Fresh problems for “Obamacare”: The largest health insurer in Texas wants to raise its rates on individual policies by an average of nearly 60 percent, a new sign that President Barack Obama’s overhaul hasn’t solved the problem of price spikes. Texas isn’t alone. Citing financial losses under the health care law, many insurers around the country are requesting bigger premium increases for 2017.
The windfall profits for the Oregon hospital industry are showing their effects in the individual health insurance market, with 2017 rates skyrocketing past 2016 levels as insurers seem unable to leverage reasonable rates from providers, and plan to pass a big hurt onto the 242,000 consumers who must purchase by themselves.
St. Michael's Medical Center is settling federal whistleblower charges that some of its physicians performed medically unnecessary cardiac and kidney procedures and then billed federal health care programs for the costs. The Newark-based hospital will pay $450,000 to settle the charges, which were brought to federal prosecutors' attention by a hospital insider four years ago.
Pasadena health officials said Wednesday that 16 patients were infected by dangerous bacteria from medical scopes at Huntington Hospital from January 2013 to August 2015, including 11 who have now died. Many of those patients were already severely ill, including some with cancer. Health officials said that only one of the 11 death certificates listed the bacteria as the cause. It was not clear if infection was a factor in any of the other deaths.
Garren Colvin, CEO of St. Elizabeth Healthcare, said today that Northern Kentucky’s dominant medical provider will request a state hearing to object to Christ Hospital’s plan to build a $24 million ambulatory surgery center in Fort Mitchell. Edgewood-based St. Elizabeth, which operates five hospitals, will file the hearing request with the state Cabinet for Health and Family Services. An administrative hearing officer would consider arguments from both sides during a non-judicial proceeding in Frankfort, which could be held in July or early August.
Mikhail Varshavski has 1.8 million followers on Instagram. I know because, after meeting him at the American Image Awards, I checked. Why is this seemingly random guy, born in Russia, the most famous physician since Zhivago? Well, have a look. That facial symmetry alone is enough to draw stares. His hair is luxuriant. His biceps, forged in a boxing ring, are extraordinary. And he has a very nice smile. Physician, ‘gram thyself.