Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Ways To Save Medicare Money May Not Be Popular With Voters, Industry
Axios: Government Health Care Spending Conversation Often Excludes Employer Insurance
There's been a lot of talk about Medicare's role in government health care spending, but what doesn't often come up is federal spending on employer insurance — or more accurately, the tax revenue that the government gives up. Reducing the tax break for employer-sponsored insurance would save the federal government hundreds of billions of dollars, but there's a reason that idea doesn't get pitched very often: Voters would almost certainly hate it. (Owens, 10/23)
Modern Healthcare: GPDC Saved Medicare $371.5M In 2022, CMS Says
The Global and Professional Direct Contracting Model went out a winner in its second and final year by saving Medicare $371.5 million in 2022, a more than fivefold improvement from the prior year, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced Monday. CMS credited the $301.1 million increase in savings to growth in the number and experience of Direct Contracting participants, and to an extension of the amount of time organizations had to manage patient care. Tepper, 10/23)
In news about health care personnel —
The Washington Post: Prominent Pathologist At Johns Hopkins On Leave, Facing Bullying Claims
A prominent cancer-detecting doctor at Johns Hopkins Hospital is on administrative leave after a misdiagnosis led to a patient’s bladder removal, and as allegations have surfaced that he bullied or intimidated others in his department, according to interviews and an accreditation report obtained by The Washington Post. The internationally regarded pathologist Jonathan I. Epstein has been accused by other doctors of pressuring them to give second opinions that agree with diagnoses made by his wife, who also is a pathologist, said four people who have knowledge of the situation and spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing probe. (Thompson and Shepherd, 10/22)
Fierce Healthcare: Henry Ford Health Sued Over Cognition Tests For Older Physicians
An 84-year-old ophthalmologist has filed a class action lawsuit against Henry Ford Health and its medical group practice over a policy requiring older practitioners to undergo a cognition screen in order to keep their position. The complaint, filed late September in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, alleges that the organizations are discriminating against its employees solely on the basis of their age. (Muoio, 10/23)
In health technology news —
Becker's Hospital Review: Google Can Track Analytics From Healthcare Providers, Judge Says
A California judge rejected the request to prevent the tech giant Google from gathering user analytics data from websites of healthcare providers, Law360 reported Oct. 18. The judge said there is no evidence that Google has been using the collected information from healthcare providers' websites for "criminal or tortious purposes," according to the publication. (Diaz, 10/20)
Modern Healthcare: Healthcare Cybersecurity Incidents Up In 2023 Over 2022, 2021
Cybersecurity incidents in healthcare spiked in September as the industry continues to face challenges in protecting data, according to a report published Tuesday. The report, from cybersecurity software company NCC Group, found that cybersecurity incidents increased 86% in September. (Perna, 10/24)
In other health care industry news —
The Colorado Sun: Colorado Health Insurance Rates Are Set To Rise Nearly 10% In 2024
Health insurance premiums for people who buy coverage on their own are set to increase by nearly 10% next year. But that is slightly lower than insurers had initially requested, and the Polis administration found other reasons to cheer in the numbers it released Monday. (Ingold, 10/24)
St. Louis Post-Dispatch: As Cigna Exits Missouri ACA Marketplace, BJC Says It Is Near A Deal For New Carrier
BJC HealthCare, the region’s biggest health care provider, says it is working on a plan to ensure people who depend on “Obamacare” health insurance policies will still have access to its system. BJC said it plans to make an announcement on an agreement for a new Affordable Care Act coverage option early this week, ahead of the start of the open enrollment period. (Merrilees, 10/23)
Modern Healthcare: MJHS’ Hospice Aims To Connect With LGBTQ+ Community
While hospice has become a popular end-of-life care choice for many terminally ill people in the United States, the care model continues to suffer an image problem among members of the LGBTQ+ community. One-third of LGBTQ respondents to a survey released last year by the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization said they were unsure whether hospice providers would respect their sexuality. “We don’t know what comes along with their history,” Weiss said. “So it’s our job to create safety for those patients.” (Eastabrook, 10/23)
Axios: A Tiny Home Makes The Case For At-Home Hospital Care
With HGTV-style finishes like butcher block counters and hardwood floors, a tiny house on wheels rolled into Washington this week demonstrating what it looks like to hospitalize patients at home. Medically Home — one of the companies helping health systems like the Mayo Clinic and Kaiser Permanente launch their own hospital-at-home programs — is making the case for Medicare to extend pandemic-era flexibilities funding at-home hospital care. (Reed, 10/24)
