State Highlights: 40 States Test End-Of-Life Care Approaches; Minnesota Blue Cross Plans To Cut 450 IT Jobs

Stateline: In 40 States, A New Focus On End-Of-Life Care And Counseling
Beginning next year, the federal government will conduct a five-year, 40-state experiment to determine whether there is a better way to help elderly Americans come to grips with terminal illnesses and prepare to die. Last month, the Obama administration announced that 141 hospices across the country will offer end-of-life care and counseling to dying Medicare patients at the same time those patients receive treatment to extend their lives. Currently Medicare, the federal health insurance system for people older than 65 or with certain disabilities, requires terminally ill patients to choose one or the other. (Ollove, 8/5)

Minnesota Public Radio: Minnesota Blue Cross Plans 450 Job Cuts Through 2019
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota will cut around 450 positions over the next four years with losses coming in information technology, the state's largest insurer said Tuesday. (Cox, 8/4)

The Minneapolis Star-Tribune: Blue Cross And Blue Shield Minnesota Will Cut 450 IT Jobs
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota is eliminating 450 jobs within its information technology division over the next several years, the Eagan-based health insurer announced Tuesday. (Snowbeck, 8/4)

Georgia Health News: Most Georgia Hospitals Face Readmission Fines
Two-thirds of Georgia hospitals will receive Medicare fines for having too many discharged patients return within a month for additional care, federal data show. The 67 percent of Georgia hospitals facing penalties is higher than the national average of 54 percent, according to a Kaiser Health News analysis. (Miller, 8/4)

The Kansas Health Institute News Service: CDC Report: One In Five Adults Kansans Has A Disability
One of every five Kansas adults has at least one disability, according to a recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In Kansas, difficulty walking was the most common disability (13 percent), followed by cognitive impairment (9 percent); inability to live alone due to physical, mental or emotional conditions (5 percent); difficulty bathing or dressing (3 percent), and seriously impaired vision (3 percent). (Ranney, 8/4)

The Charlotte Observer: Mecklenburg County Rescinds Benefits For Unmarried Same-Sex Partners
Now that gay marriage is legal nationwide, eight Mecklenburg County employees whose live-in mates received health benefits will have to marry if they want their partners listed as dependents. With little discussion, the board of county commissioners unanimously approved on Tuesday cutting benefits for domestic partners of gay employees in light of the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that legalized same-sex marriage. Under the change, domestic partnerships – defined by the county as a long-term relationship between people of the same sex who live together and are financially interdependent – will no longer be an option when employees choose their health care plans this fall. Gay employees who wed will be able to list their spouses as dependents. (McFadden, 8/4)

The Charlotte Observer: Premier Inc. To Buy Pittsburgh Firm For $40M
Charlotte-based health solutions company Premier Inc. said Tuesday it has reached an agreement to purchase Pittsburgh-based CECity Inc. for $400 million. CECity, a privately held company, specializes in improving electronic health care reporting, pay-for-value reporting and continuing medical education. The deal is expected to close in Premier’s fiscal first quarter that ends Sept. 30 and is subject to regulatory approval, according to a statement from Premier Tuesday. Susan DeVore, president and chief executive officer of Premier, said the acquisition will better enable Premier to provide performance improvement technology for health care professionals in a rapidly changing market. (Peralta, 8/4)