Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
First Edition: October 23, 2014
The Associated Press: Healthcare.gov’s EZ Form Not For Legal Immigrants
HealthCare.gov’s new EZ application for coverage can’t be used by legal immigrants or naturalized U.S. citizens, prompting concern that many Hispanics and Asians will go right back into long enrollment queues this year. (Alonso-Zaldivar, 10/23)
The Associated Press: Maryland To Keep Testing Health Exchange Website
Maryland’s information technology secretary says the state will be testing how well its revamped health exchange website can handle thousands of users over different periods of time. Isabel FitzGerald gave an update on Tuesday about how work is going. The state has incorporated new technology from Connecticut to revamp the website, which crashed on the day it opened last year. (10/21)
The New York Times: Economists See Limited Gains In G.O.P. Plan
Anticipating a takeover of Congress, Republicans have assembled an economic agenda that reflects their small-government, anti-regulation philosophy, but also suggests internal divisions that could hinder a united front against President Obama ... The proposals would mainly benefit energy industries, reduce taxes and regulations for businesses generally, and continue the attack on the Affordable Care Act. It is a mix that leaves many economists, including several conservatives, underwhelmed. ... Omitted were two of House Republicans’ most far-reaching and divisive proposals: repeal of the president’s Affordable Care Act — senators instead propose changes to its employer mandates — and the so-called Ryan Plan, a long-term budget to revamp Medicare and Medicaid and significantly reduce other domestic and military spending enough to balance the budget in 10 years, while sharply cutting taxes. That House budget never gained much support among Senate Republicans. (Calmes, 10/22)
The Wall Street Journal: How Medicare ‘Self-Referral’ Thrives On Loophole
In a letter to a friend, the manager of a Florida urology practice worried in 2010 that her company would attract federal scrutiny for its frequent use of an expensive bladder-cancer test. The manager’s concern involved a program at 21st Century Oncology Holdings Inc.—a national chain of cancer practices—that gives its urologists a financial incentive to order the test from a central in-house lab. A federal law since the 1990s has prohibited “self-referral,” in which doctors can profit from Medicare-reimbursed procedures they order. But 21st Century Oncology and many physician groups around the country have found ways to do it anyway, exploiting an exception to the law in ways its writers didn’t anticipate. (Carreyrou and Adamy, 10/22)
The Wall Street Journal: Pete Stark: Law Regulating Doctors Mostly Helped Lawyers
Pete Stark’s landmark law to curb medical self-referral hasn’t worked out how he planned. His retirement, on the other hand, is playing out just how he’d like it to. “It’s a lot of fun,” the former California Democratic congressman said of life after Capitol Hill during a recent interview. “I’m lazy and just enjoying getting ready for the winter.” Self-referral occurs when doctors refer patients needing services such as lab tests or MRIs to entities from which they benefit financially. The Stark Law, passed two decades ago, sought to ban self-referral when the patient is covered by Medicare or another government plan. But many medical groups have gotten around the law, as the Journal reports in a page-one article today. (Adamy, 10/22)
The Washington Post's Wonkblog: You May Want To Thank George W. Bush — Not Obamacare — For The Remarkable Medicare Cost Slowdown
The cost of Medicare has been slowing dramatically in recent years, leading to much head-scratching by health economists and much credit-mongering by politicians. President Obama, for instance, claimed earlier this month that his Affordable Care Act is driving down both Medicare costs and the overall cost of healthcare. Now comes evidence that an entirely different program may deserve more of the credit, at least as far as Medicare is concerned -- the Medicare prescription drug program, enacted under president George W. Bush. (Montgomery, 10/22)
The Washington Post: Obama ‘Cautiously More Optimistic’ On Ebola
President Obama said Wednesday that he was "cautiously more optimistic" that the chances of additional infections in the U.S. stemming from Ebola victim Thomas Eric Duncan are ebbing." The fact that Duncan's closest associates have not fallen ill, the president added, "just gives, I think, people one more sense of how difficult it is to get this disease." (Eilperin, 10/22)
The Associated Press: Hospital Of Ebola Patient Posts Poor ER Benchmarks
For all the strengths of Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas, the first U.S.-diagnosed Ebola patient walked through its seemingly weakest link: the emergency room. Presbyterian met or exceeded 75 percent of 138 specific measures of care, according to its most recent data. But its emergency department failed to meet all five national patient safety and quality benchmarks the hospital reported. (Mendoza and Sedensky, 10/23)
The Wall Street Journal: Ebola Still Weighs On Texas Hospital
Texas Health said it believed it had sufficient financial reserves to cover losses ... Last week, Moody’s Investors Service revised its outlook for bonds issued by Texas Health Resources to “developing” from “positive,” as analysts attempt to gauge the effect the Ebola scare may have on patient volumes. (McCabe and Weaver, 10/22)
Los Angeles Times: Anthem Rate Increase 'Excessive,' State Insurance Regulator Says
In the final days of a battle over Proposition 45, California's insurance commissioner criticized Anthem Blue Cross for an "excessive" rate increase affecting 120,000 people with small-business health coverage. Dave Jones said Anthem had failed to justify its 10% average rate increase and used an "unwarranted accounting maneuver" to mask its high profits. But Jones has no power now to stop Anthem's increase, a fact he's been campaigning hard to change with Proposition 45. (Terhune, 10/22)
Los Angeles Times: Nader Assails Brown For Not Backing Prop. 46 To Raise Lawsuit Caps
Consumer advocate Ralph Nader blasted his onetime ally California Gov. Jerry Brown on Wednesday for failing to back a November ballot proposition that would raise the cap on pain-and-suffering awards in medical malpractice suits. “It’s inexplicable to me. It’s disappointing beyond my ability to explain to you,” Nader said in an interview, a day after he wrote a letter to Brown voicing his displeasure over his refusal to climb aboard Proposition 46. (Mehta, 10/22)
Los Angeles Times: Cal State Awarded $60 Million In Federal Grants To Help Diversify Biomedical Research
Three California State University campuses Wednesday were awarded more than $60 million in federal grants to help train low-income and minority students for biomedical research careers. The National Institutes of Health grants are for five years and include $22.7 million to Cal State Long Beach, $21.8 million to Cal State Northridge and $17 million to San Francisco State University to develop mentorship programs, engage students' families, improve instruction and develop community-based research projects. (Rivera, 10/22)
