Kentucky's two most recent governors went to war over the state's health care system Thursday, raising the stakes in a battle that could tarnish the legacy of the Obama administration's health care law. Former Kentucky Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear formed a tax-exempt organization that will pay for an online campaign he said will "educate voters" about Republican Gov. Matt Bevin's plans to make fewer people eligible for Medicaid and to dismantle a state program where some can purchase private insurance plans at a discount. "Gov. Bevin is going to be held accountable," Beshear said, adding: "What's more important? Living up to a campaign promise that shouldn't have been made, or the health of the people of Kentucky."
The federal government — in proposed rules for 2017 — has signaled it too wants to have more of a hand in crafting plans. Though there are no hints HealthCare.gov will go as far as a monthly drug copay cap, it would be forging ahead on a path California already blazed — swapping variety for simplicity in plan design. Most other states, including those in the federal exchange, haven't subscribed to that idea so far. They have a clearinghouse model, in which all health insurers and plan designs are accepted as long they comply with the Affordable Care Act. That can mean the same insurer offers multiple plans with slightly different premiums, deductibles and copays.
HCA North Texas will buy Forest Park Medical Center's Frisco hospital for more than $96 million in what is expected to be the first in a string ownership changes for the ailing Dallas-based physician-owned system. The Irving-based subsidiary of the Hospital Corporation of America agreed to a cash purchase of $96.25 million in a deal expected to close by March 31. The hospital has been operating under Chapter 11 bankruptcy since last September, and the deal is subject to approval by a bankruptcy court judge. A hearing on that issue is scheduled for Feb. 18.
On January 15, Community Catalyst, a national consumer health advocacy organization, launched its Center for Consumer Engagement in Health Innovation at the National Press Club, in Washington, D.C. The event drew more than 150 leaders in health care and advocacy, including representatives from government agencies, consumer groups, academic institutions, professional associations, foundations, and think tanks. The center was created through a five-year, $14.8 million legacy grant, awarded in 2015 by The Atlantic Philanthropies, to advance the role of consumers in health system transformation?that is, changes in the health system that are reshaping the delivery of health care for all Americans.
Electronic health records are typically touted as providing two primary and vital services: readily accessible patient records and protection against contraindicated medications. But at Intermountain Healthcare, we're benefiting from a growing versatility in the application of electronic health records that has the potential to transform the healthcare landscape far more broadly. Key to it is trust – in the data, in its utility, and in the people developing and advancing it. Achieving that trust requires an organizational culture from top-to-bottom that is data-driven. Intermountain Healthcare pioneered electronic health records in the 1970s, so their application is not new to us.
Melissa Melby, assistant professor of anthropology at the University of Delaware, was pleased to hear a pre-med undergraduate excitedly describe participating in a brief medical outreach program to an impoverished Central American community. That is, until the student proudly recounted how she had performed a pelvic exam on a patients at the local clinic. "No one here [in the United States] would allow you to perform medical procedures for which you're not licensed," says Melby. "And that should not change when you cross international boundaries to developing countries." Well, a lot of students are crossing international boundaries.