KHN Midwest correspondent Lauren Weber joined StateImpact Oklahoma reporter Jackie Fortiér to discuss why a series of rural hospitals collapsed, leaving hundreds of residents without jobs and their communities without lifesaving emergency medical care. Weber and California Healthline senior correspondent Barbara Feder Ostrov wrote an in-depth story on the business practices of Jorge A. Perez and his management company, EmpowerHMS, that helped run that empire of rural hospitals. Related Topics Cost and Quality Health Industry States Hospitals Insurers Oklahoma Rural Medicine … [Read more...] about Listen: Five Oklahoma Hospitals Collapsed – What Happened?
Health Law
CDC Tally Of Vaping-Related Injuries Now At 805
Friday, Sep 27 2019 UPDATED 10:14 AM full issue According to the latest information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, all of the reported cases have a history of e-cigarette product use or vaping. Additionally, the Food and Drug Administration is conducting a criminal investigation. The Washington Post: CDC Reports 805 Cases Of Vaping-Related Lung Injury The New York Times: Vaping-Related Illnesses Climb To 805, C.D.C. Says The Wall Street Journal: Vaping-Related Lung Illnesses Rise 52%, CDC Says USA Today: Cases Of Vaping Lung Disease Jump To 805 With 12 Deaths, But Cause Remains A Mystery, CDC Says The Associated Press: US Vaping Illness Count Jumps To 805, Deaths Rise To 13 The Hill: Over 800 Cases Of Vaping Illnesses Reported To CDC Stat: CDC Reports Another Surge In Number Of Cases Of Vaping-Related Illness Georgia Health News: Vaping-Linked Lung Illnesses Jump … [Read more...] about CDC Tally Of Vaping-Related Injuries Now At 805
Insurers Test New Way To Cut Maternity Care Costs: Bundling
The thrill of delivering newborns helped pull Dr. Jack Feltz into the field of obstetrics and gynecology. More than 30 years later, he still enjoys treating patients, he said. But now, Feltz is also working to change the way doctors are paid for maternity care. Feltz’s New Jersey-based practice, Lifeline Medical Associates, recently partnered with the insurer UnitedHealthcare to test a new payment model. The insurer sets a budget with the practice to pay doctors one lump sum for prenatal services, delivery and 60 days of care afterward. If the costs come in below that amount, the medical practice gets to keep some of the savings. (Hospitals aren’t a part of this contract; the insurer pays them separately for their services.) “We’ve always been taught to take care of patients as if they were our mothers and our daughters,” said Feltz, who also leads a coalition of obstetricians called the U.S. Women’s Health Alliance that advocates for high-quality, … [Read more...] about Insurers Test New Way To Cut Maternity Care Costs: Bundling
KHN’s ‘What The Health?’: Impeachment And The Health Agenda
Can’t see the audio player? Click here to listen on SoundCloud. How will the impeachment effort on Capitol Hill affect work on other legislation, particularly bills to restrain the cost of prescription drugs and surprise medical bills? And will Congress and President Donald Trump be able to agree on the spending bills needed to keep the federal government open for business? Meanwhile, the annual survey of employer health insurance from the Kaiser Family Foundation found the cost of insurance continues to climb for both employers and workers, with the average premium for a family plan now topping $20,000. Workers are now expected to pay more than $6,000 of that amount, and average deductibles are more than $1,600. (KHN is an editorially independent program of the foundation.) This week’s panelists are Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Joanne Kenen of Politico, Paige Winfield Cunningham of The Washington Post and Rebecca Adams of CQ Roll Call. Among the takeaways from … [Read more...] about KHN’s ‘What The Health?’: Impeachment And The Health Agenda
Could Vape Bans Have Unintended Consequences?
Thursday, Sep 26 2019 9:36 AM full issue As states take steps to tamp down on vaping, questions are emerging about whether such actions could stimulate a black market for the products. In related news, Rhode Island joins the list of states to place restrictions on e-cigarettes; vaping deaths in Florida and Georgia are added to the national tally; and a Michigan vape shop filed suit to block the state's ban on flavored e-cigarettes, among other headlines. State House News Service: Vape Ban Could Cause People To Use Dangerous Products WBUR: Answers To 5 Questions About Gov. Baker’s Ban On Vape Products The Associated Press: Rhode Island Is Latest State To Bar Flavored Vape Products CNN: First Vaping Deaths In Florida And Georgia Bring Nationwide Total To 11 The Associated Press: Vape Shop Sues To Stop Michigan's Ban On Flavored E-Cigs The Associated Press: High-Flying Marijuana Vapes Take Hit From Health … [Read more...] about Could Vape Bans Have Unintended Consequences?