Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Despite Pandemic, Hospital Group Still Aggressively Billing Patients: Report
CNN: Community Health Systems: One Of America's Largest Hospital Chains Has Been Suing Patients During The Pandemic
As the coronavirus spiked in Missouri last fall, a wave of cases hit a nursing home in the state's rural heartland. Robin Bull, a part-time nurse, remembered an ambulance "coming and going constantly" on one especially scary morning, rushing residents to Moberly Regional Medical Center, the local hospital. But even as Bull was helping send patients to Moberly Regional, the hospital was in the process of suing her and at least one other former employee at the nursing home. They were two of more than 600 former patients that the hospital has sued over medical bills during the coronavirus pandemic, according to a CNN analysis of court records. (Tolan, 5/18)
Axios: Employers To Add New Benefits As Workers Crave Security
The pandemic is driving more employers to offer benefits such as extra protection against major hospital bills and even pet insurance, according to the Emerging Trends in Health Care Survey from Willis Towers Watson. In the wake of a year that brought plenty of worst-case scenarios, this analysis shows employers responding to employees' desire for security. (Reed, 5/18)
In news about how your health data is used —
Stat: How A Startup Is Turning Unwieldy Health Data Into A Patient-Friendly Platform
Once seen as the place technological innovation went to die, health records are seeing a resurgence of interest as companies roll out creative new ways to let people interact with their health information. One of those startups, PicnicHealth, has a clear mission: Make it possible for users to access all of their medical encounters, no matter how unwieldy the format. The company has built a system to field everything from PDFs to unstructured doctor’s notes to let its users focus on self-care rather than data management. (Brodwin, 5/18)
KHN: Doctors Now Must Provide Patients Their Health Data, Online And On Demand
Last summer, Anna Ramsey suffered a flare-up of juvenile dermatomyositis, a rare autoimmune condition, posing a terrifying prospect for the Los Angeles resident: She might have to undergo chemotherapy, further compromising her immune system during a pandemic. After an agonizing three-day wait, the results of a blood test came back in her online patient portal — but she didn’t understand them. As hours passed, Ramsey bit her nails and paced. The next day, she gave in and emailed her doctor, who responded with an explanation and a plan. (Kwon, 5/18)
In other health care industry news —
Modern Healthcare: Clover Health's Losses Climb 71% In Q1 Following SEC Review
New Medicare Advantage members pushed Clover Health's revenue up 21% during the first quarter of 2021. The Nashville-based insurtech company reported $200.3 million in revenue during the first quarter ended March 31, up from $165.3 million the year prior. Much of the revenue growth came from new Medicare Advantage membership, which grew 18% year-over-year to 66,300 enrollees. The company counted 130,000 total members. (Tepper, 5/17)
Houston Chronicle: As Vaccines Roll Out, Health Care Industry Is On The Road To Recovery
While the pandemic was a financial disaster for some sectors, health care still saw healthy revenue and some profit, even if it wasn’t at the level predicted going into the last year. Though the pandemic left hospitals in the region and around the globe preternaturally busy, it also closed down some of their more profitable business segments. Now, as vaccines become readily available and COVID caseloads decline, things are looking up. In Houston, where the industry employs hundreds of thousands of workers, unemployment has bounced back to pre-pandemic levels as patients return for medical procedures they’ve put off for months. (Wu, 5/17)
Modern Healthcare: HIMSS To Require COVID-19 Vaccination For Annual Conference
Attendees at the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society annual conference in August will be required to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination, the trade association announced Monday. The move comes after HIMSS canceled the 2020 conference because of the pandemic. This year conference goers will have to provide proof of vaccination, and the group said it will specify what proof will be accepted, with a focus on, "accessible, privacy-preserving technologies." (Gillespie, 5/17)
KHN: Aiding Her Dying Husband, A Geriatrician Learns The Emotional And Physical Toll Of Caregiving
The loss of a husband. The death of a sister. Taking in an elderly mother with dementia. This has been a year like none other for Dr. Rebecca Elon, who has dedicated her professional life to helping older adults. It’s taught her what families go through when caring for someone with serious illness as nothing has before. “Reading about caregiving of this kind was one thing. Experiencing it was entirely different,” she told me. (Graham, 5/18)
