Partners HealthCare appeared before Massachusetts regulators to explain the reasons for skyrocketing healthcare costs, saying it is not to blame. David McGuire, Partners vice president for system contracting, told Division of Insurance officials that rising insurance costs are a national phenomenon, not solely a state problem caused by higher reimbursement rates paid by insurers to Partners hospitals. Instead, he cited inadequate rates paid by Medicare and Medicaid, the government insurance programs, which increase costs for everyone else, the Boston Globe reports.
Althea LaCoste, 73, died before she could be evacuated from Pendleton Memorial Methodist Hospital in the chaotic days after Hurricane Katrina four and a half years ago. Now LaCoste's death is at the center of a civil lawsuit that could have far-reaching implications for hospitals across the country. The lawsuit against Methodist Hospital is the first civil suit alleging negligence of a hospital staff in Katrina's aftermath, USA Today reports. It could pave the way for future lawsuits across the country for how hospitals react to a variety of emergencies, from viral pandemics to street riots, says Sean Ahrens, a project manager with Aon Corp., a risk-management and insurance advisory firm to hospitals.
A growing shortage of pediatricians trained in specialties such as neurology, gastroenterology, and developmental and behavioral medicine is threatening timely access to care for children, according to pediatric medical groups. As the House and Senate intensify the process of melding their two health bills, pediatric groups are lobbying to secure more funding for training and higher reimbursement for pediatric sub-specialties, in the hope of encouraging more doctors-in-training to enter the field. A new survey released by the National Association of Children's Hospitals and Related Institutions found that shortages of doctors across a multitude of pediatric sub-specialties are forcing 90% of hospitals to delay appointments, lose patients, or refer them elsewhere.
The final healthcare bill is likely to require coverage for more mammograms than new guidelines recommend after women's groups, doctors and imaging-equipment makers stepped up pressure on lawmakers. Many doctors and patient groups have long supported early, frequent screening for breast cancer. In November, the federally funded U.S. Preventive Services Task Force said routine mammograms weren't necessary for women in their 40s who have normal cancer risk. But in the Senate, lawmakers have approved an amendment from Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D, MD) to its health-overhaul bill that effectively nullified the new guidelines and promised mammogram coverage for women starting at age 40.
The New Jersey Legislature has approved a measure that would make the state the 14th in the nation to legalize the use of marijuana to help patients with chronic illnesses. The measure would allow patients diagnosed with severe illnesses to have access to marijuana grown and distributed through state-monitored dispensaries, and was passed by the General Assembly and State Senate on the final day of the legislative session. Gov. Jon S. Corzine has said he would sign it into law before leaving office on January 19.
Prince George's Hospital Hospital Authority, tasked with finding a private entity to take over the Maryland county's troubled healthcare network, announced at its meeting the formation of a "strategic alliance" with the University of Maryland Medical System. The university is going to finance and conduct a study "to determine the economic feasibility of building a teaching hospital" in the county, said the authority's chairman, Kenneth Glover.