Medical malpractice cases can drag on for years, exacting an emotional toll on both sides when in the end neither side really feels like the winner. About three-fourths of cases that go to trial end in the doctor's favor, but lawsuits are costly and physicians blame their patients' propensity to sue for changing how they practice. In response to a flurry of medical malpractice cases, the Florida Legislature in 2003 capped "pain-and-suffering" damages at $150,000 for emergency room patients and $500,000 for all others. Since then, one-third fewer cases have been filed, several insurance companies have returned to Florida and premiums have decreased.
South Carolina-based Companion Global Healthcare added three Singapore hospitals to its network. The deal now allows Americans access to medical and surgical services at ParkwayHealth operated hospitals at pre-negotiated, in-network rates lower than those of U.S. hospitals.
The deal between ParkwayHealth and Companion Global Healthcare is a step in the maturation of the medical travel industry, notes David Williams, consultant and cofounder of MedPharma Partners LLC.
“Conceptually, hospitals halfway around the world will now have the same status to members as those just down the street, so that’s a big step,” he said. “It may be a bit of a wake-up call to the local hospitals in South Carolina, putting them on notice that they are facing a broader set of competitors.”
More than one million members of Blue Cross Blue Shield and BlueChoice HealthPlan of South Carolina now have access to the three Singapore hospitals—Mount Elizabeth, Gleneagles, and East Shore—at preferred network rates. The hospitals are accredited by the Joint Commission International, the affiliate of The Joint Commission.
“Patients in increasing numbers are crossing international borders seeking top-quality care at affordable prices,” said Dan Snyder, ParkwayHealth group executive vice president and chief operating officer, in a prepared statement.
Williams points out that the network expansion will aid Companion Global Healthcare’s growth and bolsters the reputation of ParkwayHealth and Singapore as a destination for global healthcare, but he doesn’t expect that this deal will open the floodgates of medical travel to Singapore.
“This marks a significant milestone in the global reach of Singapore’s healthcare,” said Jason CH Yap, director of healthcare services for the Singapore Tourism Board, in prepared remarks. “Singapore has long been the leading medical hub and healthcare destination of choice in Asia.”
The Third District Court of Appeals has ruled that Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida must pay pathologists for their professional services. The decision could affect 11 similar cases, and affirms a jury's decision to award $1.5 million to the South Florida doctors who make up Palmetto Pathology Services. Blue Cross Blue Shield had paid pathologists a professional fee until 1999 when it decided it would pay for only lab services, but the pathologists insisted that they are entitled to a fee for analyzing results.
Memorial Hospital Miramar (FL) has completed its new pediatric unit, which features private rooms, an on-floor pharmacy, separate treatment rooms and a nursing station. The need for the $600,000 unit was driven by area growth and demographics, said hospital officials.
The Bush administration is appealing a groundbreaking court ruling that would permit disclosure of Medicare billing records so patients could compare doctors' expertise and efficiency. Release of such information is advocated by consumer groups, employers and the health insurance industry, but is opposed by organizations representing doctors. Consumer and business groups said they were disappointed by the administration's appeal, but the American Medical Association has petitioned to join it.
Antionette Smith Epps has left Martin Luther King Jr./Drew Medical Center, according to Los Angeles County Department of Health Services officials. Epps was brought in to help save the Los Angeles medical center, but wound up instead presiding over its closing. Her departure is the latest in a string of recent setbacks in the county's beleaguered public healthcare system.