Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Health Plans Can’t Deny Coverage For Treatments Broadly Geared To Disabled Customers, Judge Says
San Francisco Chronicle: In Suit Against Kaiser Permanente, Judge Says Insurance Firms Can’t Discriminate Against Disabled
Insurance companies cannot discriminate against disabled people by broadly denying coverage for the types of treatment they need, a federal appeals court ruled Tuesday. In a lawsuit against Kaiser Foundation Health Plan by two hard-of-hearing patients insured under the federal health care law, the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco said they may not be entitled to coverage, because not everyone with a hearing loss is disabled. But the court said Kaiser and other insurers that provide coverage under the 2010 law known as the Affordable Care Act may not design their plans in ways that exclude the disabled. (Egelko, 7/14)
Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Hospitals Mistakenly Given Millions In Relief Funding
At a time when Georgia hospitals are experiencing huge revenue losses, a west Georgia community hospital system did the unthinkable: It gave back tens of millions in relief money. Tanner Health System returned $62.6 million after it discovered an error in the way the federal government had calculated its distribution under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Under the legislation, more than $2 billion has been distributed by the government to thousands of Georgia health care providers to help soften the impact of the pandemic. (Berard, 7/14)
Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Georgia Inks Deal With Piedmont Healthcare For Expanded Bed Capacity
Georgia health officials inked a contract with Piedmont Healthcare to expand the state’s hospital bed capacity as the number of coronavirus cases in the state soars. Gov. Brian Kemp’s office said the contract will add at least 62 beds at the hospital’s main building at the Buckhead campus and, potentially, another 40 or so beds in the new Marcus Tower, which was opened four months ahead of schedule. (Bluestein, 7/14)
Modern Healthcare: Median Commercial Charge For COVID-19 Hospitalizations Reaches $45,000
The median in-network commercial charge for COVID-19 hospitalizations ranged from $34,662 for the 23 to 30 age group to $45,683 for the 51 to 60 age group, new data show. The 51 to 60 age group was the most expensive to treat as well as the most common to be hospitalized for COVID-19, accounting for nearly 30% of related hospitalizations, according to an analysis of commercial claims from January through May by not-for-profit research firm Fair Health. Although, the age distribution may be in flux, researchers said, pointing to recent reports indicating that the average age of new COVID-19 cases dropped by about 15 years. (Kacik, 7/14)
Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Ga. Health Agency Stymies Requests For Public Records During Pandemic
In the first four months of COVID-19 when Georgia saw more than 84,000 confirmed cases and nearly 3,000 deaths, journalists, advocates and lawyers submitted more than 40 records requests for emails about the Department of Public Health’s response to the pandemic. The requesters sought emails regarding the state’s allocation of resources, Gov. Brian Kemp’s April remarks about asymptomatic transmission of COVID-19, correspondence with corporate leaders and information that guided the state’s reopening. (Blau, 7/14)
