Latest Morning Briefing Stories
Retooling Hospitals, One Data Point At A Time
The University of Utah improved quality and reduced costs by tracking each patient’s care.
Shortage Of Saline Solution Has Hospitals On Edge
Manufacturers of the essential fluid say they won’t be able to catch up with demand until next year.
ACA Hasn’t Boosted Use Of Mental-Health Care Services In Philly Region
Caregivers blame Pennsylvania’s decision not to expand Medicaid, as well as the continued stigma of seeking such care.
Ohio Amish Reconsider Vaccines Amid Measles Outbreak
County health officials are scrambling to set up immunization clinics for thousands after 341 cases in Ohio have swept through the Amish communities in the central part of the state.
Advocates Worry Conn. Decision Could Undermine Autism Coverage
That state has defined autism behavioral therapy as a type of medical benefit not subject to the mental health parity law, a move that allows insurers more latitude to limit the benefits they offer.
Drug Discount Program Has Drugmakers Crying Foul
Hospitals and drug makers are waging a pitched battle over the program — known as 340B — that requires drug manufacturers to give steep discounts to hospitals that treat a large percentage of poor patients.
More Than 750 Hospitals Face Medicare Crackdown On Patient Injuries
The 1 percent cut in payments is the latest effort by the federal government to improve hospital care.
Review Finds Flawed Management Of Nursing Home Inspections In Los Angeles County
Officials did not properly prioritize or track investigations, leading to delays and incomplete probes, according to a state audit.
Q&A: Can Claims Data Crack the Health Care Cost Riddle?
More states are creating all-payer claims databases. Find out how they work.
Boeing, Health Care Providers Join Forces In Bid To Curb Costs
The aerospace giant is teaming with accountable care organizations to save themselves money by taking the “middle men” — insurers — out of their health care equation.
For Women Just Out Of Jail, Health Care Could Be Key To Better Life
Sheriff in San Francisco wants to make sure the 30,000 prisoners who come through the jail system every year have health insurance on the day they’re released.
Michigan To Reward Medicaid Enrollees Who Take ‘Personal Responsibility’
The state is among the first to use financial incentives to encourage enrollees to boost their health.
Mass. Inches Toward Health Insurance For All
The latest analysis shows that Massachusetts is close to having most of its eligible residents insured, some eight years after Gov. Mitt Romney signed its landmark state law. But a failed website has delayed the processing of applications, and some of those waiting may yet decide not to buy health plans.
More Than 1.7 Million Consumers Still Wait For Medicaid Decisions
Technological glitches at the federal and state levels and inadequate staffing have delayed eligibility determinations.
Coast-to-Coast Health Care Woe: Cost
On a reporter’s cross country road trip, Americans talk about all the health policy highlights
Jury Is Still Out On Medicaid Managed Care
While a growing number of states are contracting with managed care companies to manage their Medicaid programs, there are still questions about cost savings and quality.
A Hot Sauce Accident Leads To Health Insurance
Last December we profiled a Texas woman who was uninsured and undecided about whether to buy an insurance plan. But after a minor accident became a major problem, she decided to buy Obamacare insurance and is thrilled with it.
Missouri’s Declining Medicaid Caseload Stands Out In National Report
Critics contend the state is making it harder for people to enroll or renew their coverage.
Obamacare Lightens Load For Cancer Patients
People with cancer can now get health coverage even if they lose their jobs and insurance.
Medicaid Contractor Centene Was Top Financial Performer In St. Louis
The managed care company was judged the area’s most financially successful public company in 2013.
