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Editor's
Picks
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Short-term insurance buyers driving up costs in Massachusetts
The number of people who appear to be gaming the state's health insurance system by purchasing coverage only when they are sick quadrupled from 2006 to 2008, according to a report released yesterday from the Massachusetts Division of Insurance. Not a very promising sign of the fiscal sustainability of the federal program that many compare to the Massachusetts model. Estimates show the trend is adding about $300 million in uncovered health costs to the state's system each year, and legislators are looking at ways to close the loopholes. [Read
More]
CPOEs Miss 1 In 3 Potentially Fatal Medication Orders
So much for the promise of computer physician order entry systems as a panacea for preventing medication errors. CPOEs can potentially miss half of routine medication orders and one third of potentially fatal medication orders, a report released by The Leapfrog Group shows. The report is based on a study of 214 hospitals that tested their CPOE systems using a web-based simulation tool between June 2008 and January 2010. The simulation tool was used to see how often CPOE caught common medication errors. [Read
More]
99% of Teaching Hospitals Lack Clinical Care Conflict Of Interest Policies
Teaching hospitals have been writing conflict of interest policies covering research and corporate relationships, but they also should set rules for disclosing physicians' clinical conflicts that can bias patient care, according to an Association of American Medical Colleges report. While the report is careful to say that some relationships between clinicians and for profit companies are often necessary and beneficial, there are perceived if not actual conflicts of interest that must at the very least be disclosed. [Read
More]
OIG: Medicare Paid $1.2 Billion For Drugs With Invalid Prescriber Numbers
Medicare drug plans and beneficiaries paid pharmacies $1.2 billion in 2007 for more than 18 million prescriptions that contained 527,749 invalid prescriber numbers, indicating the agency lacks adequate procedures to detect fraud. Additionally, identifiers on 17% of the drug claims with invalid prescriber numbers did not conform to length or format specifications, and Medicare drug plans and enrollees paid pharmacies $213 million for PDE records with invalid identifiers. [Read
More]
Join the HealthLeaders Media Council
If you want even better insight into what your peers are doing as healthcare experiences seismic changes, this is an opportunity you can't afford to pass up. The HealthLeaders Media Council is comprised of the nation's leading healthcare executives who collectively provide the most unbiased industry intelligence available. As a HealthLeaders reader, we invite you to qualify to become a member by completing a brief survey.
Join fellow Council members to:
- Share your knowledge of the industry by contributing to brief online surveys
- Access survey results and research reports in advance
- Pose questions to solicit colleagues' opinions on your organization's most pressing challenges
- Receive quarterly HealthLeaders Media Webcasts ($1,500 annual value) as a thank you for your participation on the Council
[Read
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This Week's
Headlines
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Poll: Favorable views of health reform law increasing among Americans
The Washington Post, June 30, 2010
CMS To Combine Quality Reporting Programs
Janice Simmons, HealthLeaders Media, June 29, 2010
EHR, Operating Cost Hikes Challenge Practice Managers
The Washington Post, June 30, 2010
DC council creates nonprofit to take over SE hospital
The Washington Post, June 30, 2010
WellPoint security glitch is third in 3 1/2 years
Indianapolis Star, June 30, 2010
Arizona struggling to keep doctors in state
Arizona Republic, July 1, 2010
Doctors, patients gird for a walkout
Minneapolis Star-Tribune, June 30, 2010
200 gather to bemoan West Penn Hospital's intention to lay off 1,500
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, July 1, 2010
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Webcasts/Audio Conferences
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A Better Way Than Pay For Call Coverage (July 15)
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Marketing to Physicians: Increase Sales Success Through Measurement and Tracking (July 22)
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Stay Connected to Corner Office
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| From HealthLeaders Magazine |
Taking On the Cost Drivers
While most expense categories are unavoidable, there are ways to reduce costs. [Read More]
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| Service Line Management |
Creating Stroke Systems of Care
If U.S. healthcare is headed toward a model that eliminates fragmentation and emphasizes continuity and cooperation, stroke care may be leading the way and making a difference in patients' lives. [Read More]
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View from the Top
It is Time to Act: With the signing of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, along with the Health Care and Education Affordability Reconciliation Act, major change will be coming to the way healthcare is organized, delivered, and managed in the United States. Healthcare leaders have been dealing with constant change for the past 30 years, but now the rate of change will need to accelerate in order to achieve success in a reformed healthcare environment. [Read More] |
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Audio Feature
Preventing Missed Revenue Opportunities: Robert Sutton of IMA Consulting discusses tips for preventing missed revenue opportunities due to third-party payer contractual underpayment. [Listen Now] |
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