Employer Plans Pay Hospitals At More Than Double Medicare Rates

Modern Healthcare: Employer Health Plans Pay Hospitals 224% Of Medicare 
Employers continue to pay hospitals more than double the amount Medicare would pay for the same services, a new study shows. Private employer-sponsored health plans paid hospitals 224% of Medicare prices, on average, according to an updated RAND Corp. analysis of claims from 4,000 hospitals across every state except Maryland. Hospitals with higher market shares tended to have higher prices, according to the study, which supports past research. A 10% increase in hospital market share was associated with a 0.5% increase in a hospital's price relative to Medicare, researchers found. Still, some researchers noted that a 0.5% increase for a significant 10% boost in market share was relatively small. (Kacik, 5/17)

On the 340B drug pricing program —

Stat: Two Dozen States Side With HHS In 340B Dispute 
Two dozen states have waded into the heated dispute between the U.S. government and a growing number of pharmaceutical companies over a federal drug discount program, a complex, but significant battle with widespread implications for much of the American public. In filings in two federal appeals courts, the states and the District of Columbia argued the companies have “flouted” their legal obligations to the 340B program, which requires drugmakers to offer discounts that are typically estimated to be 25% to 50% — but could be higher — on all outpatient drugs to hospitals and clinics that primarily serve lower-income patients. (Silverman, 5/16)

On patient data and patient tracking —

Dallas Morning News: Dallas-Based Christus Health Experienced Unauthorized Activity On Its Computer Network
A Dallas-based Catholic, not-for-profit medical system has experienced a ransomware attack that it says did not affect any private patient health information. Katy Kiser, director of external communications and social media at Christus Health, confirmed the unauthorized activity on the system’s network. (Skores, 5/16)

Modern Healthcare: Needle In A Haystack: Providers Find The Value In Patient-Generated Health Data
Wearable devices and remote portals that gather health data directly from patients have become powerful tools for providers. These technologies, which track measures such as blood pressure, activity level, weight and pain, enable health systems to obtain clearer views of their patients’ health. That’s why providers such as Mayo Clinic and Baptist Health made it a priority to collect data captured by patients outside of a clinical setting. “What we’re realizing, especially in primary care, is the importance of all that additive data,” said Aaron Miri, senior vice president and chief digital and information officer at  Jacksonville, Florida-based Baptist Health. “These things are feeding into social determinants, which are really telling our clinicians how healthy a patient is.” (Devereaux, 5/17)

Stat: New Study Highlights Value Of Patient Tracking, Especially In The ER
Back in the ‘80s, when Shamai Grossman was mulling which medical specialty to choose, the major drawback of emergency medicine was that those doctors rarely got to learn what happened to their patients. Decades later, the same criticism holds true. “We only take care of patients for a few hours, yet the effects of what we do could have an impact way down the road,” said Grossman, an emergency medicine physician and vice chair for healthcare quality in Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center’s department of emergency medicine. (Bannow, 5/17)

In other health care industry news —

Modern Healthcare: Conflict-Of-Interest Threats Grow As Hospitals Diversify Revenue
Geisinger has a committee that identifies any potential conflicts of interest across its staff, including its governing board. Each year, the committee identifies any executive or physician who has a vested interest in a healthcare company that does business with Geisinger. Employees must disclose if their stock in a vendor or the compensation they receive from a business affiliate exceeds a certain threshold. Individuals may have to recuse themselves from any purchasing decision where they would have a potential conflict of interest, said Dr. Jaewon Ryu, Geisinger’s president and CEO. (Kacik, 5/17)

Stat: Google Taps FDA’s Former Digital Health Chief For Global Strategy Role 
Google has hired the former head of digital health at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to lead its efforts to develop and commercialize artificial intelligence products to improve the delivery of medical services around the world. Bakul Patel, a 13-year veteran of the FDA, will serve as Google’s senior director for global digital health strategy and regulatory affairs, according to a statement posted on his LinkedIn page Monday. He left his job at the agency last month. (Ross, 5/16)

AP: CVS Exec: People Deserve Fair Shot At Being Healthy
Dr. Joneigh Khaldun sees care disparities play out routinely as an emergency physician. She hopes her new role with CVS Health gives her more influence to fix those problems before they land patients in the hospital. The Woonsocket, Rhode Island, company’s first chief health equity officer says she is focused on giving everyone a fair chance to be as healthy as possible, a task made easier by her employer’s broad reach. Millions of Americans do business daily with CVS Health’s drugstores, clinics, prescription processing and health insurance. (Murphy, 5/16)

KHN: Why So Slow? Legislators Take On Insurers’ Delays In Approving Prescribed Treatments
Andrew Bade, who was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes nearly two decades ago, is accustomed to all the medical gear he needs to keep his blood sugar under control. His insulin pump contains a disposable insulin cartridge, and a plastic tubing system with an adhesive patch keeps in place the cannula that delivers insulin under his skin. He wears a continuous glucose monitor on his arm. Bade, 24, has used the same equipment for years, but every three months when he needs new supplies, his health insurance plan requires him to go through an approval process called prior authorization. (Andrews, 5/17)

KHN: As Red Cross Moves To Pricey Blood Treatment Method, Hospitals Call For More Choice 
Americans generally don’t spend much time thinking about the nation’s blood supply. That’s mainly because the collection and distribution system is safe and efficient. But there’s a new behind-the-scenes challenge, according to some hospital officials, who fear a change in how blood platelets are handled will sharply increase the cost — and, in some cases, the number of transfusions needed — to treat cancer patients, trauma victims, and those undergoing surgery. (Appleby, 5/17)

On abortion —

Houston Chronicle: St. Luke's Searching For Kid To Be 'Chief Humankindness Officer'
St. Luke’s Health is looking for someone to help spread a message of kindness. The Houston health system is searching for a child between 5 and 12 years old to serve as its “Chief Humankindness Officer.” The honorary title will be bestowed on a child who embodies positive energy and inspiration, according to a news release. The Chief Humankindness Officer will be a face of the health system’s “Hello humankindness” campaign, which focuses on healing the body, mind and spirit through kindness and respect. (MacDonald, 5/16)