Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
A Growing Problem For Hospitals, Medical Practices: Unpaid Bills
USA Today/The Tennessean: Why More Than Half Of Hospital Bills Don’t Get Paid
Hospitals and medical practices share a growing problem with those they treat: Patients aren’t paying their bills. Working people are on the hook for an increasingly large portion of the cost of their care, as insurance policies pay for less. It’s a trend that is not reversing — and it’s causing financial distress for families and CEOs alike. (Fletcher, 3/8)
Georgia Health News: Years Of Large-Scale Drug Thefts Reported At An Emory Hospital
Two pharmacy employees at Emory University Hospital Midtown illegally diverted more than 1 million doses of controlled drugs in a scheme that lasted more than four years, according to a Georgia Board of Pharmacy consent order. (Miller, 3/8)
The Boston Globe: Steward, Hospital Industry Titans Butt Heads On Ballot Question
Steward Health Care System is breaking ranks with the rest of the hospital industry and throwing its support behind a controversial ballot proposal to take hundreds of millions of dollars from the state’s wealthiest hospitals and give them to lower-paid community hospitals. (Dayal McCluksey, 3/9)
