Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
State Highlights: In Colo., Confusion About Freestanding ERs Can Lead To Big Medical Bills; N.J. Insurer Saved $43M By Rooting Out Fraud
The Denver Post: Confusion Over Freestanding ERs Can Lead To Shocking Bills, Analysis Shows
Colorado patients who visit freestanding emergency departments for non-life threatening concerns may mistakenly end up paying vastly higher bills for care that could be provided by less-expensive urgent care centers, according to an analysis by the Center for Improving Value in Health Care. For instance, the cost of treatment for bronchitis at an ER facility was nearly 10 times what it was at urgent care centers. (7/6)
The Philadelphia Inquirer: New Jersey Health Insurer Blocks $42M In Fraud
The special investigations unit of Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey generated $43.2 million in savings last year by rooting out fraud, the Newark, N.J., health insurer said Wednesday. Horizon said one of the latest trends in fraud is the "phantom doctor's office," which are shell offices that submit bogus claims using stolen insurance identification numbers and then vanish. (Brubaker, 7/6)
New Hampshire Union Leader: Agency: Hospital Settlements With Uninfected Patients Avoided More Bad Publicity
An agency being sued by Exeter Hospital over the 2012 hepatitis C outbreak insists it shouldn’t have to help foot the bill for the settlements the hospital reached with 188 patients who tested negative, suggesting the hospital only settled to avoid more bad publicity and the costs of fighting potential lawsuits. In recently filed court documents, the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) continued to claim that it’s not responsible for contributing to the settlements the hospital made with uninfected patients who never filed lawsuits. (Schreiber, 7/6)
Orlando Sentinel: Palm Beach County Doctor Sentenced To Prison For $2.1M Fraud, Fake Diagnoses
A Palm Beach County doctor was sentenced to nearly four years in federal prison on Wednesday for fraudulently billing more than $2.1 million from Medicare by issuing false diagnoses. Dr. Isaac Kojo Anakwah Thompson, 56, who ran medical businesses in Delray Beach and Boynton Beach, pleaded guilty earlier this year to a health care fraud charge. (McMahon, 7/6)
The CT Mirror: CT Towns, Medical Examiner Compromise On Handling Of Remains
Connecticut’s cities and towns and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner appear to have reached a temporary resolution of their disagreement over responsibility for unclaimed human remains. The Farmington-based medical examiner’s office will handle storage and disposition of the bodies, but communities will take on responsibility for transporting them. The compromise was reached at the urging of Attorney General George Jepsen’s office, which hinted this week that a legal opinion could leave both parties unsatisfied, and ultimately won’t resolve the budgetary strain each side is facing. (Phaneuf, 7/7)
The Columbus Dispatch: Hearing Impaired Now Can Get Ohio Commercial Driver's License
The deaf and hearing impaired have a new career option, as a truck driver. The Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles, Office of Criminal Justice Services and Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities have joined to develop procedures that allow the deaf and hearing impaired to qualify for a waiver so that they can train and test for a commercial driver’s license. Before now, the deaf and hearing impaired could not do so. (Williams, 7/7)
The Associated Press: NY Assembly To Hold Hearings On Drinking Water Contamination
The state Assembly is planning to hold public hearings on water quality in early September. Speaker Carl Heastie, Environmental Conservation Committee Chair Steve Englebright and Health Committee Chair Richard Gottfried announced the hearings Wednesday afternoon. They said the hearings in Albany and Suffolk County will take testimony related to the causes and responses to drinking water contamination in various communities across the state. (7/6)
The Columbus Dispatch: Program Aims To Provide Eye Exams, Glasses For The Uninsured, Poor
Through its Eyes of Hope programs, VSP said it has spent $175 million on eye care and eyewear for 1 million people and has committed to serving a million more by 2020. According to the company, more than 46 million U.S. households aren't covered by vision plans and don't have access to vision insurance through work. That matters more than you might imagine. Eye exams can be critical to detecting serious health problems including diabetes and high blood pressure early. (Kurtzman, 7/6)
Cleveland Plain Dealer: For Cleveland Clinic, Arrest Of Arab Patient Is Potentially Bad Business
The Cleveland Clinic, with its increasingly international clientele, has long provided specialty care to patients from around the globe. ... But recently the system found itself in an awkward position after a patient from the UAE was arrested while trying to check into an Avon hotel. Police have since apologized to the man, whose brief detention was based on the unfounded suspicions of a hotel clerk, and declared it an unfortunate episode. (Ross, 7/6)
Georgia Health News: Savannah Students Get Head Start On Medical Careers
Nine students enrolled in the medical specialty programs at Beach High and Woodville Tompkins are spending their summer preparing for careers in medicine. ...The Medical College of Georgia has been offering SEEP in various forms since 1970 to interest more underrepresented, nontraditional and economically disadvantaged students in health care professions. The program was expanded to Savannah’s medical specialty programs in 2011. (Few, 7/5)
