BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee has rolled out an online tool that provides cost and quality information on doctors to nearly 2 million of its members. Members of the insurer can now see information such as what other physicians billed for procedures within a certain specialty. They also can see a doctor's record on whether he performed screenings that include things such as mammograms or a test for cervical cancer. But the new tool, and others like it, has drawn concerns from some doctors about whether that information ultimately could be used to steer consumers to the cheapest doctors, who may not necessarily be the best.
Clarian Health has detailed its plans for a $180 million hospital in Fishers, IN, including long-range plans to develop a $750 million medical campus at the 95-acre site. Clarian Saxony Medical Center would include a 250,000-square-foot hospital and a 100,000-square-foot medical office building buffered by trees, water features and a "healing garden," hospital officials said.
Elizabeth Edwards said she is discouraged that healthcare is falling on the nation's list of priorities and critiqued the plans of both leading presidential candidates. The financial crisis that has shaken Wall Street may demand national attention and money that would otherwise be invested in fixing the healthcare system, she said during a talk at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia.
Nevada's Democratic state senators have announced their agenda for the 2009 Legislature will include a plan to reduce the number of children with no health insurance. Senate Minority Leader Steven Horsford said the Senate Democrats also want to mandate coverage of autism by insurance companies and improve consumer access to health records. Also on the agenda is a plan to help employees of small businesses get insurance.
Research released by the Kaiser Family Foundation indicates many people who tune in to the prime time show Grey's Anatomy remember health messages in episodes. A second study, also released by Kaiser and the University of Southern California's Annenberg Norman Lear Center, indicates that health content is prevalent on prime-time TV. If done responsibly, embedding accurate health content in entertainment television could have a major public health impact, says Jay Bernhardt of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Pfizer has launched a new website on medication safety designed to help patients bewildered over how to weigh the risks and benefits of a medication, or even how to find out what they are. The company plans to promote the site by working with medical and patient advocacy groups, as well as with online advertising on websites targeting medical professionals and patients.