News From Around the Web
> California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones balked at Blue Shield of California's rate hike--meanwhile, the insurer agreed to buy GEMCare Health Plan from San Francisco's Dignity Health, reported the San Francisco Business Times. Article
> The U.S. Supreme Court will hear Hobby Lobby's challenge to the contraception mandate on March 25, according to the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, counsel for the Oklahoma-based craft store chain. Announcement
> Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Montana will give consumers until Jan. 30, 2014, to pay their first month's premium for those who signed up for new coverage with a Jan. 1, 2014, effective date, the insurer said yesterday. Announcement (.pdf)
Healthcare Provider News
> In a recent post for the New York Times, Haider Javed Warraich, M.D., a resident at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, explores the ethical implications for physicians who research their patients online. Article
> New research published in Family Practice suggests many walk-in visits may be inappropriate for opposite reasons--depending on whom you ask. Article
And Finally... Cinnamon rolls: I'm too spicy for the European Union. Article