Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Financial Woes Drive Bright Health Group Out Of Six States
Modern Healthcare: Bright Health To Exit Six States Following Year Of Losses
Bright Health Group will no longer offer individual and family plans in Illinois, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Utah or Virginia after 2022, a move to stabilize its finances following a rough year. The insurtech earlier this year outlined plans to curtail its growth and exit expensive markets as a result of the pandemic driving up medical costs for members gained through the special enrollment period. "Delivering on our commitment to provide a truly aligned model of care requires that we continually evaluate market changes and evolve to make the greatest impact both today and for the long term," Bright Health said in a statement. "Nothing will change for members or providers in 2022 and we will work to ensure all impacted members are transitioned to new plans during the next open enrollment cycle." (Devereaux, 4/15)
In other health care industry developments —
Bay Area News Group: Sutter Health Nurses, Staff Plan To Strike Monday At Some Bay Area Facilities
More than 8,000 Sutter Health nurses and health care workers are planning a one-day strike Monday at more than a dozen Northern California healthcare facilities for better health and safety standards amid the COVID-19 pandemic they say has led to “moral distress” among workers. After 10 months of contract negotiations, the workers are urging management to invest in “pandemic readiness protections” including adequate stockpiles of personal protective equipment, increased nursing staff and an equal voice on health and safety committees. (Jimenez, 4/16)
Atlanta Journal-Constitution: VA Proposes Massive Changes To Health-Care System In Georgia
The Department of Veterans Affairs has proposed replacing problem-ridden and crumbling clinics and hospitals across the Southeast, including the four major hospitals in Georgia. The multi-billion dollar demolition and rebuilding proposal would transform how veterans health care is delivered in Georgia, Alabama and South Carolina. The plan is subject to revision by federal lawmakers and budget writers and will take decades to complete, but it would mark a sea change for a federal agency criticized for years for substandard and delayed care for the nation’s veterans. (Quinn, 4/18)
Modern Healthcare: Federal Physician Malpractice Database May Not Work As Intended
Hospitals appear to be skirting federal requirements to report clinician malpractice or hospital privilege revocations to a national database designed to keep patients safe. Congress created the National Practitioner Data Bank in 1986 to prevent clinicians from moving to a new state or employer without disclosing previous damaging performance. Health systems are required to report to the Health and Resources Services Administration-operated database when they revoke a physician's hospital privileges or conduct investigations into physician performance that last over 30 days. Other entities must report medical malpractice payments, or licensure suspensions from medical boards. (Gillespie, 4/15)
The Colorado Sun: Colorado Pushes Again For Hospitals To Lower Their Prices
Colorado’s top health officials think the prices charged by large hospital systems in the state are too high. This is not exactly news; Kim Bimestefer, the executive director of the state’s Medicaid department, has been making this argument for years. But a new report and new comments made by Bimestefer during a virtual policy summit in recent weeks show the state is preparing to relaunch its fight against hospital prices, after the battle largely fell silent during the COVID pandemic. “We still have got a lot of work to do,” Bimestefer said. (Ingold, 4/15)
Modern Healthcare: Former CMS Administrator Resigns From Centene Board Over Governance, Leadership Dispute
Leslie Norwalk resigned this week from Centene Corp.'s board of directors over a disagreement about the governance process and committee leadership. Her resignation letter was made public by Centene Friday in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Norwalk, former administrator of the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services, was appointed to the insurer's board in January. She is strategic counsel to law firm Epstein Becker Green. (Tepper, 4/15)
KHN: Battle Lines Are Drawn Over California Deal With Kaiser Permanente
California counties, health insurance plans, community clinics, and a major national health care labor union are lining up against a controversial deal to grant HMO giant Kaiser Permanente a no-bid statewide Medicaid contract as the bill heads for its first legislative hearing Tuesday. The deal, hammered out earlier this year in closed-door talks between Kaiser Permanente and Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office and first reported by KHN, would allow KP to operate Medi-Cal plans in at least 32 counties without having to bid for the contracts. Medi-Cal’s other eight commercial health plans must compete for their contracts. (Wolfson, 4/18)
Also —
C-HIT.org: Interpreter Shortage Challenges Appropriate Medical Care For Deaf Patients
Deaf residents report frequent issues with sign language interpretation at Connecticut hospitals and health care facilities, hindering their ability to understand medical care fully. And though video remote interpreting (VRI) services are widely available at Connecticut hospitals, patients have reported mixed experiences with the technology. The issues persist more than 30 years after passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which requires interpretation for patients and family members under the “effective communication” section of the law. In the last three years, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has negotiated four settlements with medical facilities in Connecticut for complaints related to communication with deaf patients. (Gil, 4/16)
