Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Lyft Develops Nonemergency Medical Transport System
Fierce Healthcare: Lyft Pass For Healthcare Lets Patients Book Their Own Rides To The Doctor
Ride-sharing company Lyft is letting patients schedule nonemergency medical transport (NEMT) on health organization's dime with the launch of Lyft Pass for Healthcare. The latest healthcare offering falls in line with the initial Lyft Pass service launched in July 2020, which allows business organizations to monitor and cover the cost of employees’ transportation. Now, the company is extending those capabilities to healthcare organizations—commercial health plans as well as Medicare or Medicaid—and their members. (Muoio, 4/16)
Stat: American Hospital Association Loses Its Top Lobbyist At A Critical Time
Tom Nickels helped build the American Hospital Association into one of the biggest lobbying forces in Washington. He was the industry’s dealmaker on every big health policy battle of the last 25 years, from the fight over the Affordable Care Act to the creation of Medicare’s drug benefit to the deficit reduction frenzy of the 1990s. And now — as the hospital industry stares down a newly empowered Democratic Party eyeing a litany of unprecedented health reforms — Nickels is retiring at 68. (Cohrs, 4/19)
Stat: Report Guides Pediatricians On Preventing Abuse Of Children With Disabilities
Children with disabilities are at least three times more likely to experience abuse and neglect compared to their peers, and a new American Academy of Pediatrics report underscores the role of pediatricians in preventing maltreatment and offers guidance on how they can support families. “I’m always struck by the numbers of kids that are abused, and how prevalent abuse [is] in the population of children with disabilities,” said Lori Legano, the director of Child Protection Services at NYU Langone Health’s department of pediatrics and the lead author of the report, which was published Monday in Pediatrics. (Sohn, 4/19)
Crain's Chicago Business: HCSC Execs Collect Pay Hikes At Blue Cross Parent
Top brass at Chicago-based Health Care Service Corp. got big raises last year, as health insurers emerged largely unscathed from the economic fallout of a pandemic that hammered other segments of the health care industry. The biggest winner was former board member David Lesar, who served as interim CEO of HCSC from July 2019 through May 2020. His total compensation surged 172% to $16.9 million. Paula Steiner, who left HCSC after stepping down as CEO in July 2019, pocketed $12.6 million last year. Maurice Smith, who took the helm last June, got a 63% boost to $5.9 million, while longtime board Chairman Milton Carroll's pay jumped 81% to $8.9 million. (Goldberg, 4/18)
