article
> Blue Cross Blue Shield of South Carolina and Lexington Medical Center have two weeks to finalize whether the hospital would be considered in-network for members, reported WLTX. The private debacle went public just last week after the insurer sent a letter to its members, notifying them of the potential change. Article
Provider News
> Hospitals have improved their maternity care, but wide variation persists across the country, according to a new report from the Leapfrog Group, an independent, national nonprofit that advocates hospital transparency and patient safety. Article
> Hospitals and government officials are racing to address the threat posed by antibiotic-resistant superbug Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae, which grabbed headlines late last week when reports surfaced that two California patients died after coming into contact with contaminated medical scopes, and now has been linked to two more patient deaths in North Carolina. Article
And finally … These kids rock. Video