News From Around the Web:
> UnitedHealth is dropping dozens of providers from its Medicare Advantage plans in Rhode Island. The insurer wouldn't disclose how many doctors it's cutting or the criteria it's using to reduce the network, the Providence Journal reported. Article
> Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina has opened a new retail store in north Charlotte. The 2,000-square-foot store will help the insurer raise awareness about the healthcare reform law and provide more information about its insurance coverage, according to the Charlotte Business Journal. Article
> Highmark and UPMC have reached a tentative deal to settle lawsuits that have been ongoing for four years, reported the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Article
Health Provider News:
> Despite repeated GOP calls for U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to resign, most experts say her job is safe. With open enrollment in full swing, the administration needs someone in charge to explain the situation and update consumers on efforts to address problems with the exchange website. Article
> Healthcare compliance budgets and staff increased in 2013, according to a new report from the Society of Corporate Compliance and Ethics and the Health Care Compliance Association. Article
Health IT News:
> Doctors who can profit from using expensive intensity-modulate radiation therapy are twice as likely to recommend it--even without definitive data that it's better than traditional treatment. Article
> The founder and CEO of startup genetic testing company 23andMe says her company can revolutionize healthcare by shifting the emphasis from diagnosis to prevention, making consumers healthier. Article
And Finally... A screw might be the cause of your sinus troubles. Article